2011
Winter and Spring
Dictionary Program: 2010 marks the eighth year for the Springdale Rotary Dictionary Project. We personally presented over 1600 dictionaries to third grade students in sixteen public and two private elementary schools in Springdale this October. Over sixty Rotarians are involved in this project, which is special for the students because many don’t have a book to call their own. Springdale Rotarians find the individual contact with students to be an opportunity to encourage reading and learning and to build our community.
Wheelchair Program- A Partnership with the American Wheelchair Mission- The American Wheelchair Mission is a non-profit organization with a goal to deliver brand new, free wheelchairs and mobility aids to physically disabled children, teens and adults throughout the world who are without mobility or the means to acquire a wheelchair. The Springdale Rotary Club has been a proud partner with AWM for over 9 years. Recently the club hosted its 9th Annual Wheelchair Drive on September 27th, 2010 which sponsored over 415 wheelchairs, raising $31,125.00 for the program. See Springdale Rotarians at work in Panama with the American Wheelchair Mission-
Springdale Rotary CHOICES Project- CHOICES is an interactive decision-making workshop that empowers teens to achieve academic success in pursuit of their career and life aspirations. In two hour-long sessions, our Rotary volunteers take students through real-world exercises on academic self-discipline, time and money management and goal setting.
We use 20 – 25 Springdale Rotary Club volunteers each semester to teach the classes, assist the presenters, and organize the materials. We also have Rotarians who serve as liaisons with the schools and who organize the volunteers and training. Our volunteers have presented the Choices workshops each semester since 2006. As of Fall 2010, seventy-five different Rotarians have been involved in this project. We have built relationships with the principals and teachers in the Family Work Connection classes at each of the three junior high schools in Springdale. In those classes, we teach in 8 – 11 classes and a total of 400 – 500 8th grade students each semester. For more information on the Choices program, visit www.choices.org.
Miracle League: It’s More Than Baseball- The Miracle League gives children and adults with disabilities and their families an opportunity to enjoy America's favorite pastime - Baseball! The Miracle League is a national organization based out of Atlanta, of which our league, the Miracle League of Arkansas, is a part. The Miracle League of Arkansas has a field in Little Rock and, because of the Rotary Club of Springdale and many of our generous partners, we have a field in Springdale that will serve all of Northwest Arkansas. The Miracle League of Arkansas is run by Peggy McCall and a Board of Directors. Additionally, there is an advisory board for the Northwest Arkansas league.
What makes The Miracle League field so special is that it provides a totally barrier-free field. This field is integrated into the Randal Tyson Sports Complex promoting inclusion and better understanding of all individuals who want to enjoy the sport of baseball. If you want to be involved as a volunteer and/or a cash contributor, please contact Amber Spencer at amber.spencer@cox.net or donate online and learn more about the Miracle League of Arkansas at www.miracleleaguear.com. We need your help as buddies, donors, and much more. Don't wait! Get involved today!
See photos from Opening Day at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/springdalerotaryclub/?saved=1