Stories
The Rotary Club of Boise Southwest Foundation's Luau a success!
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Rotary Luau and Smiles for LahainaRotary Luau
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Hearts in Service Gala and awardsHearts in Service Gala and Club awards
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Exchange StudentsMeet our exchange students!
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Welcome our newest member!Welcome Dan Lamborn!
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St. Luke's Cancer Institute ProjectThe Rotary Club of Boise Southwest's annual St. Luke's Cancer Institute project is complete!
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Whittier Holiday PartyWhittier Elementary School Holiday Party
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Mike Markley announced as District Governor Nominee DesignateThis year, the district nominated several qualified and enthusiastic candidates, and they look forward to working with all of them in leadership roles across District 5400 today and in the future. Mike will follow Kathy Buck as District Governor, serving District 5400 in the 2026-2027 Rotary year. Mike grew up in Custer County, Idaho (Stanley and Challis), and graduated from the University of Idaho. Mike then married the love of his life, Beth Markley, in Boise, where they raised their two sons, Colin and Jack. For Mike, Rotary has profoundly and positively impacted him and his family. He is immensely grateful for how Rotary provides opportunities to grow, serve, and make a difference. Mike brings organization, strategic thinking, servant leadership, a love of people, and a desire to help them reach their potential. Mike will seek ways to advance Rotary's mission by enabling people to find inspiration, peace, and understanding through connection and service. |
St. Luke's Cancer Institute project in progress!Boise Southwest Rotary to support St. Luke's Cancer Institute patients
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Boise Southwest Grant Applications due by November 15Grant applications are due for the Rotary Club of Boise Southwest Foundation by November 15. Please see front page of website for application and guidelines.
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Kyle Woods -- New Incoming President of Boise SouthwestBoise Southwest's new President for the 2023-2024 Rotary year was welcomed this month by outgoing President Janie Best, who received a plaque with gavel in appreciation of her outstanding efforts in leading our club this past year. Her leadership featured numerous activities including increased member involvement in community projects and successful fund raising for our Rotary Club Foundation which supports these projects. Congratulations to Janie and welcome to Kyle in the new year!
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From the Bayou to Boise Event raises $20,800 for local service projects
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Whittier Elementary School Graduation Party at Wahooz
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Join us at Bayou to Boise Celebration May 5, 2023Come enjoy a Cajun style feast along with New Orleans style procession and music from Boise High and a prelude by junior high bands while helping our Boise SW Rotary Foundation raise funds to support local causes! All proceeds from the event will go directly to the foundation to fund community efforts. Your ticket gets you a bowl of gumbo, jambalaya and boiled crawfish on the side. Drinks (beer, wine, cider, and non-alcohol) can be purchased from the bar at the Basque Center. Come early to grab a drink from Julian (most amazing bartender) at the bar and get your seat. Open seating- plenty of tables to share feast style. Boise Southwest Rotary FoundationBoise Southwest Rotary Foundation provides grants to local community non-profits. The Boise Southwest Rotary Foundation grant program supports local community needs. Much of the club's grants have gone to low-income and underprivileged school age programs and their families such as:
To get your tickets, please visit fromthebayoutoboise.eventbrite.com. Sponsorships are available! Please contact Janie Best at 208.949.5697 or jbest@idaho.wish.org for more information. |
Boise Southwest Rotary Foundation Grants AnnouncedBoise Southwest Rotary Foundation has announced 2023 grant recipients. |
From the Bayou to BoiseFrom the Bayou to Boise, presented by Boise Southwest Rotary Foundation
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Welcome New Member Lynda PuccinelliLynda Puccinelli joined Boise Southwest in July and was honored this month with a Paul Harris award by her Rotarian husband, Ron. We welcome her to the club and congratulate her on this recognition! Lynda was born in Santa Rosa California and continued to live in Santa Rosa until moving to Boise in 2020. She received a degree in fine arts from California State University-Sacramento and later certification as a Medical Secretary from American River College. Other experience included Systems Operations Manager for Computer Associates, Wells Fargo Realty Finance, and Data 3 Systems. Most recently, she retired from Kendall-Jackson Wines where she was Computer Operations Manager. Lynda married Ron Puccinelli in 1971 and is happy to enjoy retirement in Idaho since their move to Boise. Be sure to say hello to our newest member, Lynda, at the next meeting!
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Welcome New Member Russ StrombergRuss Stromberg, a retired U.S. Marine Corps officer and Viet Nam veteran, is also a graduate of the Naval Air Test Pilot School, Patuxent River, Maryland. In addition to combat service in the A4 jets, Russ served as test pilot and operational test director for the AV-8B Harrier while in the Marine Corps. He also had two USMC Harrier squadron commands. Following his 1990 Marine Corps retirement, Russ and his wife settled in Kirkland, Washington. Russ founded a small business for aviation support services that has grown to include work on the Joint Strike Fighter, the Eagle unmanned aerial vehicle, pilot and other military aviation related training and logistics support. Russ supported the founding of the Boots to Shoes Foundation, a veteran support service for military veterans’ transition to civilian careers. He served as the Board Treasurer for 10 years. Russ also set up a memorial scholarship fund for his oldest son, Capt. Matthew Stromberg. Among other non-profit support, Russ has sponsored and volunteered with Idaho Disabled Veterans River Raft trips. Russ belonged to Kirkland, WA Rotary for 5 years before transferring to Boise SW Rotary. He is a Rotary Paul Harris Fellow. Russ is married to Tricia Moore Stromberg and grew up in Havre, Montana.
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Welcome New Member - Tricia StrombergTricia Stromberg is a retired Boeing Engineer and Associate Technical Fellow. Her engineering career centered on military aircraft systems and spanned all services: from the Army Cobra Helicopter to the Air Force F-22, including avionics weapon system design, mission software and flight testing. She also has 20 years serving on non-profit Boards, including 7 years as President of Seattle’s Spectrum Dance Theater and 10 years as the Boots to Shoes (BTS) Foundation Founder/President (2009 to 2019). She was awarded the Seattle Magazine 2014 Yellow Ribbon Community Impact Winner for her BTS innovative military veterans mentoring program. Tricia was a member of the Kirkland WA Evening Rotary for 5 years and is a Paul Harris Fellow. She and her husband sponsored a Kirkland Rotary educational scholarship each year. Tricia is a long-time supporter of BlinkNow and Everyone for Veterans non-profit organizations. Tricia is married to Russ Stromberg. They have two sons, three grandchildren, and one Airedale named Cassi. Be sure to introduce yourself to Tricia at our next meeting! |
Welcome New Member - Dave KearbyWelcome our newest member this month--Dave Kearby! Dave is the executive director of TRIP, a national transportation research non-profit headquartered in Washington DC. Besides managing the day-to-day operations of TRIP, Dave serves as a spokesperson to the news media. Prior to joining TRIP, Dave served with the Associated General Contractors of Washington state for more than a decade in central Washington where he was also a Rotarian with the Downtown Yakima Rotary Club. In his free time Dave served as a school board director as well as being elected to city council, however he would much rather be skiing in the winter or golfing in the summer. Dave has a graduate degree in Business Administration from Auburn University, is a graduate of Central Washington University and is a Certified Association Executive. Dave and his wife Sharon came to Boise during the pandemic so their daughter, Alexis, could finish high school in person as she was returning from her year as a Rotary Youth Exchange Ambassador in Germany. Alexis now attends Boise State University and Dave and Sharon are happy to call Boise their home. Be sure to say hello to Dave at the next meeting and give him a big Boise Southwest Rotary Welcome! |
Boise Southwest School Project 2021 UpdateWhittier Elementary School has long been a favorite project of the Rotary Club of Boise Southwest. Projects have been made a little more difficult with COVID, but where there's a will, there's a way! In June 2021, the club sponsored the 6th grade Fiesta. The students were treated to tie-dye shirt making, a taco truck luncheon and a yearbook for every single 6th grader! Whittier projects throughout the year include swim lessons, Halloween pumpkin patch visits, a holiday luncheon and more. We are thrilled that in addition to Whittier School, we were able to help Whitney Elementary School as well this year. We prepared backpacks with school supplies for every 6th grader to start off 7th grade on a great foot. Many of the students are unable to afford uniforms, which are required in 7th grade. So the club provided every incoming 7th grader student with a voucher to be used to redeem school uniforms. The smiles on their faces said it all! Whittier Christmas Celebration--On Friday December 10, Boise Southwest Rotary hosted a Christmas celebration for the 5th grade students of Whittier Elementary School. Held at the Riverside Hotel, 75 students enjoyed a feast including turkey, ham and as many deserts as they desired! Santa and Mrs. Claus attended the luncheon and each child had an opportunity to sit in Santa's lap and share their holiday wishes. Each child received a bag of gifts to take home and enjoy. One student said "this is the most beautiful place I have ever seen!" Each year, Boise Southwest delivers a special program for each grade in the school:
Whittier Elementary School is located in Boise, and is a Title 1 school. Club members volunteer for other projects throughout the year. |
NEW ORLEANS CRAWFISH BOIL at the BOISE BASQUE CENTERPlease join Boise SW Rotary for a New Orleans Jazz Crawfish Boil! When: Saturday, May 7th from 4:00-7:00 Where: Boise Basque Center -- 601 W Grove St -- Boise ID 83702 Enjoy a heaping plate of Boiled Crawfish and Shrimp with all the fixins along with music from Boise High while helping our Boise SW Rotary Foundation raise funds to support local causes! Your ticket gets you an authentic crawfish boil (w sausage, corn, and potatoes) and a side of mac and cheese. Drinks (beer, wine, cider, and non-alcohol) can be purchased at the Basque Center. Crawfish will be served from 4:30-6:30 with Music from around 5:00-6:30. How to Eat Crawfish tip sheets will be available at your table! Tickets are $40 so get yours today- prices go up after April 15th! |
LOBSTERFEST 2020LobsterFest is an annual major dinner auction fund-raising event put on by four Boise area Rotary Clubs (Boise Southwest, Sunrise, Nampa, and the Eagle/Garden City Clubs). In light of the new economy we are now living in, we are taking LobsterFest online and inviting all other area Rotary clubs in our chapter to join us and raise funds for the organizations we support. Our goal is to combine our efforts and produce a successful auction to help the Clubs raise funds to provide services to the organizations we support locally and around the world. With a fun play on words, we introduce you to the LobsterGhost Online Auction. Please visit our LobsterGhost Online Auction site and register today. Our online auction begins October 14th and ends October 25th. Join us! |
President Janet Worthington Completes Outstanding Rotary YearBoise Southwest President Janet Worthington wound up an outstanding year with her 2018-2019 Rotary Year-End report to the club at the June 26 meeting. Highlighting the activities and accomplishments during the past year, she was pleased to report that the members have done a great job meeting club goals for the year. Congratulations go to Janet for her leadership the past twelve months! Click on the link in the upper right hand corner (Downloadable Documents) entitled 2018-2019 Rotary Year-End Report to open up the PowerPoint presentation on your computer. |
Rotarian of the Month--Dana KauffmanWe're pleased to recognize Dana Kauffman as Rotarian of the month for December! Dana coordinated our Annual MSTI Christmas Project again this year, with the organization of Rotary club volunteers, food and gift donations, and delivery of boxes to Treasure Valley families identified by Mountain States Tumor Institute during this holiday season. The project was very successful in brightening the lives of over 15 families just before Christmas and demonstrating the Rotary Motto of "Service Above Self". Thanks to Dana and his team for making it happen!
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MSTI Project Provides Christmas Cheer to FamiliesEach year, Boise Southwest Rotary provides Christmas packages to recipients in the Mountain States Tumor Institute (MSTI) project. Included are food and gifts for each family member which are packaged up by Rotarians at the Boise Centre and then personally delivered to the family on December 15. Pictured is Rotarian Wink Jones helping to pack gifts on that Saturday morning.
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Rotary Supports Girl Scouts of Silver Sage Visions ProgramRotary President Janet Worthington presented a check in December for $1000 from the Boise Southwest Rotary Foundation to representatives of the Girl Scouts of Silver Sage for their Visions programs designed to help girls in need of support. Accepting the check was Ali Escalante (left), Grant Management Specialist, Joanne Taylor (center) Chief Development Officer and a member of Boise Southwest Rotary, and Karla Watts (right), Visions Mentor.
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Rotary Christmas Lunch with Whittier School 5th GradersBoise Southwest treated some 80 5th grade students from Whittier School at our annual Christmas Lunch held December 7 at the Riverside Hotel. Included were children and grandchildren of Rotary members, and a visit by Santa and Mrs Claus was a highlight of the event, with gifts for every girl and boy. The 5th graders in turn entertained all with Christmas songs of the season. |
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DICTIONARY DELIVERIES TO 3RD GRADERS BEGINS
Rotarian Frank Driscoll is coordinating this year's Dictionary Project which involves distribution of free Dictionaries to third graders at several elementary schools in the Boise area. Initial plans include Hunter Elementary on October 26 at 9:15am, with several more schools to follow. The kids love to receive their own Dictionaries and Rotarians enjoy the opportunity to practice "Service above Self".
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Chirstmas Party with Whittier
Rotarians hosted 5th grade students from Whittier Elementary School to a party with Santa and Mrs. Santa.
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