Blog

LCR’s own Leticia Cole reported on the 2025 Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA). RYLA is a week long leadership camp fo high school students who will be sophomores, juniors and seniors next year. The program is designed for young people in the early stages of leadership self discovery. Participants learn to put leadership into practice by serving their school and community. RYLA will be hosted at the University of Kansas, Lawrence Campus June 8-12, 2025. Students will stay overnight in Ellsworth Hall and will attend sessions with Rotarians and other community leaders. There will be small group work, public service projects and recreation time. Local Rotary Clubs sponsor one or more students and pay the 425 dollar fee. Leticia noted that it was a struggle to find applicants this year and there was a good discussion about how club members could better publicize and encourage future participants. An application and further information may be found on the Rotary District 5710 website. Leticia works for Paul Werner Architects in Lawrence and has been club coordinator for RYLA for a number of years.

Sandra Siebert is a Master Gardener for K-State Research and Extension Douglas County. Sandra grew up on a farm in Pottawatomie County where she learned to love gardening. Master Gardeners are volunteers who wish to share gardening information and are trained in all aspects horticulture. Training consists of 40-50 hours of instruction from Extension agents and local subject experts. On completion, Master Gardeners donate back to the program in a variety of activities. The program maintains a speaker’s bureau free of charge on a variety of garden topics. Sandra spoke of her love of herb gardening and lore. Fresh home grown herbs are superior in every respect to herbs available in the grocery store and growing them is a very satisfying experience. She spoke of the characteristics and uses of time, sage, parsley, basil, oregano, rosemary and more. She also told of the numerous varieties of eatable flowers and urged people to grow herbs and flowers at home.

Sara Carnahan signs people up for Midland Care Meals on Wheels. Sara has had various roles in health care and now assesses candidates for service. Meals on Wheels delivers hot, nutritious meals to housebound seniors in Shawnee, Jefferson and Douglas Counties. Program goals include keeping people independent in their homes, avoiding hospitalization, managing chronic health issues and checking on safety. Isolation for seniors is a serious problem and meal delivery provides an opportunity for a welfare and safety check. Eligibility is primarily for people 60 years of age who cannot leave the home unassisted. The program is funded by government sources, client contributions, fund raisers, grants and contributions. Meals are also served at twelve dining centers for seniors most in need of a nutritious meal. Some 39,507 meals were served in 2024. Lawrence Meals on Wheels is a separate organization that provides specialty diets and both organizations work together to serve seniors in need.

The Topeka Zoo and Conservation Center has a new CEO, Dr. Christina Castellano, and she has big plans for the Zoo. Dr. Castellano brings to the job a Doctorate in Biological Sciences and over thirty years of zoo and conservation experience, including breeding endangered species. Her goal is to keep the zoo relevant and interesting by opening something new each year. In 2021 the Zoo began transitioning away from control by the City of Topeka and while there is some County support, the rest comes from admissions, donations and grants. The Zoo has a nine million dollar budget and employs 140 staff. Dr. Castellano is particularly proud of the various educational and conservation projects, like the new Tiger Trails and Den Academy that features hands on and interactive activities. The Zoo is involved in conservation work in 119 countries and has raised 252 million dollars for those projects. It is important that people make a connection with the animals, and accordingly, much of the staff care for the animals is now done in view of the public. Fund raising for the new Zoo is now a year round activity.

District Governor nominee Michelle Sink made a visit to talk about the programs and activities of Rotary District 5710. Michelle grew up in Pratt and attended Kansas State University and is an Area Director for Big Brothers and Big Sisters. She is a member of Konza Rotary Club in Manhattan and loves Rotary so much she got a Rotary tattoo. Michelle urged involvement in the numerous District committees, these include Membership, Environmental, Public Image, Rotoract and Interact, Education, International, Grants, Polio and Ending Human Trafficking. The District provides opportunities for making connections and having fun at events like Gathering for Good, District Annual Conference, and Team Training. District also sponsors Rotary Leadership Institute, President Elect Training and Training for District Leadership.