The USRC Foundation has very kindly set aside funds to match our contributions to a special campaign in L.A. organized by the Rotary District 5280 Charitable Foundation (https://rotary5280.org/page/2025-wildfire-disaster-relief/).
You can be assured that your donation to our Foundation will make a helpful difference. Mail a check to the USRC Foundation at P.O. Box 15131, Seattle, WA 98115 with “L.A. Recovery” on the memo line.
February 3, 2025
Seven of us met Friday afternoon to discuss the planning of a third annual club trip.
We have done a Club trip twice in the last two years and they have been fantastic fun (In fact everyone who has been on past trips is enthusiastic about going again).
Here is what we decided:
The participants in the meeting were Bruce Balick, Steve Barton, Ted Hunter, Scott Jamieson, Mike Madden, Dave Mushen, Pam Mushen, and Tom Ranken.
Possible itinerary:
Day One (Thursday):
Depart Seattle in carpools leaving at 10am. Drive to Walla Walla with stop for lunch. Arrive by 4 pm to check into the hotel. Rendezvous for dinner and wine walk/tasting at 6pm.
Day Two (Friday):
Wineries and breweries in the Walla Walla area. Possible day trip to Clarkston for a Lewis & Clark tour. Visit the Discovery Center, the Interpretative Center, the Nez Pierce Historical Museum, and the Confluence Campsite. Lunch in Lewiston ID (beer available for those 19+!). Leave Walla Walla at 8 am, return by 6 pm. Visit a famous winery for a tour and dinner.
Day 3:(Saturday):
Wine tour to three or four famous wineries in the area, led by Scott Jamieson. May include a venture across the border to Oregon or into the Palouse.
Day Four: (Sunday)
Return to Seattle or continue the L& C trail to Astoria or? (Your own plan. Could include Goldendale for an observatory visit or drive down Columbia Gorge with a stop in Hood River or myriad possibilities).
Are you in??
-Tom
-Tom Ranken | 206.890.8387 | tom@usrotary.org
The mission of the Foundation is to enable members to advance world understanding, goodwill and peace through the improvement of health, the support of education and the alleviation of poverty. The Foundation may fund activities or make direct grants to individuals or organizations and may combine its financial resources with other Rotary clubs and Districts, for the greater good.
The program will be presented by the Board of the Foundation along with members of the Screening Committee. Board members are Tom Ranken (Chair), Stuart Webber (Treasurer/Secretary), Pam Mushen, Dave Mushen, and Lincoln Ferris. Screening Committee Members are Mike Madden, Nancy Bolin, and Hal Beals.
Forts Worden, Flagler, and Casey were developed to prevent enemy incursions into Puget Sound. When were they built, and what became of them?
Michael Bronsdon is a Pacific Northwest native who grew up camping and learning about the natural and human histories of the West. This fed a lifelong interest in history and the outdoors.
Michael earned B.A. (History), and MBA degrees from the University of Washington. His professional career included several years in book publishing, followed by 26 years in the software/technology industry.
Michael relocated to Bainbridge Island (Fletcher Bay neighborhood) in 2021 with his wife Cathy. He appreciates learning and sharing the stories of the communities of Bainbridge Island and the Pacific Northwest.
He volunteers with the Bainbridge History Museum and joined the board earlier this year.
He is a passionate skier and hiker, and also enjoys choral singing, winemaking, photography and travel.
Arpita Dacy is the embodiment of female empowerment, dedication, and perseverance. She believes in leading by example and aims to be a good role model for women and youth through her journey. She is a devoted mother of a 7-year-old daughter, a Senior Tech Leader at Amazon, University of Washington Alumna degreed in Electrical Engineering, Professional Mentor, Motivational and STEM Speaker, Global Beauty Awards Nominee in multiple categories, and the National winner of the most esteemed pageant of Mrs. Universe America 2023-2024 hosted by internationally acclaimed and several award winning non-profit AmPowering. Arpita will be competing in the Mrs. Universe worldwide competition later this year in South Korea representing our WA state and America. Arpita is passionate about community engagement and is actively involved with various organizations to advocate for women’s issues and to promote cultural inclusivity, diversity and equity. She plans to use all her platforms to continue to motivate females to pursue their passions and create a greater impact in society.
As a part of Rotary, our club’s foundation is able to partner with other clubs and districts on local as well as global projects. We participated with 43 other Rotary clubs in this project led by Sheila Hosner of University District Rotary. Here’s part of Sheila’s progress report and some images of the planned health clinic at Bukobero, Uganda as well as a photo of the recent stage of construction.
“We raised a total of $103,677! Forty-three Rotary Clubs in four districts contributed and the project also received two district grants. …I can’t thank everyone enough for their contributions…
Below I have shared two drawings of what the building will look like when it is completed and a picture taken just days ago of where we are now. The construction picture on the right corresponds to the perspective of the bottom drawing. We expect the building completed by June or July 2024.”
Through our participation in international projects with TINFA (Technology and Information for All), the University Sunrise Service Foundation has made connections with community schools and Rotary Clubs in Guatemala. Principal Flori Acabal of Escuela Belen Elementary School reached out to us recently with an urgent request: could we help with repainting the school while the kids are away, during Holy Week (which was the next week)?
We connected with the President of Club Rotario de Retalhuleu and their club agreed to participate. Our foundation rushed approval of this request and Principal Flori was able to buy paint and start the project with teacher and parent volunteers.
Here are a few “Before” photos, of the school:
And some progress photos:
Principal Flori expects to finish repainting by the end of this week, 4/8-4/14. She says the kids will be much more enthusiastic about coming to the school with its fresh colors.
Below please find a link to the signup sheets for the upcoming QFC Food Drives. I included 3 tabs for members to sign up for March 9th, April 13th, and May 18th.
Thank you so much.
–Walker Lefleur
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1kvF-Bl5vjsXCMZQwetTKzk6RHy4ruNcuh1IFSVauS8M/edit?usp=sharing
Join the University Sunrise Rotary Club for a program featuring Elisa Law speaking about The First World Flight.
The program will be presented on Zoom only on Thursday morning with the line opening at 7:00 a.m. The formal meeting including the program runs from 7:30-8:30 a.m. No registration is required, and the program is free.
Click here to join the meeting Thursday morning. The Zoom line will open shortly after 7:00 a.m.
Whether you’re an aviation enthusiast, Seattle history buff, or simply intrigued by tales of human perseverance and innovation, this presentation promises an inspiring and educational experience that will leave you with a newfound appreciation of the golden age of flight and our local aviation heritage. This year commemorates the 100th anniversary of man’s first around the world flight, a race against nations that began and ended for America here at Sand Point Field (now Magnuson Park and NOAA). Our speaker will guide you through the daring exploits of these Army Air Service aviators who embarked on this 175-day journey, defying the limits of early 20th-century technology and pushing the boundaries of human endurance. Through a blend of vivid storytelling and captivating visuals, we will revisit the challenges and triumphs faced by those intrepid individuals who dared to dream of circumnavigating the globe by air.
Our speaker is Elisa Law (MA Museology, University of Washington) is a Seattle-born and raised museologist and public historian. Before she was brought on board as Executive Director and Centennial Coordinator at Friends of Magnuson Park, she built an impressive resume, traveling Indian Country filming documentaries with Project 562, running development projects and becoming an honorary chief on a remote Samoan Island in the Peace Corps and studying the emergence of Buddhist temple museums in Japan. In addition to her current work with Friends, she manages book projects for HistoryLink, a museum renovation for Vashon Heritage Museum and writes grants for the historic Tokeland Hotel. And she is also the mother of a 1-year old.
The connective thread of her background in cultural heritage, education, and project management is a passion for storytelling. Don’t miss her thrilling rendition of the 1924 First World Flight!