Message from the President

President Jane Denning

Rotary has existed for more than 100 years and thrives today in 200 countries where more than 1.2 million Rotarians participate in about 33,000 clubs.  But even more important are nearly 100  Rotarians who practice the motto – “Service Above Self” in our own community of Steamboat Springs.

You see these Steamboat Springs men and women collecting funds for senior citizen projects in front of local stores during the holiday season.  They are the ones providing career mentoring to our high school students, granting scholarships, funding worthwhile community causes and capturing honors as the largest participating teams in American Cancer Society’s local Relay for Life.

Every third grade child in our area has received their own dictionary as part of Rotary’s literacy initiative.  This fall a new crop of third-graders will be similarly equipped.  Our local Rotarians have raised tens of thousands of dollars to fund the largest health initiative in the world – Rotary’s decade-long effort to eradicate polio throughout the world.  While we are almost there (only 1,300 polio cases were reported worldwide last year),  the final challenge is now upon Rotary clubs like ours to match a $100 million grant to Rotary from the Bill Gates Foundation and deal polio its final blow!  We are  committed to this effort and hope to bring that story to every resident in the community.

Jane Denning

President

Rotary Club of Steamboat Springs