During the past four months of our just concluding 2022/2023 Rotary year – we have been highlighting several of our District clubs that have been going above and beyond in serving others in their communities. No worries – if your club was not highlighted. We plan on continuing this series during the new 2023/2024 Rotary year.
We are so proud of the impactful Rotary projects that abundantly improved the lives of many people throughout District 5710 in 2022/2023. Here are just ten amazing examples:
- Lawrence Central Club focused on kids and family through their support of a domestic violence shelter, a homeless shelter and the Salvation Army adopt a family project.
- Leawood Club is proud of its mentoring program called Project REACH that serves Bishop Ward High School juniors and seniors in Kansas City, KS.
- Lenexa Club has built a powerful partnership with the Lenexa Fire Department and its Fire Safety Trailer.
- Emporia Club organized a pickleball tournament with proceeds going to the food pantry for Emporia State University students.
- Overland Park South Club worked with Geeks for Kids to help build custom electric cars and other assistive devise for kids with movement limitations.
- Western Johnson County Club battled food insecurity by volunteering at Harvesters Community Food Network and collecting non-perishable donations for Shawnee Community Services.
- Overland Park Club focused on education by supporting the Shawnee Mission South High School InterAct Club and delivering 22,000 books to students in five Kansas City, KS high schools and Center High School in Kansas City, MO.
- Valley Falls Club Rotarians beautified their city park by refinishing the park gazebo.
- Overbrook Club knows how to catch kids with their Youth Fishing Tournament.
- DeSoto Club protects its kids by partnering with the Friends of the Kaw to present Kids About Water safety classes.
Clearly District 5710 Clubs exemplify Service Above Self.
Manhattan Rotarians Spread “Manhappiness”
By Bill Musgrave, Santa-Fe Trail Rotary Club
Community spirit in Manhattan is called “Manhappiness” and Rotarians are some of its most enthusiastic ambassadors.
The town’s two Rotary Clubs, Manhattan and Manhattan Konza, work independently and together to improve the quality of life, education and environment there. The clubs work together on a number of projects, such as:
- Co-sponsoring the high school Interact Club,
- Helping clean up the Fairmont Boat Ramp under the 177 Bridge, and the Kansas River between Manhattan and St. George, picking up old battery casings, tires and other trash,
- Helping women transition out of sexual slavery and back into productive lives,
- Sponsoring a golf tournament,
- And sponsoring an outgoing Rotary Youth Exchange student this fall.
Individually, some highlights of the Manhattan club include providing books and training to librarians in a 12-county region through a Rotary Early Learning partnership (RELP) Grant, sponsoring high school students to the Rotary Youth Leadership Academy, sending birthing kits to Africa and more. Many projects are done in conjunction with the K-State Rotaract Club.
The Manhattan Konza Club prepared new office space for the Sunflower Children’s Collective in downtown Manhattan and hosted its third annual Purple Pinky Donuts fundraiser with proceeds benefitting Polio Plus, ringing Salvation Army bells and more.
In short, you can’t turn around in Manhattan without running into a Rotarian spreading “Manhappiness.”