Stanwood - Camano Rotary Club & Stanwood - Camano Rotary Foundation
Mailing Address is PO Box 1754, Stanwood, WA 98292
 
Get ready to support Dolly Parton's Imagination Library in our community!  Tuesday December 2nd!
 

Free Books for Children From Birth to Age 5!

We put books into the hands of local children at no cost to families! Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library delivers specially-selected, age-appropriate, high-quality books monthly to registered children from birth to age 5. Your gift helps cover our local annual cost of $12,000.

● Every month over 900 books are mailed directly to the homes of local children.

● Reading to children promotes early literacy and readiness for entering school.

● Since 2007, we have gifted more than 152,000 books to over 2,800 Local Children!

Donate today! You are an integral part of this early literacy program.

 - Dolly Parton

 

All Hands On Deck!

Steve Goforth

member photo
The Rotary Club of Stanwood-Camano Island
President 2024-2026
 
I am really excited to be the president of The Rotary Club of Stanwood-Camano Island for 2024-2025. I am a corporate member of the club and work for the local fire department as a code official. My favorite part of Rotary has been to see the kindness and generosity of the members and community itself.  Pride ourselves in our motto of Service Over self, which aligns perfectly in my day-to-day role with the Fire Department.
 
Rotary is a long-standing organization dating back to the Rotary Club of Chicago on February 23, 1905. Now Rotary Clubs are active in six continents.  One of the big goals of Rotary as a whole is the fight against Polio and believe it or not it continues today.
 
I am honored to be this year’s president. I look forward to seeing what amazing things this group can accomplish; it is a really talented group of people who want to give back to this special community.
 
 
 
President Steve Goforth at the International Convention in Calgary Alberta!
 
The Rotary International Convention in Calgary, Canada, held from June 21-25, 2025, was a successful and well-received event, fostering connection, inspiration, and a renewed sense of purpose among attendees. 
Key takeaways and highlights include:
  • Positive Feedback on Venue and Host City: Bryn Styles, chair of the 2025 Calgary Convention Committee, reported "rave reviews" for the venue, describing it as "beautiful — warm and welcoming." Attendees also expressed enjoyment of Calgary as a host city.
  • Emphasis on the Future and Innovation: The convention focused on the future of Rotary, including the role of young leaders, the importance of partnerships, and the integration of innovation, such as utilizing artificial intelligence for more effective initiatives.
  • Strong Focus on Global Issues: Sessions and discussions addressed critical global challenges like peacebuilding, literacy, human trafficking, and environmental sustainability.
  • Celebration of Rotary's Community and Impact: The convention reinforced the sense of global community within Rotary and celebrated the organization's positive impact worldwide. The "House of Friendship" showcased the many facets of Rotary's work.
  • Engaging and Diverse Program: Attendees benefited from inspiring general sessions, insightful breakout sessions, and networking opportunities. The event also featured unique local experiences, like the Grandstand Spectacular and Western Ranch Showcase, showcasing Calgary's culture.
  • Growth and Renewal: The convention, potentially the largest in-person gathering of Rotarians in five years, suggested a positive trajectory for membership growth, particularly among younger individuals.
  • Forward Momentum: The event encouraged attendees to take the energy and inspiration gained back to their clubs and communities to continue making a difference. 
In essence, the 2025 Rotary International Convention in Calgary served as a powerful reminder of Rotary's global reach, its commitment to service, and the potential for continued positive change in the world. 
Hope Against Hunger 2025
 
Huge shoutout to the amazing **Stanwood-Camano Food Bank** for hosting their incredible "Hope Against Hunger" Breakfast this morning!
Our Rotary club was proud to be there, supporting an event that truly exemplifies what community spirit is all about.
 
The breakfast was a success, raising vital funds and awareness for the critical work the Food Bank does every single day to combat food insecurity in our area.
 
Thank you to all the volunteers, local business leaders, and community members who showed up to support this essential cause. Together, we are making a real difference in the lives of our neighbors!
 
If you would like to join the excitement - DONATE TODAY by following the link below: https://stanwoodcamanofoodbank.app.neoncrm.com/forms/donate
A heartfelt thank you to everyone who supported the Camano Plaza Ace Hardware Round Up in July!
Because of your generosity, we raised an amazing $3,030.40 for Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library! This incredible amount will provide three months of books to over 880 children, putting more than 2,500 books into the hands of kids on Camano Island and in Stanwood.
Thank you, Camano Plaza Ace Hardware, for your commitment to our community and for making this fundraiser such a success!
Announcing the 2025 Stanwood-Camano Rotary Parade Winners!
Wow, what a magical day! ✨ We want to extend a huge thank you to everyone who participated in this year's Stanwood-Camano Rotary Parade. The creativity and community spirit you all displayed were absolutely fantastic!
 
Our judges truly labored over their decisions, as all the entries were spectacular. After much deliberation, we are thrilled to announce the 2025 trophy winners!
 
Congratulations to:
 
"Best of Show" - Safe Harbor Free Clinic
 
"Fan Favorite" - Ixtapa - Stanwood/Skagit Latin Horses
 
"Most Imaginative" - Josephine Caring Center and Stanwood Co-op Preschool
 
"Hometown Fun" - Stanwood High School Spartan Football Boosters
 
"Best Entertainment" - SHS Spartan Cheer, and SHS Spartan Marching Band and Stanwood Youth Cheer 
 
Congratulations to all the winners and thank you again to everyone who made this year's parade unforgettable!

Cultivating Community: A Harvest of Hope with Puget Sound Public Farms

Our club is proud to highlight the incredible work of Puget Sound Public Farms (PSPF), a nonprofit run by our very own Rotary member, Andrew Davis. PSPF is dedicated to empowering our communities to engage with food and agriculture, and their recent harvests show just how successful their mission is.

The farms have been incredibly productive this season, with two large donations already made to the local food bank. The first batch, a bountiful harvest of potatoes and onions, weighed in at a remarkable 183 pounds! This was followed up last week with another 125 pounds of fresh produce, including a tote of green beans, six totes of kale, and five crookneck squash.

Big things have also been happening at Ovenell Farm! Volunteers recently unearthed a long-established orchard from beneath a tangle of 12-foot-high blackberry bushes. In its place, they have now planted eight new fruit trees, creating a new source of fresh, local fruit for the community.

Get Involved with PSPF!

Want to give back to your community, learn to grow your own food, or simply have some spare time? PSPF offers a fantastic way to get your hands dirty for a great cause.

  • Volunteer Now: Head over to www.pspfarms.org to sign up!

  • Volunteer Hours: Join them every Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Ovenell Park. You can also find them at the Wild Goose Community Garden next to the Stanwood United Methodist Church every Wednesday from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.

If you are unable to volunteer but would still like to support their mission, you can make a donation to help them grow more food for our community.

 
Check out our Article in the Stanwood Camano News!
 
Thank you, Linda Bonar, for spreading the word about Rotary.
Stanwood Camano News - What Is Rotary?
Club Executives & Directors
President Elect
Mark Phibbs
President
Steve Goforth
Secretary
Marcia Woodard
Treasurer
Nancy Voelckers
Membership
Terrence Bedford
Public Ed. Social Media
Heather Courlas
Member - At Large
Linda Anderson
Member - At Large
Marty Purdy
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Thank you Stanwood Post Office Workers
The Dolly Parton's Imagination Library Committee visited our local post office to express our sincere gratitude to the postal workers who make our program possible. For 18 years, they've diligently delivered over 155,000 books to children in Stanwood and Camano Island. Their hard work and dedication bring the magic of reading to so many homes.
Please extend our appreciation for our mail carriers as you see them out on their delivery routes. They work hard in all kinds of weather.
Thank you for being terrific partners!
Making a Global Impact: Support for El Florido School

Our Rotary club is proud to support the dedicated students and teachers at a school in El Florido, Honduras. Through our efforts, we're helping to provide essential resources and improve learning environments, opening doors to brighter futures for these young learners. We recently received the most heartwarming collection of hand-drawn thank you cards from the children themselves, a beautiful reminder of the direct impact of our "Service Above Self" and the global connections we forge through Rotary. Their gratitude truly brightens our day!

New Swings for Rotary Adventure Playground!
Rotary was the largest sponsor of Rotary Adventure Playground at Freedom Park when it was built 15 years ago in May!
The playground is aging and FPA is trying to preserve the playground to last for future generations. We have big plans this year!
Thanks to a generous grant from Rotary we have been able to replace all of the original swings that have far outlived their expected use.
Next we hope to finish by replacing the chains and hardware on the Red ADA swings. We think we have found new harnesses.
FYI...new nylon harness is $195 each.
A whole new swing is $1500.
Record Breaking Blood Drive!
We are beyond grateful for your support on Friday! We were able to donate 33 pints of blood which will potentially help save the lives of more than 90 people! To put it into perspective, these people may get more time to spend with their family and friends this holiday season thanks to you. ❤ 
 This was also our highest collecting blood drive ever!
The Caring Place - Recipient of Rotary's Community Grant
Last week at the Rotary Board Retreat, the Community Grants Committee reviewed the latest bunch of applications.  The committee decided to award The Caring Place with $1,000 to restock their shelves with much needed products for teens and women.
 
A new Community Grant Cycle is open, please share the link below with any non-profit organizations you would like us to consider.  
 
If you would like to be part of the Community Grants Committee please reach out to Steve at sgoforth.northcountyfireems.com
Our Club was pleased to offer SEVEN $1,000 Scholarships this year to the graduating class of 2025!
Here are some of the criteria used to select the students:
  • Cumulative GPA 
  • Rigor is based on class difficulty (Honors/Advanced Placement/College Credit etc)
  • Extracurricular Activities in school
  • Athletics
  • Community activities
  • Volunteer hours
  • Academic Honors
  • Work History
  • Goals essay
  • Activities Essay
The following people have been selected for $1000 scholarships in no particular order:
 
1)    Sonia Garvey
2)    Danielle MacPherson
3)    Brander Standish
4)    Quinn Ferguson
5)    Madison Burnham
6)    Megan Stulc
7)    Logan Lee
 
Congratulations to the Class of 2025!
Great News for Dolly Parton's Imagination Library of Stanwood-Camano Island - OPSI Funding!
We have some truly exciting news to share! The Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) has agreed to fund 50% of our program for one year! 
This is a huge help as it costs around $22,000 annually to ensure over 880 children in our community, from birth to age five, receive a brand-new, high-quality book delivered to their homes every single month. 
We are incredibly grateful for this support, and we also want to send a massive thank you to our amazing community! Your continued generosity helps us raise the other $12,000 each year needed to cover our costs and keep this vital early literacy program thriving.
 
Together, we're building a community of readers, one book at a time!
Our Rotary Club Awarded a Community Grant to Operation School Bell in the amount of $1,000!
A little about what they do:

Since 1965 we have had the privilege of providing school clothes to over 100,000 children and teens, one child at a time.   All preschool, elementary, and middle school students receive an in-person shopping experience at our in-house “store” or a personalized bag of new clothing.  Currently we have long-standing agreements with 15 school districts throughout Snohomish County.

Each Child Receives:

  • Three pairs of jeans, pants or leggings
  • One  jacket
  • One sweatshirt
  • Three shirts
  • Six pairs of underwear
  • Six pairs of socks
  • One personal hygiene care kit
  • One pair of shoes
  • One book of their choice
Teddy Bear Picnic at the Community Resource Center

A Beary Good Time at the Teddy Bear Picnic!

What a wonderful time we had at our Teddy Bear Picnic on Tuesday, June 24th at the Willow Stage at the CRC! It was a day filled with sunshine, smiles, and so much fun.

Thank you to everyone who joined us with their favorite teddy bears and picnic baskets! We loved seeing all the happy faces enjoying the storybook readings, the delightful puppet show, engaging activities, and especially the visits from our special pony and goat friends. Every child went home with a free book, sparking new adventures!

We're also thrilled to announce that, with the support of Dolly Parton's Imagination Library, we were able to sign up 15 new children to receive a free book every month from birth until age five! This is a fantastic step in fostering a love of reading in our community's youngest members.  Committee member and author Carole Lexa Schaefer read three of her own books, "The Squiggle," "Down in the Woods at Sleepy Time," and "ABCers."

Thank you for making magical memories with us!

SC Give - Results are in! 
image
SC Give is the local Giving Tuesday Event for the Stanwood Camano Community!
A Note from the Stanwood Camano Area Foundation - Hosts of SC Give:
 
24 Projects, 24 Hours, over $103,321 in donations. The Stanwood-Camano community truly showed up for these projects today and we are so grateful for each and every one of our donors and sponsors. We will continue to add in prize matching funds and any donations that trickle in through the end of the week. We will close the website for donations this Sunday but we want to remind you that each of these organizations takes donations the rest of the year as well.
If you donated and your employer has a program that matches donations, be sure to submit your SC Give donations.
Thank you, from all of us at the Stanwood-Camano Area Foundation and the 24 nonprofits you supported
 
 
Thank you for your support of Dolly Parton's Imagination Library of Stanwood- Camano and all your favorite local nonprofits! 
 
We raised $2,590!
 
Dolly Parton's Imagination Library of Stanwood-Camano Island
Currently Enrolled:  901 Children
Graduated:  4,604 Children
 
People of Action Awards 2024
This week District Governor, Dave Duskin, and Kathleen Olson, assistant District Governor visited our meeting.  Dave presented People of Action Awards to Kathy Moe, Terrence Bedford and Heather Courlas.  The three were nominated by President Steve Goforth who recognized each for their commitment to service in our community!
The District Governor's People of Action Award is a Rotary award that recognizes Rotarians and Rotaractors who demonstrate their commitment to helping others through volunteering.
 
We thank Kathy Moe for her outstanding work on the Stanwood-Camano Rotary Parade and are excited that she will be president of our club next year.
 
We thank Terrence Bedford for his work as former Club President and his commitment to organizing blood drives.
 
We thank Heather Courlas for her work with Dolly Parton's Imagination Library and public relations/communication for our club.
Puget Sound Farms Provides Fresh Produce to the Food Bank
Puget Sound Farms Provides Fresh Produce to the Food Bank!
 
 
Rotary member, Andrew Davis, of Puget Sound Public Farms, just wrapped up its first year of running a vegetable garden benefitting the Stanwood-Camano Food Bank on the property. During the last several months, as people drove by Ovenell property on their way into Stanwood, volunteers were on the other side of the red barn tilling soil and planting produce.  His nonprofit was featured in the Stanwood Camano Newspaper!  We appreciate all your hard work for our community!
 
Follow this link to read the full article at Stanwood Camano News:
https://www.goskagit.com/scnews/puget-sound-public-farms-wraps-up-successful-first-year-at-ovenell-property/article_497d03f8-aac9-11ef-9846-a39dbf43726b.html
Pancake Feed for Scholarships - Results are in! 
The Rotary Pancake Feed - Results are in!
 
 
With the proceeds from the Pancake Feed and two anonymous grants we raised over $6,300! Our Rotary members cooked up a storm and had a terrific time. A big thanks to Clarene & Marty for their organization and also to the members of the Key Club for helping at the event.
 
We are excited to offer several scholarships through the Stanwood Camano Area Fund Student Scholarships for local graduating seniors!
 
If you are a graduating senior in the class of 2025 make sure to put the following dates on your calendar:
 
High School Scholarships
2/01/25 - Application Period Opens
3/10/25 - Applications Due
5/27/25 - Scholarship Night, 6:30pm
A Facelift for Rotary Adventure Playground!
Our annual service project at the Rotary Adventure Playground on Camano Island was a success last Saturday as we had nine participants representing the Stanwood-Camano Rotary Club, the Pacific Northwest Passport Rotary Club, board members from the Freedom Park Association, and one community member.
The focus was primarily staining the cedar playground equipment along with staining the perimeter picket fence. The perimeter fence is a major project since most of the fence has never been stained, or the original stain has just worn out. This fencing is over 100 yards long and requires maintenance with every service project.
We did examine the condition of the orca whale sculpture that was a focus of maintenance at last years’ service project. The whale still looks good! The weather was perfect for working while outdoors and our promise of sun (but not too hot) was met. Participants of this service project ware hoping to continue this as an annual event for late September.
In 2007 a group of 1,000 volunteers sponsored by the Stanwood Camano Rotary built the 12,000 square foot playground in five days and called it Rotary Adventure Playground! A great place to take your kids or grandkids to get the wiggles out!
Stanwood-Camano Rotary Parade 2024
Stanwood Camano Rotary Parade on Saturday, August 3rd, was filled with dancing horses, cheerleaders, Spartans, rainbows, big trucks, fire engines, and much, much more!  Rotary would like to thank everyone who volunteered and showed up to help organize and get the parade started.  We’d also like to thank our sponsors and participants for their generous support. But most of all thanks to this community for always showing up and being a part of the excitement!
 
The 2024 Trophy winners for the Rotary parade are:
 
              Best of Show:  Safe Harbor Free Clinic
              Hometown Fun:  Puget Sound Public Farms
              Most Imaginative: Josephines Caring Center
              Best Entertainment:  Spartan Cheer & Band
 
Honorable Mention:
 
             Redemption Hill church band
             Fast Track HVAC
             Stanwood Youth Cheer
             Skagit Latin Horses
             Stanwood Camano District Transportation
 
Congratulations!
 
Thank you, Evan Caldwell, for taking all the wonderful pictures! They are TERRIFIC!!
Camano Plaza IGA Roundup for Dolly Parton's Imagination Library!
The amount raised is enough to put books into the hands of 1,129 children!  What a wonderful accomplishment.
 
Thank you to everyone who contributed to the Roundup. Your support helps Rotary foster a love of reading and support early literacy. 
 
"You can never get enough books into the hands of enough children!" - Dolly Parton
Touch-a-Truck 2024
Thank you to Nancy V, Clarene, and Marty, for representing Rotary and Imagination Library at Touch A Truck this year!
20 More Children enrolled to receive a free book a month and we received a $100 Donation to the Imagination Library!
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Stanwood-Camano Island

Service Above Self

We meet In Person
Wednesdays at 12:00 p.m.
26710 72nd Ave. NW
Stanwood, WA 98292
United States
Meetings are held weekly. Please check our calendar for upcoming events!
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