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We are the Rotary Club of Tacoma #8

Established in 1910, the Rotary Club of Tacoma is the 8th oldest Rotary Club in the world. We believe in the power of in-person connection, enhancing our beautiful local community, and contributing to the well-being of the world in which we live. We would be delighted if you would join us at our next club meeting. Please contact the office at 253.473.7723 for information.

This Week at Rotary

Thursday, April 6, 2023

VOL. NINETY-NINE, Issue 40

The Gearshift is a weekly publication to inform members of current events in the Rotary Club of Tacoma #8.

This Week at Rotary

April 6, 2023

Register Here

An Insiders Experience on Disaster Response Operations

Daniel Wirth

We will learn about one man’s experience responding to disasters over the last 9 years and the shift from acute to chronic disaster responses.

Daniel Wirth, currently serving as the interim Northwest Regional Executive of the American Red Cross, has a committed history of fulfilling the Red Cross mission over the past decade. Beginning in March 2014 with the Indiana Region, his career quickly led him to accept the position as the Regional Disaster Officer for the Kentucky Region in 2016. Here he helped guide and mentor the disaster workforce of 17 for a 119-county territory. After four years of leadership in the disaster line of service, in January 2020, Dan moved to Washington State to serve as the Executive Director for the South Puget Sound and Olympics Chapter serving eight counties. Dan’s deployments have spanned the nation including the Flint Water Crisis, Texas Flooding, South Carolina Flooding (x2), Hurricane Harvey in Texas, Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico, Hurricane Florence in North Carolina, the recent wildfires in California and Oregon, and served extended deployments for the Kentucky tornado operation helping the most vulnerable in Mayfield and surrounding counties, as well able to serve the migrant population on Pine Island during Hurricane Ian.

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Auction 2023

To view our invitation click here.

We will continue to build out our auction website with wonderful auction items and acknowledgement of our wonderful sponsors, but check us out here and register to join us!

We still have time to accept some last minute items or include you as a sponsor in our Auction Catalog.

Sponsorship form Procurement form

Diversity Statement of the Rotary Club of Tacoma #8

The Rotary Club of Tacoma #8 is open to all people who want to make positive changes in our community and world. We welcome all members and guests, regardless of race, nationality, religion, faith, gender, sexual orientation, cultural background, and ability.

We will not tolerate racism. We strive to become an anti-racist organization. We are committed to learning more about how systemic racism has led to inequality in all systems – including education, housing, health, employment, wealth accumulation, policing, prosecution, sentencing, and incarceration – and working to eradicate inequality wherever we encounter it.

We will take these actions:

We will review and update our Club’s procedures, policies, meetings, events, communications, grants, projects, scholarships, and traditions.
We will broaden our recruiting practices to align our membership more closely with the demographics of Tacoma.
We will use our grants, projects, and scholarships to promote diversity, equity, inclusion, and social justice in our community.

Rotary In Action

Rotary is an international organization whose purpose is to bring together business and professional leaders to provide humanitarian services, to encourage high ethical standards in all vocations, and to advance goodwill and peace around the world. Rotary is open to all people regardless of race, color, creed, religion, gender, or political preference. There are more than 1.2 million Rotarians in over 35,000 Rotary clubs worldwide. The Rotary motto is "service above self.”

Within Tacoma, the Rotary Club of Tacoma #8 invests in non-profit organizations throughout the community, recommended by the Community Grants Committee, that serve low-income children and seniors. Rotary #8 also has many “hands-on” projects where Rotarians offer their service. Some of these "hands on" projects that have been supported are:

. Food Drives and Repacks - for the Emergency Food Network. Regularly club members volunteer to participate in repacking food for distribution into the community; and

. Little Free Libraries - Rotarians build and install these libraries, filled with good children's books, near low-income elementary schools.

Rotary #8 has international projects such as clean water projects in Ethiopia and India, has brought firefighting equipment to Mexico, and has delivered school materials to Malawi. Tacoma Rotarians have given Polio immunizations to children in India and Africa.

Throughout the world, Rotary Clubs, including Rotary #8, have contributed nearly $900 million to eradicate polio in the world. More than one half billion children in developing countries have been immunized against polio, through Rotary’s PolioPlus campaign.

Rotary’s Youth Exchange sends 7,000 high-school age students abroad each year, to study in another country and to learn about its society and culture. The goal is to promote world peace. Rotary # 8 has always welcomed inbound students and have identified local students to travel to other countries to participate in this life-changing experience.

Our Projects Committee: Rotarians at Work

Supporting Our Community

December 2, 2022

Partnering with Catholic Community Services, Tacoma Rescue Mission and YWCA to deliver hundreds of gifts to children in Pierce County.