Rotarians At Work 2012

Posted by James Dunny

on Apr 30, 2012

Rotarians At Work Day was Saturday, April 28, 2012. RB Sunrise Rotary Club, like nearly 250 Rotary Clubs around the world, took part in this event by doing a work project. Rotary was the first service club, founded in 1905. To promote this, former 5340 District Governor, the late Bob Watson, in 2006, established Rotarians At Work Day on the last Saturday in April. District 5340 was joined in that first Rotarians At Work Day by District 4100 (northern Baja California, Mexico). Since 2006, this event has grown to become an international event.

RB Sunrise has participated in every Rotarians at Work Day since the beginning. Jim Roth, a member of RB Sunrise Rotary, has been District 5340 chairman of Rotarians at Work and has promoted it to other districts.

This year RB Sunrise Rotary selected as its project helping the Poway Valley Therapeutic Riding Center. It was over a year ago that Ingrid Mourey spoke at a regular meeting of RB Sunrise Rotary and told of the need for this therapy in our community. At that time, the closest facility was located further north in the community of Fallbrook. This distance was a problem for potential therapy riders. A facility in Poway would make this therapeutic benefit available more easily.

With the help of club members and others in the community, Ingrid was able to locate a ranch that would provide the stables, trails and corrals that would be needed for the center. The center has now grown to providing 40 therapy rides a week to handicapped children and adults. The center owns 6 specially selected horses. The stories about the results achieved by the therapy rides is very heartwarming.

Because PoVa is just one part of a 68 acre working ranch, the owner of the ranch and PoVa welcomed the help that a work project would bring to assist in the maintenance of the ranch and trails. Work would have to go on in a way that would not interfere with therapy rides.

Scouts and leaders painting a therapy game.

Volunteers from RB Sunrise Rotary, their family members and Boy Scouts from Troop 688 and their leaders and family met at the ranch at 8:00 am. The scouts and their leaders began painting signs, therapy game equipment, poles and fence rails. Others helped remove weeds from a corral.

Meanwhile, RB Sunrise Rotary Club members and their friends and family began to clear weed and trim trees. Weeds were cleared along a therapy trail and along Creek Road. Other RB Sunrise Rotary members painted several sheds used to store the riding tack and other supplies used by PoVa.

RB Sunrise Rotary Club President Rick Coburn
and PoVa Director Ingrid Mourey

The work project was scheduled from 8:00 am to noon. RB Sunrise Rotary Club provided a lunch of chili and snacks at the end of the morning.

During the lunch, Ingrid Mourey, the executive director of PoVa, thanked the volunteers for all of their work. She stated that they accomplished much more than she had expected. She also answered questions about PoVa.

A few Rotarians stayed afat the ranch after lunch to clear weeds and trim branches from trees near the main corral.

For additional photos, see the Rotarians At Work 2012 Photo Album in the Photo Albums menu on the Home page.