Rotary Club of Laramie Sunrise

Club 31279 District 5440

WELCOME!  Thank you for joining us at our website.  We hope you will be interested in the Laramie Sunrise Rotary Club, and you will plan to attend the meetings to find out more about Rotary and the Laramie Sunrise Club.

We have found that many professionals prefer an early morning meeting before beginning their work day, since many are unable to leave their offices at other times during the day.  The Laramie Sunrise Rotary club meets each Wednesday morning at 6:30 am at the Hilton Garden Inn,  2229 E. Grand Ave., Laramie. The meeting starts promptly at 6:45.   A breakfast buffet is available.  We have a weekly speaker’s program, and the Club’s monthly business meeting is held on the last Wednesday of the month.

Upcoming Programs:

• June 10:  Sarah Brown discussing smoke jumping.
• June 17:  Lucas Yosten, BioLife Plasma Services.
• June 24:  Monthly business meeting.
• July 1:  New Montessori school in Laramie.
• July 8:  District Rotary Governor Dave Scriven
• July 15:  Lisel Brutlag, Ethiopan Polio Plus immunization

President                Jerry Schmidt            jjschmidt@bresnan.net

President-Elect       Chuck Shawver        crshawver@hotmail.com

Secretary                Jake Anfinson           janfinson@fib.com

Treasurer                Liz Ontiveroz            lontiveroz@fnbwyo.com

Past President         Linda Gault               exd@wyomail.com

Membership           Donna Emery, Tia Farmer, Chuck Shawver

Public Relations      Kelcey Christensen, Bruce King, Linda Gault, Marcia Britton

Foundation             Paul Hein, Liz Ontiveroz

Director-at-Large   Bruce King

Director-at-Large   Kelcey Christensen

Fundraisers:

Rotary is more than just a guest speaker program.  Laramie Sunrise conducts an annual raffle fundraiser for a local non-profit organization each year.  Club members sell raffle tickets; proceeds (after expenses) are donated to the chosen organization.  Recent community service fundraisers include:

• 2004/05  Funds raised by raffle donated to Laramie Downtown Clinic.
• 2005/06  Funds raised by raffle donated to Laramie Good Samaritans.
• 2006/07  Funds raised by raffle donated to Laramie Hospice.
• 2007  Funds raised for a bench, picnic table, and landscaping at the Albany County Courthouse.
• 2008  Funds raised by raffle donated to Albany Co. SAFE Program

Community service:

Additionally, the Laramie Sunrise Club conducts several Community Service Programs, including:

• Twice-annual highway clean-ups along a 2-mile stretch of Highway 230 southwest of Laramie;
• Assist with the Laramie Jubilee Days Pancake Breakfast in downtown Laramie each summer;
• Select a senior high school student to attend the Rotary Youth Leadership Award Program, which centers on a week-long seminar held in Estes Park each summer.  This activity helps young individuals enhance their leadership skills through many group activities during the week.
• Recently established a Rotary Interact Club at Laramie Senior High School to provide young people in the community direction and assistance in conducting at least two community service projects each year.
• Recognize a Sunrise Rotary “Student of The Month” at the Laramie Junior High School.  Students and their parents are invited to attend a Rotary meeting where they tell members about themselves and their interests, and receive a certificate and a gift from the club.
• In 2007, a new project was undertaken in conjunction with the Laramie Beautification Committee, Laramie Garden Club, and the Albany County Courthouse, assisting in the beautification project for the Albany County Courthouse.  Club members met on a Saturday morning in September to plant trees and shrubs, and spread bark around all of the new plantings.
• Rotary Club of Laramie Sunrise provided monetary assistance to the project as well.  A Simplified Grant was awarded at the District level and matched by Laramie Sunrise to provide a picnic table, bench and landscaping to a specific area that will be referred to as “Rotary Club of Laramie Sunrise Square.”  The new garden area was dedicated in July 2008.

Member activities:

In addition to the club’s regular Wednesday morning meetings, other member activities include:

• An annual “Family of Rotary” steak fry.  The 2007 event was held at a member’s cabin outside of Centennial, where our Rotary family enjoyed a campfire, great food, and fellowship.  In 2008, we had a "tailgate party" hamburger barbeque before one of the UW football games.
• The Club’s annual Charter Banquet takes place during the first week of February.  Members and guests gather for dinner and a special guest speaker in celebration of the Club’s charter, which was granted in 1997. 
• Sunrise Rotary joins the Laramie Rotary Noon Club each December for an annual Christmas Party.  This usually takes place at the Laramie Country Club.

If you are interested in joining an organization that contributes to the community and enjoys many activities, you will want to learn more by contacting one of the Club Officers.  We would love to have you attend a meeting as our guest.

For more information contact: