Stories

On Tuesday, August 26, Joe Barnes from Barnes Tactical, Inc. presented to the club: Refuse To Be A Victim. Joe mentioned the single most important step toward ensuring your personal safety is making the decision to refuse to be a victim. That means you must have an overall personal safety strategy in place before you need it.

Through a four-hour seminar (shorter presentations are available), you can learn the personal safety tips and techniques you need to avoid dangerous situations and avoid becoming a victim. Hundreds of federal, state, and local law enforcement officials across the country have implemented Refuse To Be A Victim^® into their crime prevention and community policing initiatives.

July 8th was a special day at the Rockwall Breakfast Rotary. Paul Schwartz with Honor Flight presented information about this wonderful organization. Paul is aViet Nam veteran and has a passion for the mission of Honor Flight.

Pictured are Paul Schwartz and three WWII veterans that are Rockwall residents. These are Dave Tolan, Al Lurie and Taylor McClure. All three have participated on an Honor Flight.

If you aren’t familiar with Honor Flight (www.honorflightdfw.org), they are an organization that was established in 2004 and dedicated to our military veterans. Honor Flight volunteers coordinate all-expense paid two day trips for WWII veterans to Washington DC aboard a commercial airline to visit the WWII Memorial, Arlington National Cemetery, Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, The Marine Corps War Memorial and many others, including a Heroes’ Banquet for the veterans and culminates in a Heroes’ Welcome on return to DFW.

Honor Flight DFW has provided trips for 600 veterans so far with more trips planned. The average age of these veterans is 89 years and they travel with personal guardians that look after their every need. The testimonies of the ones who have been on these trips are simply outstanding and they struggle emotionally for words to describe the joy they received from it. The recognition and appreciation shown to these men and women is overwhelming and so deserved.

If you know a WWII veteran it would be well worth their time to apply for an upcoming Honor Flight. Please visit www.honorflightdfw.org and get more information about this great organization.

Rockwall ISD honored the 2014 Teachers of the Year from each of its 19 campuses on Friday, May 9 at a red carpet celebration held at the Hilton Bella Harbor. The highlight of the evening was the naming of the elementary and secondary district Teachers of the Year for 2014. Taking the elementary-level honor was Melanie Weir from Virginia Reinhardt Elementary. Mike McMahon from J.W. Williams Middle School was selected as the Secondary Teacher of the Year. Trenton Cornehl, President of the Rockwall Breakfast Rotary Club, previous RISD Teachers of the Year, as well as RISD staff served on the selection committee for the honor.

Both teachers were awarded a six-month lease on a 2014 Toyota Prius, a vacation package valued at $2,500 and a $500 Visa gift card. Together they will serve as the district’s representatives for the regional Teacher of the Year competition administered by the Texas Association of School Administrators. Additionally, each campuses teacher of the year received a $200 Visa gift card and “swag bag” containing a plaque and other goodies from each of the sponsors.

(L-R: Mike McMahon, Secondary Teacher of the Year from J.W. Williams Middle School, Superintendent Jeff Bailey, and Melanie Weir, Elementary Teacher of the Year from Virginia Reinhardt Elementary)

Four Rockwall High School students participated in the Four Way Speech competition at the Rockwall Breakfast Rotary Club April 15. These young people are under the instruction of Nichelle Wallace, Rockwall High School Speech and Debate Coach and Fine Arts Chair. Nichelle is a former Four Way Speech winner and encourages her students each year to compete.

The students in the Four Way Speech competition are required to formulate their speeches around the Rotary Four Way Test. This is quoted around the world in every Rotary Club at every meeting and represents the heart of Rotary.

The Four Way Test of the things we think, say and do:

First – Is it the truth?

Second – Is it fair to all concerned?

Third – Will it build goodwill and better friendships?

Fourth – Will it be beneficial to all concerned?

The students who participated are Paris Mayfield (Junior), Zachary Dougal (Freshman), Aly Barrier (Freshman) and Taryn Woody (Junior). Every speech was very good and the judges had an extremely difficult time because they were only able to award three places.

The first place winner was Taryn Woody, who proceeded to the District wide competition held at Grand Prairie High School, April 26. She competed against 25 students from across the Metroplex and won third place and was awarded a $500 scholarship.

Please join the Rockwall Breakfast Rotary Club in congratulating Nichelle and these wonderful students for their hard work and achievements.

Rockwall ISD honored the 2013 Teachers of the Year from each of its 18 campuses on Friday, May 10 at a red carpet celebration held at the Hilton Bella Harbor. The highlight of the evening was the naming of the elementary and secondary district Teachers of the Year for 2013. Taking the elementary-level honor was Julie Woodard from Dorothy Smith Pullen Elementary. Brandon Vestal from Herman E. Utley Middle School was selected as the Secondary Teacher of the Year. Members from the Rockwall Breakfast Rotary Club, previous RISD Teachers of the Year as well as RISD staff serve on the selection committee for the honor.

Both teachers were awarded a six-month lease on a 2013 Toyota Prius, a vacation package valued at $2,500 and a $500 Visa gift card. Together they will serve as the district’s representatives for the regional Teacher of the Year competition administered by the Texas Association of School Administrators. Additionally, each campuses teacher of the year received a $200 Visa gift card and “swag bag” containing a plaque and other goodies from each of the sponsors.

Julie Woodard – Dorothy Smith Pullen Elementary Teacher of the Year

Brandon Vestal – Herman E. Utley Middle School, Secondary Teacher of the Year

Tuesday, April 9^th, three students from Rockwall High School delivered speeches to the Rockwall Breakfast Rotary Club. Students Eric Crowell, Paris Mayfield, and Ida Hishmeh picked their own subjects but were required to develop original material and incorporate an important issue in our everyday relationships with other people around the Rotary Four-Way Test: 1.) Is it the TRUTH?; 2.) Is it FAIR to all concerned?; 3.) Will it build GOODWILL and BETTER FRIENDSHIPS? and 4.) Will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned? Speeches were limited to seven minutes, and students were not permitted to use notes.

Rockwall Breakfast Rotary Club President-Nominee, Nancy Runge, presented checks to Crowell (third place), Mayfield (second place) and Hishmeh (first place). Hishmeh will advance to the District 5810 competition on April 27th at Grand Prairie High School where she will have the chance to compete for up to an additional $1,000 cash prize.

The Rockwall Breakfast Rotary Club conducts the contest annually where students from RISD are invited to compete.  

Freshman, Ida Hishmeh receives her 1st place check from President-Nominee, Nancy Runge. Photo by Kirte M. Kinser.

(L-R): Paris Mayfield, Ida Hishmeh, and Eric Crowell. Photo by Kirte M. Kinser.

The Rockwall Breakfast Rotary Club is pleased to share the 18 outstanding staff members who have been chosen by their peers as the 2013 Campus Teachers of the Year:

All campus winners will be honored at the Rockwall ISD Teacher of the Year Celebration on Friday, May 10, at the Hilton Bella Harbor. At the dinner that evening, the district will announce the 2013 Elementary Teacher of the Year and the 2013 Secondary Teacher of the Year. Members from the Rockwall Breakfast Rotary Club, previous RISD Teachers of the Year as well as RISD staff serve on the selection committee for the honor. These district winners will advance to the regional competition.

Local residents got to enjoy a delicious breakfast while helping out our local charities.

The Rockwall Breakfast Rotary Club held its annual All You Can Eat Pancake Breakfast on Saturday, January 19^th2013 at Applebee's in Rockwall.

Eight dollars bought a hearty plate of all you can eat pancakes, sausage with a glass of orange juice, coffee or soda. Members of the Rockwall Breakfast Rotary Club and several of their family members were on hand to welcome and to help serve up breakfast.

"We look forward to this breakfast each year -- especially for the cause” said Juan Tomasino, Rockwall Breakfast Rotary Club President. “All of the money raised will benefit and support local charities. Our support is extremely important because there are so many deserving groups in our community." 

Tomasino added that anyone can become a part of the Rockwall Breakfast Rotary Club and help with fundraisers. "This is an excellent way to give back to a community who gives so much to us as individuals."

Over 200 elementary school students in Rockwall have brand new coats and some happy memories this winter, thanks to a partnership between The Rockwall Breakfast Rotary Club and Old Navy of Rockwall.

On Saturday, November 10^th, students and families of Rockwall ISD were invited to the Old Navy store in Rockwall. There, with the help of Rotarians and Old Navy employees, they picked out a brand new coat matching their size, favorite color and personality. Old Navy offered face painting and passed out balloons, donuts and drinks for the families, while Chiloso Mexican Bistro provided breakfast tacos for the volunteers, making the event a fun-filled morning for everyone.

The Rockwall Breakfast Rotary Club began its Coats for Kids project 8 years ago by providing coats to students at Dobbs Elementary. The program has expanded each year and now serves 9 different elementary schools. This was the first year that the Rockwall Breakfast Rotary Club partnered with Old Navy to host a distribution event at the store. "Our club members look forward to this event every year. When the opportunity arose to partner with Old Navy to provide the children with a true shopping experience we jumped at it," said Rockwall Breakfast Rotary club president Juan Tomasino.

Nothing is more rewarding than knowing that you have given a gift. It is even more rewarding when it's something they really need. “On behalf of Rockwall ISD, we greatly appreciate the support to our students given by Rockwall Breakfast Rotary Club and Old Navy. You made lots of children and parents smile today!” said Dr. Debbie Smothermon, Assistant Superintendent for Administrative Services. Additional support was provided by the Rockwall Preschool Association and the Rockwall Rotary Club.

To find out how you can help with next year's event, please contact Juan Tomasino at 214-226-7792.

The Rockwall-Heath High School Interact club was accompanied by the Rockwall Breakfast Rotary Club’s Interact Coordinator, Brad Chilcote, to receive recognition from Carter BloodCare for their exceptional efforts in raising blood donations during the 2011-2012 school year. In addition to being recognized for conducting three blood drives during the year, they were awarded with the “Top Number of Donors” and “Top Percentage of Donors” for schools with 400-499 seniors. The event was held in the Dallas Cowboys Stadium, and included a BBQ dinner along with a number of other special treats. 

About Interact: Interact is Rotary International’s service club for young people ages 12 to 18. Interact clubs are sponsored by individual Rotary clubs, which provide support and guidance, but they are self-governing and self-supporting.

Club membership varies greatly. Clubs can be single gender or mixed, large or small. They can draw from the student body of a single school or from two or more schools in the same community.

Each year, Interact clubs complete at least two community service projects, one of which furthers international understanding and goodwill. Through these efforts, Interactors develop a network of friendships with local and overseas clubs and learn the importance of

• Developing leadership skills and personal integrity
• Demonstrating helpfulness and respect for others
• Understanding the value of individual responsibility and hard work
• Advancing international understanding and goodwill

As one of the most significant and fastest-growing programs of Rotary service, with more than 10,700 clubs in 109 countries and geographical areas, Interact has become a worldwide phenomenon. Almost 200,000 young people are involved in Interact.

Each year, through the FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC), volunteer engineers, high school students, and community members join together to build a robot that will perform specific tasks or “games”. Through this building process, student’s brainstorm, prototype, design, and create a robot that will perform specific tasks.

Members of the Rockwall High School Robotics Team, Full Metal Jackets, (FRC Team #1296) recently showcased their robot to the Rockwall Breakfast Rotary Club.  

This year’s competition, “Rebound Rumble,” was played between two alliances of three teams each. Each alliance competed by trying to score as many basketballs in the hoops as possible during the two-minute and 15-second match. Balls scored in the highest of the four hoops scored teams more points in the challenge. Additional scoring opportunities required the robots to balance on bridges at the end of the match.  

Students, volunteer mentors, and teachers dedicate countless hours during build season in order to consistently compete at the highest level of FRC. FIRST Robotics inspires students to pursue careers in science and technology. Teamwork, organizational skills, and gracious professionalism enable students to take classroom concepts and apply them to real world situations.

The Rockwall Independent School District honored the 2012 Teachers of the Year from each of its 18 campuses on Friday, May 11, 2012 at a “red carpet” event held at the Hilton Bella Harbor. The highlight of the evening was the announcement of the elementary and secondary district Teachers of the Year for 2012. Taking the elementary-level honor was Autumn Quinton of Virginia Reinhardt Elementary, while Rockwall High School’s Cody Hayes was chosen as the secondary-level recipient.

Mrs. Quinton and Mr. Hayes were each awarded a six-month lease on a Toyota Prius, a Southwest Airlines vacation package valued at $2500 and a $500 Visa gift card. They will serve as the district’s representatives for the regional teacher of the year competition administered by the Texas Association of School Administrators. Additionally, each campuses teacher of the year received a Visa gift card for $200 and a bag of goodies from the sponsors.

The Rockwall Breakfast Rotary Club, along with ten other generous sponsors, funded the red carpet style gala.

The Rockwall ISD Teachers of the Year are each chosen by their campus and become eligible to be named the District Teacher of the Year. One elementary and one secondary teacher is then chosen by the Teacher of the Year Committee to serve as a District Teacher of the Year and advance to the regional-level of the competition.

Tuesday, April 10^th, three students from Rockwall High School delivered speeches to the Rockwall Breakfast Rotary Club. Students Karis Ford, Garrett Newman, and Lisel Reyes picked their own subjects but were required to develop their speeches around the Rotary Four-Way Test: 1.) Is it the TRUTH?; 2.) Is it FAIR to all concerned?; 3.) Will it build GOODWILL and BETTER FRIENDSHIPS? and 4.) Will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned? Speeches were limited to seven minutes, and students were not permitted to use notes.

RHS Speech and Debate Coach, Nichelle Wallace, presented checks on behalf of the Rockwall Breakfast Rotary Club to Ford (third place), Newman (second place) and Reyes (first place). Reyes will advance to the District 5810 competition on April 28 at South Grand Prairie High School where she will have the chance to compete for up to an additional $1,000 cash prize.

The Rockwall Breakfast Rotary Club conducts the contest annually where students from RISD are invited to compete.

Children in Rockwall have been able to stay warm thanks to the generous donations from the Rockwall Breakfast Rotary Club and the Rockwall Noon Rotary Club.

In keeping with Rotary's motto, "Service Above Self", on Tuesday, November 29^th, over 200 coats were delivered to all elementary schools of Rockwall Independent School District.

Coats For Kids, now in its seventh year, is one of Rockwall Breakfast Rotary Club's rewarding annual programs serving the Rockwall community. The annual coat drive initially started in conjunction with Dobbs Elementary.

Nothing is more rewarding than knowing that you have given a gift. It is even more rewarding when it's something they really need. “On behalf of Rockwall ISD, we greatly appreciate the support to our students given by your organizations. You made lots of children and parents smile today!” said Dr. Debbie Smothermon, Assistant Superintendent for Administrative Services.

KC Club Leaders graciously accepted coat donations on behalf of their campus and were appreciative of the gifts to classmates. Kindness and Compassion Club Leaders are part of the Rachel's Challenge Program.

On October 19th, 2011, Rick Pietrykowski and his wife, Jeannie, began a rather unusual 5-day vacation on the Pacific Coast of México. Despite Jeannie's valid concerns about the dangers rumored to lurk south of the border, she courageously agreed to accompany Rick, a freshly minted Rotarian, on a Wheelchair Foundation distribution event in Mazatlán. Rick, having agreed to “chairing” the Wheelchair Foundation fund raising project for the Rockwall Breakfast Rotary Club, it seemed appropriate for him to gain a first-hand understanding of the wheelchair project, albeit from finish to start.

At DFW airport they met up with Tom Harmon, District 5810 Wheelchair Coordinator, and Jennifer Kordell, Rotary Foundation Grants Supervisor, for the 2-hour flight directly into Mazatlán. There, they were greeted by Dr. John Grant of the Foster City (California) Rotary Club, and several members of the three Rotary Clubs of Mazatlan. The Foster City Rotary Club had directly or in-directly funded most of the 280 wheelchairs for this particular distribution. Dr. Grant combines contributions received from District Coordinators, such as those forwarded by Tom Harmon of District 5810, and then applies for matching grants from The Rotary Foundation.

Rotarians from the local clubs were hard working, as well as gracious hosts. They transported 70 Rotarians and Interactors to & from their hotel, to the central wheelchair distribution site, to individual wheelchair recipients’ homes, and to schools where they distributed the barest of essentials, pencils and paper, to overjoyed students. Ok, perhaps they were happier to see them install the swings, teeter-totters and basketball hoops that the Foster City Rotary Club had shipped in. The children besieged each of them to sign autographs for them. It was a flattering experience, even though they suspected that the teachers put the children up to it.

"As delightful as it was to see 100’s of smiling children’s faces, it tugged at our hearts to see the tears of many flavors on the faces of the wheelchair recipients" said Pietrykowski. "Tears of joy mixed with tears of pain during the physical act of moving a torn body into the wheelchair, tears of gratitude inter-mixed with tears of regret for being in need of the gift, and tears of excitement for their new found freedom washing over the tears of being at a disadvantage in a disadvantaged land."

Jeannie and Rick returned home on October 23rd with a greater appreciation for the blessings in their lives and a deeper commitment to helping our neighbors on planet earth. Pietrykowski added, "Please give generously when your fellow Rotarians solicit your participation in supporting the Wheelchair Foundation. It’s good for your heart."

The 2011 Dallas Race Week began on Father’s Day, June 19, and continued through June 24, with festivities pivoting around The Harbor. This year, the Rockwall Breakfast Rotary Club rolled out the red carpet to the public. 

The 3rd Annual Classic Rock Rotary Sprint Triathlon, benefiting community service projects of the Rockwall Breakfast Rotary Club, was held on Sunday, May 15, 2011 at the Rockwall ISD Natatorium.

The race consisted of a 300 meter swim, a 20 km mile bike and a 5 km road run. Members of the Rockwall Breakfast Rotary Club volunteered throughout the morning to help make the Sprint a success.

Awards were handed out shortly after the last athlete came in.

To view photos from the Triathlon, click here.   

In keeping with Rotary's motto, "Service Above Self", on Tuesday, December 14th, over 200 coats were delivered to all twelve elementary schools of Rockwall Independent School District.

The Rockwall Breakfast Rotary Club was honored by a visit from Rotary District 5810 Governor Linda Elliott on Tuesday, November 16th.

Local Rockwall fisherman extraordinaire Jose Pacheco announces details of this first ever event to be held on Lake Fork on March 20, 2010, a nationally known lake for great bass fishing.  Click on the Events Tab of our website for complete details. 

Note: Reservations must be made quickly for anyone wanting a fishing guide and the winning edge his expertise might potentially create.

Rockwall Breakfast Rotary (RBR) has partnered with Rockwall Boys and Girls Club over the years and provides regular financial support and volunteer assistance to this very worthwhile community organization.  This past May RBR responded to their needs in a very special way by purchasing and erecting a 15ft climbing wall in their gym area to provide a unique and safe recreational experience for club members. (Some of the "kids" are a little big for the age as you can tell....)

In keeping with its motto--Service Above Self--Rockwall Breakfast Rotary (RBR) recently delivered winter coats to 198 students at Springer, Jones, and Dobbs Elementary Schools in Rockwall.