We have a great opportunity ahead! By submitting your club’s request for District Designated Funds (DDF) by August 15, you not only meet our deadline, but also amplify your club’s service projects with matching district funds. These DDF resources can expand your projects’ reach and impact. It's well worth the effort.
Rotarians have helped Chinle Planting Hope build something remarkable. Now, the “Keep the Lights On” campaign will help ensure that the work continues.
During a June service weekend on the Navajo Nation, Rotary volunteers helped bring solar-powered lights to 13 homes that had no electricity.
The name of Rotary’s new campaign for Chinle Planting Hope could not be more fitting.
Keep the Lights On is about those solar lights, but it is also about something larger. It is about keeping the doors open at the Imagination Station Learning Center. Keeping the Bookmobile traveling to local schools. Keeping food moving to homebound elders. Keeping children connected to books, school supplies and safe places to learn.
Most importantly, it is about giving Chinle Planting Hope the stable foundation it needs to continue serving its community.
The Vail Edwards Rotary Club had its biggest service project yet on Thursday, June 18 — and the Eagle River Valley is better for it!
Sixty enthusiastic volunteers packed into Vail Health's facility in Edwards for a morning of high-energy community service, rolling up their sleeves alongside the Community Market to tackle food insecurity head-on. In just two and a half hours, the group had assembled nearly 1,700 shelf-stable meal packages — 10,000 servings — destined for Eagle County neighbors in need. That's a lot of meals for a single morning's work!
Pagosa Springs Rotary project will provide laboratory equipment and hands-on training to teachers from 23 West African high schools
Teachers use copper sulfate and zinc sulfate half-cells to make a battery that illuminates an LED. These teachers have taught the theory of batteries, but have never built one. Photo from 2023 workshops in Niger.
By Terri House Rotary Club of Pagosa Springs
Six boxes packed in Pagosa Springs will soon begin a journey to Togo, a narrow West African nation on the Gulf of Guinea, bordered by Ghana, Benin and Burkina Faso.
Inside the boxes are multimeters, magnets, lenses, pulleys, test tubes, electronic scales and thousands of other pieces that will be assembled into laboratory kits for 23 high schools.
There are also supplies that might seem more at home in a kitchen drawer, garage or classroom cabinet: rubber bands, string, graph paper, baking soda, table salt, vinegar, a flashlight, a compact disc and even a tin can filled with cement.
Together, the ordinary and specialized items will allow science teachers to demonstrate more than 50 chemistry, physics, biology and earth science experiments that most of their students have never had the opportunity to see.
The equipment is part of a $58,064 Rotary Foundation Global Grant led by the Rotary Club of Pagosa Springs and the Rotary Club of Dapaong, Togo.
Registration is open for the Tri-District International Project Fair, bringing together Rotary Districts 4110 in Mexico, 5470 in Southern Colorado, and 5520 in New Mexico and West Texas.
The fair will be held August 21–22, 2026, at Colegio San Patricio in Ciudad Juárez, just across the border from El Paso.
The event begins at 1 p.m. Friday, August 21, and is expected to conclude between 1 and 2 p.m. Saturday, August 22. Watch for a more detailed agenda to help attendees make their travel plans.
District Governors Marina Gonzalez of District 4110, Donna Hood of District 5470, and Jeff Weinrach of District 5520 invite Rotarians from all three districts to attend.
Mark your calendar for the District Foundation Dinner on Saturday, October 17, 2026, at The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, followed by District Strategic Planning on Sunday, October 18.
Come celebrate the impact of The Rotary Foundation, then help shape what comes next. Details are still simmering, but save the weekend now!
Sarah G. Bishop Rotary District 5470 Assistant Governor
Did you know that only 5% of current Rotarians are aware of their organization’s history? I just made that up, but since it MIGHT be true, I decided to remedy that lack.
I am Assistant Governor for Area 12, which includes clubs in Cedaredge, Delta, Montrose (Black Canyon), and the North Fork Valley (Crawford, Hotchkiss, Paonia). On a functional level, I am supposed to keep the District Governor aware of what is happening in these clubs, as well as working with the clubs to carry out her initiatives. I am supposed to do this by visiting the clubs and writing reports.
I'm Kalee Duckworth, and I have the privilege of serving as your District Operations Manager since the end of the 2023-2024 Rotary year. I work behind the scenes helping keep the district organized, supporting our leadership team, coordinating communications and club visits, and making sure all of the little details come together so our district can focus on what matters most, serving others.
I am Barb Bowman, your District Governor Elect. I will be your District Governor in 2027-28, as Donna Hood is now. You are probably wondering, as I did, how does this all work?
By Dr. Ray Kadkhodaian Public Relations & Program Chair Delta Rotary Club
The Delta Rotary Club officially kicked off its new organizational year with an action-packed meeting featuring a unique multi-president leadership transition, the induction of a new member, and a traditional, humor-filled initiation for its incoming executive.
By Rosanne Gain District 5470 Public Image Committee
The Rotary Club of Durango (Durango’s first Rotary Club) initiated the annual Fourth of July pancake breakfast about 22 years ago. Durango Daybreak Rotary Club came on board five years ago. The third club — Durango High Noon Rotary Club — joined the other two this year (2026).
Many of you have reached out asking how you can support those affected by the Aspen Acres Fire, including members of the Rotary Club of Pueblo who have suffered significant losses.
The Rotary Club of Pueblo Foundation is accepting donations to assist with fire relief efforts and support impacted Rotarians and community members.
The following was published in the Vail Daily on July 17, 2026.
By Robin Litt | Vail Edwards Rotary Club
If you've lived in the Vail Valley for any length of time, you've probably encountered Rotary without fully knowing what it is. Maybe you've spotted the blue-and-gold wheel on a trail sign, cheered at the Vail Duck Race, or heard a neighbor mention their weekly meeting. Yet for many people, Rotary remains a pleasant mystery.
August is Rotary’s Membership and New Club Development Month, making it the perfect time to look ahead to the future of our clubs and the opportunities we have to strengthen Rotary throughout District 5470.
As clubs begin the 2026-27 Rotary year, Membership Chairs should already be in place and membership goals established.
Not every Rotary wheel is the right Rotary logo. These outdated or altered designs do not meet current Rotary brand guidelines and should be replaced with an approved club logo from the Rotary Brand Center. Image: Rotary Zones 26/27
Rotary’s logo is often the first clue the public has that Rotary members are behind a project, event or act of service. When our logos are outdated, altered or difficult to recognize, that connection can disappear.
August is Membership and New Club Development Month, making it the perfect time to look closely at how we welcome people into Rotary, keep them engaged and help our clubs thrive.
District leaders recently returned from the Big West Regional Leadership Workshop in Reno inspired by a powerful message: Rotary grows stronger when Membership, Public Image and The Rotary Foundation work together.
Rotary District 5470 is looking for a few good Rotarians who are ready to serve beyond the club level.
District service is a wonderful way to meet Rotarians from across Colorado, develop new skills and help clubs thrive. Whether you have professional experience to share, enjoy working behind the scenes or simply want to become more involved, there may be a place for you.
Rotary club and district liability insurance program
Rotary clubs and districts and Rotaract clubs are provided with general liability ("GL") and directors & officers/employment practices liability ("D&O/EPL") insurance through the U.S. Rotary Club and District Liability Insurance Program ("Program").
Join Rotarians from across District 5470 on the first Saturday of each month for a Zoom conversation focused on international projects, partnerships, and global impact. Share updates, explore new ideas, and connect with others who are passionate about Rotary's work around the world.
The meeting opens with
social time at 8:30 a.m. and the regular meeting
begins at 9 a.m.
Bring your coffee.
Bring your ideas.
Join the conversation.
Nominations for the Sylvia Whitlock Leadership Award are now open
This award honors one Rotary member who is actively working to advance women in Rotary. The award is named after Dr. Sylvia Whitlock, the first female Rotary club president and a trailblazer for women in the organization.
Support District 5470's Education Foundation
