Events

The Huntsman World Senior Games now has a beautiful NEW home at 1592 S. Dixie Drive, Suite #103, so join your friends in Rotary to become one of the first "locals" to tour their new location.  This is in the spirit of Rotary's founder Paul Harris who believed in the importance of knowing where our fellow Rotarians spend 8+ hours a day ... every day.  Join us for lunch, a few words from the CEO and a tour of the new facility. Bring a friend, neighbor or co-worker.

Ten volunteers are needed to judge the Legacy Elementary School Science Fair before our regular meeting on Monday, April 14.  If you have done this "service above self" before, you know how much fun it is to meet these young scholars and hear about their projects.  If you haven't been involved before, this project may just become your favorite of all SGR does in the community!

Sign up sheet will be circulated over the next couple of weeks so sign up and join us at 280 E. 100 South in St. George.

Every business depends on its customers to thrive. But, what if everything you believe about your customers is wrong? In this engaging presentation, Zac Stucki reveals a groundbreaking framework to challenge the conventional definition of 'customer' and transforms how successful businesses operate. Through unforgettable stories and real-world examples, Zac uncovers why most companies misidentify their true customers—a costly mistake which leaves millions in revenue on the table—and shares the proven solution which has helped businesses achieve breakthrough growth.

Bring a neighbor, friend, or co-worker for this eye opening presentation.

The 4-Way Test of the things we think, say or do in our business, home and community is the jumping off point for students at Tonaquint and Sunrise Ridge Intermediate Schools to share examples set by parents, grandparents, teachers, neighbors or friends.  This annual chance to meet the winners and hear their stories is a great opportunity to invite neighbors, friends, family and co-workers to experience St. George Rotary.

Mark your calendar and watch for more information on our fun and festive Cinco de Mayo party at Tonaquint Park.  This family event will linclude food, games, socializing and a train ride with Rotary friends.  Come one, come all!

While you're waiting, why not consider those you know - friends, family, neighbors, co-workers - and invite these prospective members to join us, too!

St. George Fire Chief Robert Stoker began a 40 year career as a firefighter in July 1985.  He advanced through the ranks to Chief in 1998 where he has now served for 27 of his 40 years.

His department has seen huge growth over the years including the current construction of a new station house on the corner of 100 South and Flood Street.

Here's another good opportunity to invite a neighbor, friend, family member or co-worker to hear his presentation on May 12 at the Best Western Abbey Inn.

As we head into another St. George summertime, our community is in a precarious position water-wise due to drought, low snow pack and according to the Salt Lake Tribune, “In southwestern Utah, the snowpack is less than 40% of normal and the headwaters of the Santa Clara River have almost no snow,” said Jordan Clayton, supervisor of the Utah Snow Survey.

"The snow-water equivalent in the Santa Clara River area is 17% of where it should be this time of year, and the upper Virgin River area is not much better at 38% of normal, according to the National Water and Climate Center. In the neighboring Coal-Parowan and Sevier Headwaters areas to the north, the snow-water equivalent is roughly 56% of average.

"Besides the lack of rain and snow, drought conditions in the southwest corner of the state have been worsened by several factors. One is the storm track, which has largely bypassed southwest Utah and steered rain and snow to northern Utah.

"Another is the monsoonal moisture which brings rain to southwest Utah in July and August was only enough last summer to whet water watchers’ appetites and left them thirsting for more."

This program on Monday, May 19 will help you understand what all this means and serious our water concerns really are here in SW Utah.

Bring a neighbor, friend, family member or co-worker for what's really happening!

Washington County School District Superintendent Richard Holmes who has just ended the 2nd year of his new position.  After several years as Assistant Superintendent for secondary education he began his transition on May 1, 2023 replacing Larry Bergeson who had held the position since 2013.

He promises an update on the SY2024-25 school year as well as a report on the future of the district when he meets with SGR on Monday, June 2.

Bring your friends and family members for this information meeting.

Active transportation in the City of St. George is an integral piece of the transportation puzzle, providing ways for people to reach their destinations regardless of mode. Lloyd Sutton has been the Active Transportation Coordinator for the City of St. George since 2022 and has overseen many great improvements and initiatives, including the installation of trail counters and writing a grant to secure funding for two future underpasses, at 400 East and 900 South.  He will come prepared to share all the latest and greatest information in trails and overpasses around town.

And, be aware we've been booted out of the Abbey Inn again this week.  As such, we will be meeting upstairs at Chubby's Cafe at 188 N. St. George Blvd. so you might want to come a little early to order your lunch.

Dan Strobell has been leading a company of Rotarians and other humanitarian volunteers on a lifechanging journey to Maya villages in Guatemala for 18 years.  What began with members of his own family has now expanded to include most of the members of St. George Rotary, some from Cedar City Rotary; others in District 5420 ... and this year, even included donors from Ohio!  The Guatemala stoves project - named Utah Rotary District's "International Project of the Year" in 2024 - is a humanitarian project building simple vented cinderblock stoves for villagers who have before been cooking over open fires inside their homes.  Now numbering 3400+ stoves in many Maya homes, this year Rotarians took along Happy Factory toys, hundreds of hand knit or crocheted caps, a large supply of vitamins, dry beans and other services.

This project has changed many lives.  Please invite friends, family, neighbors and co-workers to experience the "Magic of Rotary" in action to join us at the Pasta Factory meeting room.

Welcome back this year's four amazing and adventurous young men and women - and two alums - who represented their community, their school and St. George Rotary Club at Utah Rotary's Youth Leadership Awards/Academy at Wasatch Academy on June 9-12.  Rotary's future generation - and SGR's Youth Chair Ryan Davis - will share some of their experiences and what they learned as RYLArians.

Bring interested friends, family members, neighbors or co-workers.

Come one, come all.

The Children’s Justice Center in St. George / Washington County, since February 1997, provides advocacy services to children who have experienced abuse in all its forms.  Initially it was anticipated CJC’s staff and professional team would serve 100-150 children per year.  But as time went by that number increased to an average of 300 children annually.  The move from a tiny house in the middle of town to a larger facility where this important non-profit organization has continued to evolve – thanks to the generosity of the community and a vigorous grant application process – opened in April 2018. With this additional space, CJC added a specialized child forensic interviewer and a full-time victim advocate, both in 2016. The facility also includes an on-site medical room with medical staff provided by Primary Children’s Medical Center “Safe and Healthy Families” and comprehensive mental health therapy.

Please plan to park in the north parking lot ... and enter through the northwest door!

St.  George Rotary will have lunch and the opportunity to tour the facility and to hear from CJC’s Executive Director Kristy Pike so bring friends, family or co-workers for this important program on Monday, July 7 at noon at the facility located at 463 E. 500 South.

The mission of St. George City’s Park Planning Department is “to enhance the quality of life by providing safe, well-maintained parks, public places and trails; preserving open space and historic resources; caring for people; strengthening the bonds of community; and creating opportunities for renewal, growth, and enrichment.”

The rapid growth in this community has fueled a tremendous demand for parks, trails, and the landscaping of facilities and rights-of-way. The Park Planning Division provides long-range planning and implementation of new parks, trails, other open-space recreational facilities, and major upgrades to existing parks and trails. Park Planning updates the City's Parks and Trails Master Plan and prepares long-term capital budgets. Since its creation in 2004, the Park Planning Division has since designed and built multiple parks, trails, and sports complexes.

The speaker for SGR’s meeting at the Best Western Abbey Inn on Monday, July 14 will be Landscape Architect Mark Goble.  This interesting program will be another great opportunity to bring a neighbor, friend or co-worker so “who is your ONE?”

You've signed up for "service above self" on one of several of SGR's newly formed committees but what do you do now?  On Monday, July 21 you are invited to bring your questions ... and your exciting ideas for growing membership, "bigger, better, bolder" service and special projects, socials, developing youth leaders, foundaton giving, and our all important fundraising efforts.  This meeting will not only be a chance to "unite for good" with other members, it will be the beginning of more good things happening in RY2025-26.

Local resident Jared Larsen commented, "What a great service to the community. Thank you, Linda and St. George Rotary Club!"

It's election time again - no surprise there - so this is our opportunity to "say Rotary" to those in our community while they enjoy a cookie and the opportunity to meet, greet and ask questions of those running for two positions on the SG City Council and for SG City Mayor.

This is your chance to meet and greet the four mayoral candidates: incumbent Michelle Randall, Jimmie Hughes, Brannon Rezo and Aros Mackey.  Those running to fill two seats on the St. George City Council are: Nathan Caplin, Greg Aldred, Jami Leavitt, Shane Losee, Bryan Thiriot and incumbents Natalie Larsen and Michelle Tanner.  

Please tell your neighbors, friends and co-workers.

See you at Pine View High School beginnning at 6:30 p.m.

So, last week, committee roundtables gave you the opportunity to get answers to your Rotary questions, but you also had the chance to "unite for good" to share ideas to strengthen St. George Rotary for another year ... and into the future. 

Any or all of SGR's board members and committee chairs are asked to share 3-5 minutes each relating to goals for RY2025-26 (handouts are not mandatory but encouraged).  This includes Collin Davis (Treasurer), Dave Prisbrey (Foundation Chair),  Dave Prisbrey (Foundation Chair), Dale Desmond and Bryan Thiriot (Foundation Vice Chairs), Linda Sappington (PI / Socials), Ray Absher (Membership), Reed Noble (Service),  James Jackson (Special Projects), and Ryan Davis (Youth Programs).

You will get lots of good information ... with time for Q&A as we go along.

Egor Shulman, Chairman of District 5420's Foundation Committee will join us on Monday, August 4 to inform SGR members - and answer questons - about Endowment SHARE (with a goal to raise $10,000,000) and which is going to benefit every Utah Rotary club ... including SGR!  You won't want to miss this exciting program!

For more than five weeks, we followed the news, watched the sky and prayed for the containment of the Forsyth fire which began on Pine Valley Mountain on the triple-digit, dry summer afternoon of June 19 and was finally declared contained on July 29!  On Monday, August 18, Pine Valley Fire Chief Robert Hardy - assisted in this battle against the elements by firefighters from Washington County and neighboring states - will share his first hand experience at the Best Western Abbey Inn.  Bring a friend, neighbor or co-worker for what is certain to be an interesting program.

Join SGR on Monday, August 25 (another Monday out of the Best Western Abbey Inn) at the Atwood Innovation Plaza. This addition to Utah Tech boasts numerous resources and personnel a student or community member may need to either launch or grow their business.

Located in the old East Elementary School, entrepreneurship has breathed new life into a building rich in history and memories. With significant renovations and modifications, this facility lends itself to housing entrepreneurship activity, including: education, training, manufacturing, events and even housing startup companies themselves. The Atwood Innovation Plaza is successful because of the key stakeholders who play a critical role in building and sustaining the local entrepreneurial ecosystem. These groups include: the Business Resource Center (BRC) and Co-working hub, the Innovation Guidance and Solutions Center, the Makerspace, ACE Academy, the Jarem Hallows Business Incubator, Lovesac Startup Lounge and the Miller Innovation Hub.

Come for lunch and the program, including a tour of this innovative campus with Cheryle Caplinger, Director and Wyatt Anderson, Targeted Outreach and Business Resource Center Manager leading the way. 

City officials recently appointed St. George’s first assistant city manager to aid the current manager in day-to-day operations of the growing city and all the complexities which come with it.

Suzanne Leonelli Wilhelm, former director of the non-profit Root for Kids organization, has stepped into a new position in life as Utah Rotary District Governor where she is guiding the efforts of 45 Utah Rotary clubs – including 4 in Washington County - to “Unite for Good” in RY2025-26.

A member of Utah Rotary – more specifically St. George Sunrise Rotary – she is the 5^th woman to serve as District Governor in the Beehive State and the 3^rd from Washington County since the U. S. Supreme Court ruled in 1985, women could not be barred from membership based solely on gender. 

DG Suzanne will be our speaker on Monday, September 15 when she will share her vision and goals for her year in District 5420's "top spot."  This energetic and fun-loving ambassador for "uniting for good" will make you smile. If you don't know her, you'll enjoy getting acquainted.  If you do know her, you know you're in for a treat so bring along your interested friends, neighbors and co-workers for her high energy presentation at the Best Western Abbey Inn.

Join District Governor Suzanne Leonelli Wilhelm for this year’s District 5420 Conference, scheduled on September 18-20 at the Hilton Garden Inn adjacent to the Dixie Convention Center. This exciting and informative event will feature outstanding speakers – including motivational speaker Roger Crawford -  Rotary training, presentation of Club Awards by Past District Governor Todd Boyer and numerous opportunities for fellowship and fun beginning Thursday morning and ending on Saturday afternoon.

Our $99 “early bird” pricing is available only through August 8!!!    Register NOW for District Conference.

We look forward to having you with us at what is certain to be a wonderful event!

 

The Doctors' Volunteer Clinic - with newly-named Ben Ontiveros as Executive Director - is a nonprofit, non-government healthcare organization which provides access to affordable healthcare services for the uninsured, underinsured and low-income in Southern Utah by activing as a safey net of services, including primary and specialty medicare care, mental health services and dental care, through donations and grants.

This is certain to be an important program so invite a friend, neighbor or co-worker to attend.

Shane Smeed, the newly appointed President of Utah Tech University is enthusiastic for this change in his life which is also a moment of historic change within the community and across Utah’s higher education system. Perhaps none of the state’s degree-granting public institutions has experienced the level of growth in recent years as UT.

The school which went from Dixie State College to Dixie State University and in 2022 to Utah Tech University, also changed mascots: Rebels to Red Storm to Trailblazers.

UT’s enrollment has grown every year since 2013, increasing by almost 60% to over 13,000 students today. Of the school’s 304 academic programs, 60% have been developed within the past seven years.

One reason UT is a popular higher ed destination for many Utahns — 82% are in-state students — is affordability.

But the school’s 19th president believes UT’s opportunities extend beyond affordability and program growth.

Smeed is anxious to reconnect with members of the UT community who may have separated themselves from the school which he says is, "an asset for the state ... for the community and Washington County. I see my role as president as every bit ‘externally facing’ as internal — so it’s a great opportunity.”