Left to right: RCSL Peacebuilder Committee members Kandi Skrabala, Chandler High School Principal Greg Milbrandt, Assistant Principal Jennifer de la Torre, Lead Counselor Tira Ortiz, Stan Klein, Dr. Diane Bruening, and Ann Diamond.
Members Support Chandler High School Counselors
Dr. Honora Norton, RCSL Public Image Director
The Rotary Club of Sun Lakes (RCSL) supports the counselors at Chandler Unified School District Chandler High School with money to purchase water bottles, snacks and light meals for students who are receiving counseling during lunch or new student enrollments at lunch, or for those experiencing a crisis. The counselors previously were purchasing these items with their own money. See www.sunlakesrotary.com.
Rotary Club Honored at 2026 Rotary Conference
Dr. Honora Norton
Rotary Club of Sun Lakes Director of Public Image and Gilbert resident Dr. Honora Norton received the 1st Place 2026 Rotary International District 5495’s Public Image Award for her engaging storytelling through photography, social media posts and press releases of RCSL’s impact to the community. D5495 has 68 Rotary Clubs. RCSL President Ed Anderson presented the Best Public Image Hit Award to Dr. Norton at a recent club meeting.
Rotary Club of Sun Lakes member, past president and Chandler resident Jon Lyons received the 2026 Rotary International District 5495’s Assistant Governor Excellence Award in honor of his exceptional leadership and ability to strengthen and advance the success of the five Clubs he supports in D5495. RCSL President Ed Anderson presented the Assistant Governor Excellence Award to Jon at a recent club meeting.
Rotary Club of Sun Lakes members and Sun Lakes residents Roger and Judi Edmonds received the 2026 Rotary International District 5495’s Rotary Rockstars Award in honor of their outstanding service leadership in support of RCSL’s Peacebuilder community/global service projects, years of deliveries of dictionaries to Chandler Unified School District third graders and educational/community service projects. RCSL President Ed Anderson presented the Rockstar Award to Roger and Judi at a recent club meeting.
Don Robins with Jennifer Goforth
Sun Lakes Rotarian Don Robins Earns Prestigious AWIM Award
Dr. Honora Norton, RCSL Public Image Director
Per Jennifer Goforth, Executive Advisor/former General Motors Executive Director, RCSL member and Chandler resident Don Robins, accepted his AWIM (A World in Motion) Volunteer Recognition Award at the 28th Annual SAE (formerly Society of Automotive Engineers) Foundation Celebration held in Pontiac, Mich. Upon receiving the award Don, who joined Rotary Club of Sun Lakes in 2005, stated “You can’t imagine how great it was to work with those students.”
Don joined SAE at the University of Illinois in the 1950s. Decades later Don helped build AWIM programs on Native American reservations, Canyon State Academy and Chandler Unified School District Schools, where eighth graders utilized STEM education (science, technology, engineering and mathematics), to design, build, and race competitively gravity cruisers and jet toys!
Over the years, the AWIM programs Don led in Arizona have reached more than 50,000 students with support from SAE, ASU students and Rotarian volunteers who mentor students.
Sun Lakes Rotary Names Ed Anderson Rotarian of the Month
Dr. Honora Norton, RCSL Public Image Director
Rotary Club of Sun Lakes has named Ed Anderson June 2026 Rotarian of the Month. Ed has served as 2025 to 26 RCSL Club President, 2026 RCSL Golf Committee lead and represented RCSL at Rotary International Arizona District 5495 meetings and events. He is looking forward to serving as D5495 membership lead. Under Ed’s leadership, RCSL has become the third active/largest club of the 68 rotary clubs in D5495.
RCSL Past President Gary Whiting, Elder Stone, and RCSL Club President Ed Anderson
Gila River Community Elder Addressed Rotarians
Dr. Honora Norton, RCSL Public Image Director
The Rotary Club of Sun Lakes (RCSL) appreciated traditional farmer, singer, artist and teacher Elder Robert “Bobby” Stone of the Gila River Indian Community speaking at a recent RCSL dinner meeting. Elder Stone shared Arizona Pima Indian Community history, demographics, and his joy of sharing his ancestral stories, songs and dances with children. RCSL offers many interesting program speakers. The group recently heard from Dr. Anshu Chandra who founded the Haiti Eye Clinic Project, poet/writer Beth Bonness and medical Dr. Carey Chronis. See www.sunlakesrotary.com for location, and calendar of RCSL meetings and speaker programs. Visitors are always welcome—come join the “people of action.”
Gary Whiting has been delivering dictionaries to East Valley third graders for over 22 years.
Gary Whiting Named Rotarian of the Month
Dr. Honora Norton, RCSL Public Image Director
The Rotary Club of Sun Lakes (RCSL) is honored to name Gary Whiting May 2026 Rotarian of the Month. Gary led RCSL’s 40th Anniversary Celebration. Gary joined Rotary in June 1967, RCSL in February 1995, and has served as 2000-02 RCSL President, 2004-05 Rotary International (RI) District 5510 Governor, served on RI District and Region Committees, is a RI Paul Harris Fellow plus eight, and is past Board President of Sun Lakes Foundation 2000.
Gary is lead liaison with Gila River and Navajo nation schools for dictionaries, Navajo water project, and other community service projects. He is RCSL’s backup webmaster and is originator of RCSL’s Facebook page. Gary recently sponsored new members Ben and Dona Mae Eubank as RCSL members. For over 22 years, Gary has delivered dictionaries to Chandler Unified School District, Gila River, and Navajo third graders.
Left to right: Penny Rings (RCSL), Heather Patterson (Perry High School Principal, Winnie Bau, Cooper Johnson, Betty Drack, Kurt Rohrs (RCSL), Aya Nakajima, Jena Lee, and Leo Schlueter (RCSL).
Rotary Club of Sun Lakes Awards Scholarships
Dr. Honora Norton, Public Image Director
Rotary Club of Sun Lakes (RCSL) Scholarship Chair Leo Schlueter announced the following 2026 RCSL Service Above Self Scholarship winners: Cooper Johnson—Perry High School—attending ASU Barrett Honors for Electrical Engineering; Jena Lee—Hamilton High School—attending University of Pennsylvania; Aya Nakajima—Hamilton High School—attending Emby Riddle Aeronautical University; and earning Vocational Scholarships: Winnie Bau—Hamilton High School—attending Chandler/Gilbert Community College majoring in Aviation; and, Betty Drack—Hamilton High School—attending Conservatory of Recording Arts & Sciences majoring in audio engineering.
A panel of RCSL/CUSD judges reviewed and scored 16 Service Above Self applications from seniors at Chandler Unified School District’s (CUSD) Hamilton, Perry, and Casteel High Schools. Each application included a 300-word essay addressing service above self, teacher recommendations, and student academic standing data. The 10 Vocational Scholarship applications included a live zoom interview. The $2,000 scholarships have been awarded annually since 1986 and are funded by RCSL fundraisers (i.e., golf tournament) and corporate sponsorships.
Sandy Lundberg Named Educator of the Year
Dr. Honora Norton
The Rotary Club of Sun Lakes (RCSL) reviewed applications for its annual RCSL Sandy Lundberg “Educator of the Year” Scholarship. After RCSL’s review of Chandler Unified School District (CUSD) applications, three teachers were selected to give presentations at a RCSL meeting. The presentations were scored by RCSL judges—addressing teacher’s experiences; leadership achievements; relationships with students, parents, and families; volunteer activities; letters of recommendation; and promotion of Rotary ideals.
Kim Alvin Delara, second grade teacher at CUSD Hartford Sylvia Encinas Elementary School was selected RCSL The Sandy Lundberg Educator of the Year ($2,000 scholarship). Runner-up teachers ($500 Scholarships) were: Savannah Menger, English Teacher at CUSD Hamilton High School and Lynda Fredickson, Education Professions Teacher at CUSD Casteel High School. RCSL thanks Earnhardt Auto Centers for sponsoring the scholarships.
The scholarships were established in 2017 as a prestigious annual award. Their purpose is to demonstrate RCSL’s continuing commitment to the Chandler Unified School District—its educational objectives and the educators who work so diligently and professionally to achieve those objectives.
Per RCSL Education Program Lead Rebecca Kerr, in May 2018, the first Award was presented to Sandy Lundberg, the principal of the newly opened Casteel High School. Sandy was an active RCSL member, in which she provided the same energy to RCSL endeavors as she did to her profession. Her passion for children and community shone through whatever she did. Due to Sandy’s untimely passing, RCSL proudly named the award—The Sandy Lundberg Educator of the Year Award.