Home Page | Rotary Club of Surprise

People of Action Inspiring the World!
We Came, We Saw, We Served!

The Rotary Club of Surprise brings together a network of community volunteers who dedicate their time and talent to tackle the most pressing both in our community and abroad. Our work impacts lives at both the local level in Surprise, to regional and international levels. Our projects include everything from raising money for local schools, scholarships for students, food and water drives, support for senior services, community health and advocacy resources, and supporting other area non-profits and their initiatives..

We meet In Person

Tuesdays at 5:00 PM

The Colonnade

19116 N Colonnade Way
Surprise, AZ 85374
United States of America

Phone:

(623) 734-5438

Email:

rotaryclubofsurpriseaz@gmail.com

2nd and 4th Tuesday Each Month from 5:00PM -6:30PM

District Site

Venue Map

The Rotary Club of Surprise was honored to donate items and time to Women4Women.

Women4Women, a local non-profit, is on a mission to distribute feminine hygiene products to unhoused and low-income women who might have difficulty affording such items. As Surprise and the West Valley has experienced substantial growth so has the need for these products. In a quick 45 minutes our club was able to assemble 157 bags of 12 pads or 12 tampons, six pantiliners, feminine wipes and hand wipes. Many of these will be distributed at Valley View Foodbank and several other locations across the West Valley.

Club members with our recent scholarship recipient volunteering at Valley View Food Bank. The club volunteers time every month to help the organization.

The 2023-2024 Club Officers and Directors. Pictured from left are: President-Elect nominee Jim Schlenvogt, Secretary Pamela Gralton Kohnen, Immediate Past-President Brian Laurie, Director Nancy Collins, President-Elect Traci Sawyer-Sinkbeil, President Jesus Hernandez and Adria Poindexter, Asst. District Governor

Glendale Rotary Club. Absent were incoming Treasurer Phillip Souza and Director Jon Cavaletto.

Geri Roberston is pictured with the Rotary Interact Club of the Arizona Charter Academy as they celebrate MLK Day.

Club members get together at Booty's for their monthly social night out. Booty's is a long-time supporter of Rotary.

Rotarian Phil Souza and his wife Susan volunteered to help deliver and assemble 2 bunk beds for a family of 5. The 2 boys and 2 girls had been sleeping on the floor and in chairs and the bunk beds materials were donated and prepared by volunteers with Sleep in Heavenly Peace. The program provides over 1,000 beds a year in the Middlesex, MA area alone. The club will host a speaker from Sleep in Heavenly Peace, AZ in the fall at the Colonnade in Surprise.

Seth Dyson, Human Service, and Community Vitality Director for the City of Surprise spoke at the May 23 Club meeting about the various programs, grants, and volunteer opportunities offered by the City. The city has supported the Rotary Club of Surprise in the past with a grant for the Taste of Surprise which the club is hoping to restart in 2024 after a 3-year hiatus due to Covid. Seth is pictured with club president Brian Laurie. Seth shared plans to build a multi-generational community resource center to serve the Northwest Valley.

Rotarians at work volunteering at Valley View Food Bank in Sun City. Pictured from left to right are Pamela Kohnen, Traci Sinkbiel-Sawyer, Richard Kohnen, Jim Schlenvogt, Brian Laurie, and Nancy Collins. The club volunteers at Valley View once every month.

Phil Souza , 2nd from right (Back) joined Rotarians in Littleton, MA on May 20 for a build-a-bed day of service. Rotarians assembled 25 beds for families without beds for their children. These are often women relocating from shelters with their children. The Surprise club will be working with the AZ chapter of Sleep in Heavenly Peace in the Fall to participate in an event.

Jim Schlenvogt and his granddaughter joined Phil Souza at the Valley View Community Food Bank to help bag food for area residents struggling with food challenges. The club volunteers on the 3rd Saturday of every month from 9:00 am-11:00 a.m. The Food Bank is at 10414 N 107th Ave, Sun City, AZ 85351

Joshua Thorell from Habitat for Humanity spoke to the club about Habitat's programs and opportunities.

Middle school Jr. Rylans (Rotary Youth Leadership Academy) spoke to the club about their experience at last year's Jr. RYLA camp. The camp hosts between 30-80 middle school students each year and provides opportunities for leadership development, teamwork, and social interaction. The Rotary Club of Surprise donated $500 to support this year's participants from Arizona Charter Academy (ACA).

Linda Furman spoke to the club about Recorded Recreational Reading for the Blind. RRRB provides free audio cassettes and devices to area residents with sight disabilities. Recorded Recreational Reading for the Blind is a not-for-profit recording studio in Peoria where trained volunteers read and record material for people who can’t read, often because of low vision or physical limitations. For many reasons including aging, when eyesight fails or something happens with hands or arms or shoulders that impedes page-turning, reading print material becomes a challenge

The 14th Annual Fore the Kids Golf Scramble was held on Nov. 19th at Coyote Lakes Gold Club in Surprise. Over 100 golfers played to support the Rotary Club of Surprise fundraiser. A lunch and awarding of prizes followed the 8:00 am shotgun start tournament. Thanks to all the sponsors for their contributions and to all the volunteers who helped make the event a success. Plans are already underway for the 15th Annual event in 2023.

Robin Telle, Community Engagement Manager spoke at a recent club meeting about Homeless Youth Connection, a non-profit dedicated to providing support and solutions to homeless youth in the valley. You can read about HYC and their mission at https://hycaz.org/ Pictured are Robin with club president Brian Laurie.

The Rotary Club of Surprise held their Inaugural Military Appreciation Event at the Colonnade on Nov. 8. The event was attended by veterans from the Colonnade and Grandview Terrace. Guest speaker Lt. Col. Tyler Smith form Luke AFB is pictured with club president Brian Laurie.