Rotary’s programs are developing the next generation of leaders, providing funding to make the Gorge - and the world- a better place. Community service is our way of life - it’s what we do.
Globally, Rotary is committed to ending polio and making peace a priority.
Our programs are not just for club members. Learn how you can make a difference in your community through Rotary.
These are high school grads who just won scholarships from our Rotary Scholarship Program - they won $32,000 in scholarships from Hood River Rotary!
It's a grueling application process - and we are always amazed by the talents that we find in deserving student each year. Talents we're happy to applaud - and support.
HERE’S WHERE STUDENTS APPLY FOR 2021 SCHOLARSHIPS.
Pictured left to right: Rotary President Joe Guenther, Kloee Brown, Deyland Gudiel, Morgan Graves, Pico Sankari, Abigail Walker, Symeon Walker, Ricardo Valdoninos, Luke Holste and Rotary Scholarship Chair, Ken Apland.
Photo: Rotarian Barb Ayers
Everything Rotary does is to benefit the community. When you enjoy Rotary Ski Night or donate a ticket, funds go back to support Gorge community projects in Oregon, and international Rotary projects that help others. We host a variety of fundraisers each year. Please support deserving Rotary causes!
THANKS to a great partnership with Mt,. Hood Meadows Ski Resort, and YOU - our discounted night ski lift ticket for MLK Monday 1/18/21 supported Rotary causes once again.
This year, together we raised more than $24,000 - proceeds benefit community service projects and annual student scholarships Hood River Rotary awards each year.
Every year on MLK Monday - come ski or board with us - low cost lift tickets make the slopes available to many and support community service.
Or just support the cause. Either way, money raised goes right back into the community.
Here we are at Mount Hood Meadows on Rotary Ski Night, led by Rotarian Mike Schock (Center, green jacket, next to Steve Schmidt, Rotary Board member on the left.)
Among the larger Hood River Rotary nonprofit commitments:
$40,000 annually in local scholarships
Every Hood River 5th grader gets a dictionary
$10,000 a year to fund community requests
Rotary Skate Park
Rotary Peace Poles installed across our community
Hood River Library renovation
Hood River Library Garden restoration
Hood River Library Garden Pergola
Providence Hood River expansion
Odell/Fairgrounds Emergency Helipad
Next Door building purchase/renovation
Raices garden project, The Next Door
Service projects, road clean up, volunteer labor
Rotary International Foundation (projects like eradicating polio and clean water projects in third world counties.)
It’s one of our favorite projects of the whole year - we host a kids Christmas party - and guess who shows up next - and makes the front page of Hood River News ! ????
Of course he is!
Here he is, arriving from the North Pole to Hood River for our annual Rotary Kids Christmas Party in December. We spent the day with local kids at our meetings and their school. Rotarians donate gifts to every kid we see, and we award grocery store gift certificates to families who could use it.
Rotarians were there at the last Families in the Park free concert, to greet neighbors and friends, and hand our Rotary swag. Left to right: Bob Sharkey, Vern Mohlis and Chris Strader (along with President Emily Curtis and other Rotarians not pictured.)
Hood River Rotary is a sponsor/donor to Hood River County School District’s Community Education program, that hosts free and reduced cost events such as these, and offers services above and beyond what the school district sponsors. We are in this, together.
Our largest beneficiary every year is local youth - our future leaders. Hood River Rotary Club delivers annual scholarships -roughly $30,000 to $38,000 per year to help local kids expand their horizons and take on the world.
Speaking of horizons, congrats to the Horizon Christian School graduating class, pictured here - and to HRV (Hood River Valley High School) and the rest of you, working so hard in school this year.
We can’t wait to see where you’ll take our planet.
I cannot say that picking up garbage is a solution for world peace.
But I can say that we all came together on a Saturday morning to improve our local community, at least in one small way, and we had fun doing it.
- Erick Haynie, Former President, Hood River Rotary Club
The community came together to help rebuild beloved Children’s Park. Our Rotary Club was proud to organize volunteers and many of our members get in and got dirty. And together, we made magic happen.
The best part about community service is the relationships you build with other volunteers and partner organizations. We came together, we built…. and now all that hard work and good intention, will pay off. Children’s Park reopens September 22. Be there.
We were proud to help Parkdale with their new fitness trail and fitness stations project.
Parkdale Principal Gus Hedberg (pictured with a giant thank you card from Parkdale school kids) and Jon Davies shared results about Rotary’s community service project at Parkdale Elementary.
By the numbers:
$17,000 project
$5000 donated by Hood River Rotary
$2000 donated by Rotary District 5100
Over $10,000 more donated by Parkdale PTO
600 linear feet of trail
9 pop out exercise stations.
103 2x6x16 boards moved lovingly by Rotarians
4400 square feet of ground cloth
Over 4000 cubic feet of bark chips
72 volunteers – 500+ volunteer hours
30 volunteers on Saturday
42 volunteers on Sunday
17 Rotarians involved
10 more on Monday and throughout the week
Dozens of kids moving bark chips!!!
Special thanks to:
Michael McElwee and Dave Bick for pre-planning
Dale Kuykendall from Wenaha Group
Klein Surveying
Don Benefield from Hood River County SD
Hood River Outrigger Canoe Club
Hood River Supply for Tractor operations and concrete
Bryant Pipe and Supply
Adam and Staci McCarthy for the tractor
What a great local company - that supports our local community, local kids and Rotary Golf Tournament.
Thanks to Cardinal Glass, our golf tournament dollars raised go directly to support local kids pursuing their dreams.
Our biggest Rotary donation each year is scholarships for deserving kids. We could not do it without our sponsors.
Installed and dedicated 4/21/17.
Photo: Rotarian Chelsea Marr
Also known as elbow grease. Here, the crew is cleaning up the courtyard and laying a new paved patio space for kids at Mid Valley Elementary School.
Photos: Rotarian Mike McElwee
Rotary service project at Hood River Middle School.
The guy in the middle right, pointing at the tractor does most of the work- organizing - that's Michael McElwee, Exec. Director of Hood River Port. He's joined by hard-working committee Co Chair Jack Miller.
The rest of us just show up.
It's part of an international movement to remind everyone - we're all in this together. May Peace Prevail on Earth. Rotary works internationally to help promote and encourage peace.
Rotarians refuse to accept conflict as a way of life. Rotary projects provide training that fosters understanding and provides communities with the skills to resolve conflicts.
Rotarians left to right:
Heidi Begot, Jack Miller (Service Committee Co Chair,) Dave Bick, John Kasberger, a school volunteer and Paul Crowley.
Photos: Rotarian Mike McElwee
Pete Fotheringham and his wife Carol York are givers. Pete was recently awarded a Paul Harris Fellow +2. That means they have given, significantly, more than twice, to Rotary International. The greatest achievement globally for this charity is the near eradication of polio - through a targeted international vaccination campaign.
Thank you, Pete. From your friends and admirers at Hood River Rotary Club. And your beneficiaries all around the world.
Every year, generous sponsors help support Rotary events and causes. We couldn't do it without them.
Companies like Hood River Garbage step up to help us raise money that goes right back into the community.
Please support them for supporting us. We're in it together.
Prep work for the Mid Valley school courtyard project.
Photos: Rotarian Mike McElwee
Rotarian John Kasberger and friends!
Look at the finished courtyard improvement at Mid Valley Elementary ScHool. Go, Rotarians!
Here in Hood River, across the county and abroad.
There are those people
that come along,
quite by accident
or maybe no accident at all.
They change your life
and the lives of all you know.
No fanfare.
Just there for others, helping them on their way.
They are selfless,
the soul of the community.
Giving is what they do.
Giving - not for credit, but for joy - for the gift of giving.
They walk not with pride, but with humility.
They are the people we long to be.
- Rotarian Barb Ayers - see the full photo essay HERE
We've renamed our annual Rotary golf event the Don Benton Memorial Golf Tournament and we're opening a Don Benton Rotary charity fund to carry on his remarkable life of Service Above Self.
Rotarian Steve Schmidt led the project (left) as President Joe holds the Peace Pole we installed a couple weeks later at Jackson Park.
The Hood River Peace Pole contains the message in eight different languages, representing the countries of our exchange students through the years. English, Spanish, Chinese, Thai, French, Indian, Danish, and Swiss.
Rotarians Left to right:
Steve Schmidt, Joe Guenther, Don Benton, Steve Wheeler and Aryan Argrawal, our Rotary exchange student from India.
Not pictured: Peace Committee member Chris Strader and photographer Chelsea Marr.
One of the highlights each year is hosting a lunch with kids from local schools at the Rotary Kids Christmas Party.
Every kids goes home with a gift - and they give the gift of their youthful enthusiasm back to us. We adults go home with the real gift - that's Rotarian Dave Simon in the middle, enjoying the fun.
Photo: Rotarian Terri Vann
Griffith Motors dangles a little incentive to play your best game at the annual Rotary Golf Tournament - an amazing prize for a hole in one golfer.
Good luck, everyone!
In his spare time, when he isn't an insurance broker... or a Port Commissioner.
One of our favorite events of the whole year- we host kids from local schools at a meeting - and guess who comes to town, to help us celebrate?
Local high school student Deylan Guidel was the 2016-17 Hood River Rotary exchange student to a small town in India. He lived with a local family and took his Rotary commitment to Service Above Self an extra step. He approached Adharashram Orphanage about teaching art to young residents. The result was a little bit of magic.
Deylan just returned and shared highlights of his trip abroad with Hood River Rotarians. Here's his YouTube.
For information on the orphanage visit: adharashram.org
Deylan is one reason why Rotary has long believed in youth exchanges and global peace projects in other countries. Building understanding- peace- and lifelong friendships, one person, one family at a time.
Everything Rotary does is to benefit the community. When you enjoy Rotary Ski Night for $20 or donate a ticket, funds go back to support Gorge community projects in Oregon, and international Rotary projects that help others. We host a variety of fundraisers each year. Please support deserving Rotary causes!
Buy your $20 lift tickets - join us on the slopes- give to someone - or just donate to the cause!
Rotarians were there at the last Families in the Park (free concert in Jackson Park,) to show our support of Hood River County School District’s Community Education program.
Rotarians (left to right) Bob Sharkey, Vern Mohlis and Chris Strader handed out Rotary swag and shoot hands, along with President Emily Curtis.
Hood River Rotary Club is a sponsor of Families in the Park, a feel good community event that brings us all together.
The Rotary Club of Hood River presents Rotary Night at Mt. Hood Meadows to generate funds for the Rotary Club Charitable Foundation. Request the night off, arrange for car-pooling and ski your heart out for a good cause. Season pass holders are welcome, and your passes will be valid until 9 PM. Tickets will cost $49 for 2 - 9 PM, $39 for 2 - 6 PM and $24 for 5 - 9 PM.