GIVING BACK!

The Catalina Rotary Club continuously raises funds to meet local community needs in several focus areas: Youth, Healthcare, Disease Prevention and Social Justice. In addition, Club members also volunteer in many Community projects, such as the Community Food Bank, Road Clean-up and Make Way for Books.

Most projects are driven by membership input. The best opportunities to serve are initially discovered by our own members as we see needs in our Tucson community and beyond.

The Club’s major fundraiser is selling beer at La Fiesta de los Vaqueros, the Tucson Rodeo. This activity permits the Club to provide grants of $20K to $30K each year to a variety of agencies and projects with the intent that positive change will occur.

Projects funded 2020-2021:

Dictionary Project: $576

  • Providing dictionaries to third-graders.

Rotary Peace Pole : $380

  • A hand-crafted monument displaying the message May Peace Prevail on Earth on each of its sides.

Neighborhood for Equity and Education Development Collaborative (NEED)

  • $500 worth of hygiene items delivered in hope baskets for youth involved in the Pima County juvenile justice system. Tucson Police participate in deliveries.

Integrative Touch for Kids : $5,000

  • $2,500 from the Catalina Rotary Club, matched by a Rotary District 5500 grant, for ITK’s TeleFriend project.

Boys & Girls Clubs of Tucson: $3,000

  • Funding for take-out Thanksgiving dinners.

Projects funded 2019-2020:

COVID 19 Grants

  • Boys & Girls Clubs of Tucson: $1,500
  • Community Food Bank: $1,500
  • Integrative Touch for Kids: $1,000
  • Youth on Their Own: $2,000

Boys & Girls Clubs of Tucson: $900.52

  • Weekly pizza lunches for children in the BGCT daycare program.

Southern Arizona Research, Science and Engineering Foundation (SARSEF) : $650

  • Catalina Rotary-sponsored science fair awards.

Dictionary Project: $504

  • Providing dictionaries to third-graders.

The Big Idea – Boys & Girls Clubs of Tucson Creative Arts Center Grant : $50,000

  • 100% funding for an arts and performance center.

Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA): $1,600

  • Tuition for students attending Rotary’s youth leadership program.

Boys & Girls Clubs of Tucson Endowment : $8,250

Projects funded 2017-2018:

The Integrative Touch for Kids (ITK): $9,063.10

  • ITK was the recipient of all tips received  in February 2017 by the Catalina Rotary Club during its fundraisers; volunteering to sell the beer at the Annual La Fiesta de los Vaqueros (Tucson Rodeo) and the Conquistador Classic Golf Tournament.ITK supports families whose children have any type of special health or medical need. This includes kids with cancers, genetic conditions, autism, cerebral palsy, traumatic stress, and other serious health issues. They reach 3500 people each year and provide more than 100 different integrative healing therapies such as massage, sound healing, reflexology, energy, equine, play and music therapies through their many programs.

Boys & Girls Clubs of Tucson: $3,000

  • The youth at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Tucson along with Cindy Robertson, a community volunteer and artist, have fused together a program that encompasses art, giving back and entrepreneurship.  This new program is known as HeART Works. Art lessons and crafts are the draw, but the real teaching is all about encouragement, drive, passion and pride in creating something beautiful.  This funding is specifically for the acquisition of art supplies for the many students who will participate in the HeART Works program.

The Child Language Center: $3,000

  • To use specifically toward the acquisition of furniture or appropriate scholarships for the many students who participate in the programs.

Habitat for Humanity Tucson, Inc.: $3,000

  • For use specifically toward the construction of home site for the Woman’s project.

Veterans Association of Real Estate Professionals, Inc.: $3,000

  • To use toward Tucson related charitable expenses such as homeless meals, programs that supplements critical housing needs, etc. These funds may not be utilized for lobbying purposes.

YMCA: $3,000

  • To use toward the continuing swimming program.

Youth on Their Own (YOTO) : $3,000

  • To support homeless students excelling academically with an earned, monthly stipend or scholarship. The modest monthly stipend (less than $5/day) helps offset the costs of food, bills, or other costs.

Projects funded 2016-2017:

Establishment of an Endowed Scholarship with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Tucson

  •  We are proud to announce the establishment of the Catalina Rotary Club “Youth of the Year” Endowed Scholarship for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Tucson. This scholarship will be given each year and provide a deserving student identified by the staff of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Tucson $1,000 to help with their educational pursuits after high school.

YMCA: $5,000

  • To provide lifesaving swim skills to children (5-12 years old) in undeserved, low-income areas of Tucson.

Old Pueblo Community Services: $5,000

  • To support the Community Home Fund which provides financial assistance to homeless persons to address some of the barriers they encounter in transitioning into homes.

Gabriel’s Angels: $3,000

  • To provide pet therapy for at risk youth in Pima County.

Tucson Mariachi Institute (La Frontera Arizona, Inc.): $5,000

  • To provide two college scholarships for senior Ballet and Folklorico students.

Youth on Their Own (YOTO): $3,000

  • To purchase a new student I.D. System.

Interact Club (Tucson High School): $2,000

  • Funding to assist with their projects for the year.

Boy and Girls Clubs of Tucson: $2,000

  • To provide partial funding for the SMART moves program at the Frank & Edith Morton Clubhouse at 3155 E. Grant Road.

Projects funded 2015-2016

  • ALS Association, Arizona Chapter/Tucson – $920
  • Youth on Their Own – $1,000
  • Boys & Girls Clubs – $4,000
  • Old Pueblo Community Services – $5,000
  • Habitat – $2500
  • YMCA – $5,000
  • SARSEF – $5,000
  • Presbyterian Church (camp program) – $2,500

Projects funded in 2014-2015

  • Southern Arizona Research, Science, and Engineering Foundation to support program funding and textbooks ($5,000)
  • Vail Preservation Society, to build and create a kitchen garden ($5,000)
  • Southern Arizona Children’s Advocacy Center to provide training on a new financial management tool ($2,000)
  • Tucson International Mariachi Conference to provide scholarships for three students to participate in workshops during their annual Conference ($5,000)
  • Boys and Girls Clubs of Tucson to support the “Help a Kid Program” ($5,800)

Projects funded in 2013-2014

  • St. Elizabeth’s Health Center ($7,356)
  • Tepehua Centro Communitario ($4,000)
  • Boys and Girls Clubs of Tucson ($5,000)
  • UA Child Language Center  ($5,000)
  • Old Pueblo Community Service  ($6,000)

Other Major Projects

  • The Jacobs Park Pool  ($25,000 in 2010-2011)
  • The Refugee Project  ($5,500 in 2011-2012)
  • Stories that Soar, Our Family Services    (VAN)
  • Malagro Park

Rotarians from District 5500 celebrate Arbor Day with Tucson Mayor Jonathan Rothschild by planting 50 new shade trees at Udall Park

The Catalina (Tucson) Rotary Club took the lead for Rotary District 5500 in planning the Arbor Day celebration on Saturday, April 28, 2018.  The effort was a partnership with Trees for Tucson, the urban forestry program of Tucson Clean & Beautiful, and the City of Tucson Parks and Recreation.  Approximately 100 Catalina (Tucson) Club members and their families, and other area Rotarians and community volunteers planted 50 new desert-adapted, low water-use trees to shade and beautify this popular regional park.  These 50 trees bring the total for District 5500 to approximately 500 trees planted throughout the greater Tucson area.  Mayor Rothschild thanked the Rotarians for expanding Tucson’s urban tree canopy and read the Arbor Day proclamation.

Tucson has been designated a Tree City USA by the Arbor Day Foundation for more than 26 years, thanks to the cooperative efforts of the City of Tucson and the Trees for Tucson program. These trees also count toward the Mayor’s annual 10,000 Tree Challenge.

Rotary International 2017-2018 President Ian Riseley challenged Rotary clubs around the world to plant at least one tree for each member during the current Rotary year which translates to 1.2 million trees. Thanks to these dedicated Rotarians, in the spirit of Service Above Self, that goal is being surpassed for Rotary members in the Tucson area who are contributing 500 new trees to the 1.2 million global trees for this year!

Following the tree planting the Catalina Rotary Club hosted a BBQ for all of the volunteers providing a wonderful opportunity for fellowship and a great ending to a beautiful and significant morning.

Rotarians Planting Trees

Kirk Reed

– Listen to Kirk –

Mayor Jonathan Rothschild

– Listen to Jonathan –

Investing in the Future