The Rotary Club of SaddleBrooke – April 2025

Swing for a Cause: 25th Annual SaddleBrooke Rotary Charity Golf Tournament

Barbara Barr Bengen

For the 25th year, golf enthusiasts, community leaders, and generous donors come together for the highly anticipated SaddleBrooke Rotary Charity Golf Tournament at MountainView Golf Club on Monday, April 21. This fun-filled event combines the love of golf with the joy of giving back, raising money for scholarships, programs for children and youth, adults, seniors, and essential community needs.

Held at one of the most scenic golf courses in the region, the tournament offers an exciting day on the greens with friendly competition, great company, and numerous chances to win fantastic prizes. Participants, ranging from amateur golfers to seasoned pros, compete in a scramble format, ensuring that everyone—regardless of skill level—has a great time.

The event kicks off with an on-course lunch. As teams make their way through 18 holes, they enjoy exciting challenges for both men and women, along with a hole-in-one contest with impressive prizes! Along the course, refreshing beverages and delicious snacks are available for purchase to keep spirits high.

After the final putt is sunk, the fun continues with an awards banquet and silent auction at the MountainView ballroom. The silent auction features exclusive items donated by local businesses and sponsors. The highlight of the evening is hearing about the good works, scholarship recipients, and program beneficiaries whose heartfelt stories remind everyone why this event matters.

To date, the SaddleBrooke Rotary Charity Golf Tournament has raised over $550,000, which has touched the lives of hundreds of children, youth, adults, and seniors, primarily in the Copper Corridor communities of Oracle, San Manuel, Mammoth, and Catalina, as well as in Oro Valley and Tucson! Thanks to the generosity of participants, sponsors, and donors, the tournament raises thousands of dollars annually, funding educational opportunities, youth programs, and critical community initiatives. The SaddleBrooke Rotary Charity Golf Tournament is more than just a golf tournament—it’s a celebration of giving, a day of camaraderie, and a powerful way to make a difference in the lives of those who need it most. Join us and be part of something truly special! Register at saddlebrookerotary.com.

What is Rotary? Rotary is made up of your friends and neighbors who have fun working together to make the world a better place. Rotary is the world’s largest volunteer organization and is found in more countries than the Red Cross, Starbucks, or McDonald’s. Together with our friends, we are working to make a difference and change lives.

The Rotary Club of SaddleBrooke is an award-winning club. We meet on Thursdays at 11 a.m. for lunch at the Ranch House at SaddleBrooke Ranch. Next, we meet in the ballroom, followed by an educational program or speaker. Rotary is open to those who live and work in SaddleBrooke, SaddleBrooke Ranch, and the surrounding communities. For more information, check out saddlebrookerotary.com or contact Diane Demeroutis at rotarysbaz@gmail.com.

The Rotary Club of SaddleBrooke Is #1 in the District for Service Projects

Barbara Barr Bengen

In a recent visit to the Rotary Club of SaddleBrooke, District Governor Sue Archibald stated that the club was the number-one club for service projects in the district. Members of the club put in an enormous number of hands-on hours into serving the community, area youth, vocations in our area, and international projects. Some projects are annual, others are occasional or monthly, and others are weekly. With a number of our projects, we actively participate with other organizations. But who benefits the most from these hands-on experiences? The members of the SaddleBrooke Rotary Club.

On an annual basis, the Rotary Club of SaddleBrooke touches the lives of many with hands-on projects that make a difference. Rotarians helped the Town of Oracle put on a 4th of July celebration for kids in the community. In addition, we help cook and provide a holiday party for seniors in need and shut-ins who reside in Catalina, Oracle, and the Copper Corridor. We also spend months working on a holiday party for the children of Oracle where the kids make a treasured ornament to take home. Our Rotarians count our many blessings as we deliver Thanksgiving turkeys and all the fixings to families in need in Catalina, Oracle, and the Copper Corridor. Then there are other hands-on projects, such as Building a House in a Day in Mexico, Cooking up a batch of chili, and supporting the San Manuel Restoration Chili Cook-off fundraiser, as well as regular responsibilities with the food bank. There is also our active participation at two cemeteries with Wreaths Across America, National Night Out in San Manuel, cleaning up the Y camp for the summer, collecting food for the food bank, teaching classes on ethics at San Manuel, and delivering dictionaries at Coronado. In addition, there is so much joy that comes from interviewing and selecting Citizens of the Year, Business/Organization of the Year, and College and Vocational Scholarships. Each year we hold a golf tournament to fund scholarships and projects in the area. While the list goes on and on, these annual projects light up our lives as we make a difference throughout the year.

There are also other regular hands-on projects, such as cooking and serving lunch to those in need at the Oracle Community Center, road clean-up on American Avenue in Oracle as well Golden Ranch in Catalina, sorting food for the food bank, packing bags of food IMPACT, collecting personal care items for the food bank, and collecting soft plastics for recycling. The volunteer hours are many, but so are the rewards of helping others.

With many of our projects, we actively participate with other philanthropic organizations, communities, SaddleBrooke clubs, Rotary Clubs, and individuals. This provides us with numerous opportunities to develop new friendships as we work in harmony to change the world. We are so fortunate!

The Rotary Club of SaddleBrooke meets every Thursday at the Ranch House! For more information, contact Diane at RotarySBAZ@gmail.com.