Rotary Youth Exchange Students celebrate year-end in Pagosa Springs

Rotary Youth Exchange (RYE) students from across Rotary District 5470 gathered in Pagosa Springs for a year-end celebration before they depart for their home countries after experiencing a school year in Colorado. The weekend included visiting many fun destinations in Pagosa Springs including a group photo, with country flags, at the iconic Continental Divide sign atop Wolf Creek Pass. The gentleman holding the Rotary flag is a Rotarian from Alabama that happened to be at the location with his wife and recognized the Rotary t-shirts.

By Lisa Scott and Terri House

Rotary Youth Exchange (RYE) students from across Rotary District 5470 gathered in Pagosa Springs last weekend for a memorable year-end celebration filled with adventure, connection, and cultural exchange.

Hosted by the Rotary Club Youth Exchange Committee and Pagosa’s own exchange student, Wennei Chan from New Taipei, Taiwan, the weekend included attending the Thursday night rodeo, soaking in the hot springs, visiting the Wildlife Park, and a group photo at the iconic Continental Divide sign atop Wolf Creek Pass. A highlight of the weekend came Friday evening, when students had a potluck dinner with members of the Rotary Club of Pagosa Springs and other youth exchange leaders. The evening was filled with stories, laughter, and the warm fellowship that defines Rotary.

Rotary Club of Pagosa Springs awards $25,000 in scholarships to local graduates

By Meg Wempe
Chair, Rotary Club of Pagosa Springs Scholarship Selection Committee

The Rotary Club of Pagosa Springs is proud to announce the recipients of its 2026 Rotary Scholarships, awarding a total of $25,000 to three outstanding local graduates pursuing higher education.

This year’s scholarship recipients are:

Leah Blackman, Alexis “Lexi” Campbell, and Dylan Dempster

Leah Blackman, who plans to attend Colorado State University and major in biomedical science with a concentration in anatomy and physiology.
Alexis “Lexi” Campbell, who will attend either University of Colorado Colorado Springs or Fort Lewis College to pursue a degree in business marketing.
Dylan Dempster, who will attend Rochester Institute of Technology and major in environmental sciences.

Baking a Difference: Interact Club supports emergency shelters for families in crisis

The Pagosa Springs High School Interact Club held their second Bake Sale on May 9 at City Market to raise money for ShelterBox, their international service project this year. These amazing students aim to support families around the world who need emergency shelter after disasters.

Celebrating Earth Day

Rotarians and Interactors rolled up their sleeves this week to celebrate Earth Day the best way we know how — by getting our hands a little dirty.

Together, we tackled weeds, shared some laughs, and made Rotary's park a little brighter for everyone who enjoys it. There’s something special about working side by side across generations, all rooted in service and community.

Thank you to everyone who showed up and made a difference. Small acts, strong roots, lasting impact.

A Lasting Legacy of Service: We mourn the loss of Codie Wilson

The Rotary Club of Pagosa Springs
honors the life and legacy of
Codie Wilson,
a devoted Rotarian,
compassionate professional,
and cherished member of our community.

Codie joined Rotary in 1996 and quickly became a cornerstone of our club. She served for many years as our liaison to Pagosa Outreach Connection, building meaningful bridges between Rotary and those in need. Her leadership extended to chairing our Membership Committee, where she helped grow and strengthen our club, and to serving as President of the Pagosa Rotary Scholarship Foundation, where her commitment to youth and education left a lasting impact.

Community grant applications now open

By Terri House
Rotary Club of Pagosa Springs

The Rotary Club of Pagosa Springs is now accepting applications for community grants, providing local nonprofits and public entities an opportunity to support projects that strengthen and serve the Archuleta County community.

These grants, typically ranging from $100 to $5,000, are made possible through Rotary’s local fundraising efforts and are intended to support clearly defined projects that create lasting community impact. Rotary’s focus is on funding initiatives that are ready to be implemented and that align with Rotary’s mission of Service Above Self.

Photo courtesy Shellie Peterson
Rotarians Cindi Galabota, David Smith and Warren Brown accepted checks totaling $15,000 on behalf of three organizations they wholeheartedly support: the Ruby M. Sisson Memorial Library, Aspen House, and Wings Early Childhood Center in August of 2025. Each organization received $5,000 as part of Rotary’s three-year commitment, totaling $45,000 in support.

Sweet treats for a great cause!

The Pagosa Springs High School Interact Club

will be holding a Bake Sale

on March 8 from 11 AM – 3 PM

at City Market

to raise money for ShelterBox, their international service project this year.

Stop by, grab a cookie, cupcake, or brownie,

and help these students support families around the world

who need emergency shelter after disasters.

Your sweet tooth can make a difference!

#PagosaSprings #InteractClub #ServiceAboveSelf #ShelterBox #StudentService #CommunitySupport #PagosaRotary #Rotary5470 #rotaryinternational

Remembering Mike Vanover

Rotary Club of Pagosa Springs mourns the loss of longtime member and Past President Mike Vanover.

Rotary Youth Leadership Awards registration opens to high school students

2025 RYLA in the Rockies attendees. Photo courtesy RYLA in the Rockies

The Rotary Club of Pagosa Springs is now accepting applications for the Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) program, an all-expense-paid leadership experience for local high school students. Applications are open to current 10th and 11th graders and must be submitted by March 13 at 6 p.m.

This year’s RYLA in the Rockies program is built around the theme “Light the Way,” focusing on leadership development, open communication, trust-building, and service. The immersive, hands-on program emphasizes leadership, citizenship, and personal growth through experiential learning.

Rotary scholarship applications now open for high school seniors

By Meg Wempe
Rotary Club of Pagosa Springs

Attention, high school seniors: If you need help funding your education, the Rotary Club of Pagosa Springs offers scholarships that could help make your educational dreams a reality.

Each year, Rotary awards scholarships to deserving students, with funding to all winners typically exceeding $20,000 annually. Since the program’s inception, we’ve awarded an impressive $584,125 to 204 graduates — and we’re excited to continue this tradition in 2026.

Welcome!

Service Above Self

We meet In Person

Thursdays at 12:00 PM

Coyote Moon Lounge

120 Piedra Road
Pagosa Springs, CO 81147
United States of America

Phone:

(970) 507-0500

Email:

rotary.psrc22@outlook.com

District Site

Bulletins

Venue Map

POA_Banners_Digital_1200x900_EN21-2_20240717-004613.png

Addie Hittle

Jun 18, 2026

Pagosa Springs High School Interact Club Update

Installation Banquet (No Regular Meeting)

Jun 25, 2026

Installation Banquet (No Regular Meeting)

No Rotary Meeting Held This Week

Jul 02, 2026

Frank Estes & Jim Garrett

Jul 09, 2026

Background & Reading of United States Declaration of Independence

David Addor

Jul 16, 2026

ShelterBox Overview

Donna Hood - Rotary District Governor

Jul 23, 2026

Updates on Our Rotary District

Erika Brown

Aug 06, 2026

Updates from 4CORE: Four Corners Office for Resource Efficiency

View entire list...

Monthly Board of Directors Meeting
27 Talisman Drive

Jul 13, 2026 12:00 PM
Monthly Board of Directors Meeting
27 Talisman Drive

Aug 10, 2026 12:00 PM

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064850221288

While membership in any Rotary club is by invitation, and current members are encouraged to sponsor new members in their circle of acquaintance, we also welcome prospective members to let us know of your interest directly. We encourage you to visit one of our club meetings, socials, or service projects as a guest to get to know us.

The Rotary Club
of Pagosa Springs
Board of Directors
meets on the
second Monday
of each month at noon
at TBK Bank uptown
(27 Talisman Drive).

President

President Elect

President Elect

President Elect

President Elect

Immediate Past President

Rob Foster

Treasurer

Patricia Lewis

Recording Secretary

Jim Garrett

Board Member - Social & Fellowship

Kenneth Beesley

Board Member - Fundraising

Kirsten Bennett

Board Member - Service

Phil Bennett

Board Member

Frank Estes

Board Member - Youth Service

Edward Feragen

Board Member - Vocational Service

Rob Foster

Board Member - Club Service

Livia Lynch

Board Member

Sam Pittmon

Board Member - Community Service

Frank Wiley

The Rotary Foundation

David Smith

Membership Co-Chair

Melanie Garrett

Public Relations

Terri House

The Rotary Voices podcast features in-depth interviews with thought leaders, Rotary news updates, and immersive stories from Rotary magazine. Learn more at https://pod.link/rotary.

For more than 100 years, Rotary International and The Rotary Foundation have been doing good in the world. Learn more about our history.

2026 Photo Awards: The extraordinary ordinary

The pictures featured in the 2026 Rotary magazine photo awards reflect the extraordinary ordinary

Through Rotary, a police officer expands her worldview

Through Rotary, police officer Joanne Serkeyn expanded her view of how to make a difference. In July, Serkeyn will become the governor of District 7090

A monumental club project in South Dakota

Members of the Rotary Club of Custer, South Dakota, played a role in the construction of the Crazy Horse Monument and continue to support its federation

Rotary to scale proven water and sanitation initiative in Haiti