The Rotary Club of Pagosa Springs extends heartfelt thanks
to the following individuals and businesses whose generosity
makes a lasting difference in our community.
Their support fuels Rotary’s outreach programs and scholarships for 2025,
ensuring we can continue to serve where we are needed most.
They embody the very spirit of our motto, “Service Above Self.”
Get ready to kick up your heels for a good cause. The Rotary Club of Pagosa Springs is celebrating a decade of dancing, dining, and doing good with its 10th Annual Jewels and Jeans Barn Dance on Saturday, Oct. 18, from 7 to 10 p.m. at the PLPOA Clubhouse, 230 Port Avenue. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.
This beloved community tradition promises an evening filled with country charm and lively fun. Headlining the night is Vanishing Breed, featuring Colorado Country Music Hall of Famer and longtime area favorite Odis Sikes.
Photo courtesy Ed Feragen
Pagosa Springs High School students celebrate the launch of their new Rotary Interact Club, a student-led service organization that empowers teens to connect, lead, and make a difference locally and globally. Pictured, left to right, are Duke Ketchum, Wyatt Carr, Van Halterman, Justin Sewell, Jackson Chaney, Marlie Adams, Kyley Matyniak, Madison DeClark, Adelyn Hittle, Madisen Stretton, Bella Adkisson, Isabela Forster, Leah Blackman and Dawson Iverson.
A new student-led club is taking off at Pagosa Springs High School. Fourteen enthusiastic students came together this week for the very first meeting of the school’s Rotary Interact Club, a youth organization that empowers teens to connect with each other, serve their community, and make an impact around the world.
Photo courtesy Vanishing Breed
The band Vanishing Breed brings a mix of seasoned talent to the stage at Rotary’s 10th Annual Jewels & Jeans Barn Dance, headlined by Colorado Country Music Hall of Famer Odis Sikes.
This year’s 10th Annual Jewels & Jeans Barn Dance, hosted by the Rotary Club of Pagosa Springs, will feature Vanishing Breed — an area favorite known for their music that gets crowds on their feet.
Band members bring a wealth of talent and experience: Ellis Miller of Dolores, on lead guitar, has spent most of his life in music, performing with several big-name country stars. Brothers Carl and Donny Johnson of Cortez keep the rhythm rolling — Carl on steel guitar (and a few other instruments, when needed) and Donny on bass, joining the band when he’s not busy with his own solo gigs. Fred Brown, a U.S. Navy veteran from El Paso, Texas, drives the beat on drums and also plays with other regional groups.
Rounding out the lineup is Odis Sikes — an accomplished acoustic guitarist, powerful lead vocalist, Vietnam veteran, and proud regional resident since 1980. In August 2024, his lifelong dedication to music was honored with induction into the Colorado Country Music Hall of Fame.
Photos courtesy David Smith
Empowering teachers, inspiring students: At Rotary’s 2023 teacher training workshop in Niger, educators gained practical tools and strategies to enhance science education and foster critical thinking in six high schools in Niger. These new Rotary Foundation grants will extend these efforts to 38 high schools in Niger and Togo.
By David Smith
The Rotary Club of Pagosa Springs has just received grants from The Rotary Foundation totaling $160,000 to support science education at the high school level in Niger and Togo.
The long-term goal of these projects is to prepare students for careers that require a solid foundation in science. These projects will improve the critical thinking skills of all students and contribute to national wealth by increasing the scientific skills of the workforce.
Niger and Togo are among the poorest countries in Africa. Nearly 50 percent of the population in Niger lives on about two dollars a day. The northern area of Togo, where this project will take place, has a similar poverty rate.
Photo courtesy Maddie Bergon
Rotary Club of Pagosa Springs’ finest traded meetings for tool belts on Saturday. With hammers in hand and plenty of teamwork, they joined Habitat for Humanity of Archuleta County mentors to help build a new home. Pictured, left to right, are Teri and Ken Chadwick, Bryan Weitzel, JoAnn Laird, Frazier Barr, and Kirk Geer.
Photo courtesy Joanne Irons
Kick up your heels for a community cause. The Rotary Club of Pagosa Springs invites you to the 10th Annual Jewels & Jeans Barn Dance on Saturday, Oct. 18. Don’t miss the fun, food, and live music by Vanishing Breed. Your ticket purchase supports Rotary and efforts to feed and educate youth in our community.
The Rotary Club of Pagosa Springs invites the community to celebrate a special evening of music, merriment, and meaningful giving at the 10th Annual Jewels & Jeans Barn Dance on Saturday, Oct. 18, from 7 to 10 p.m. at the PLPOA Clubhouse, 230 Port Ave. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.
For the past decade, this beloved autumn tradition has brought neighbors and visitors together to share in good fun while supporting great causes. Proceeds from the Barn Dance benefit local youth—funding scholarships, providing weekend meals through the Feed Our Children Backpack Program, putting dictionaries in the hands of every third grader, and supporting youth leadership programs, teacher grants, community grants, and more.
Guests will enjoy live music by the country band Vanishing Breed, featuring Odis Sikes—inducted into the Colorado Country Music Hall of Fame in 2024. Known for delivering “the best Texas-style honky-tonk music this side of … well … Texas,” the band promises to keep the dance floor full all night.
By Rob Foster and Rick Walker
Rotary Club of Pagosa Springs and Vets4Vets of Archuleta County
Get ready to flip, stack, and savor as Vets4Vets of Archuleta County and Rotary Club of Pagosa Springs serve up fun, food, and community spirit at the 4th Annual Free Community Pancake Breakfast at Stevens Field Airport on Saturday and Sunday, September 6 and 7, from 8 to 11 a.m.
This beloved community tradition promises to be more than just a delicious breakfast—it’s a celebration of community, service, and a little pancake trivia fun.
While you’re enjoying a stack of fluffy pancakes, here are a few fun facts to chew on:
By Jo Bridges |. Rotary Club of Pagosa Springs
In Pagosa Springs, we believe no child should ever go hungry. Yet, the reality is that many children in our community face food insecurity. The Rotary Club of Pagosa Springs and Pagosa Springs Mountain Rotary Club have been working to combat this issue through our Feed Our Children program, which will begin its 15th year of providing weekend meals to families in need this August.
Last year, we served 40 families, involving 94 children, which was our largest ever participation.
All public school children are provided a free breakfast and lunch each school day, a crucial service that ensures they have meals during the week. However, the need doesn’t stop when the school day ends.
The Feed Our Children program bridges this gap by supplying nutritious food to children every weekend throughout the school year. Each Thursday, third- and fourth-graders from participating families pick up backpacks at school, filled with food for all of the children in the family to enjoy over the weekend. Our goal is to help children return to school on Monday, happy, nourished, and ready to learn. This initiative complements the efforts of local food banks by providing additional food specifically chosen to appeal to children and requiring minimal preparation.
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.
From night markets to tea plantations, American chef Rick Bayless leaves no avenue unexplored as he tastes his way through Taipei. Find out what flavors he’ll never forget. Then, get ready to pick up the culinary journey yourself during the 2026 Rotary International Convention.
Learn how Rotary clubs are taking action in Peru, the United States, Canada, Scotland, India, and the Philippines.
Sustained by donations from nursing women, milk banks provide a lifeline to vulnerable newborns
From vastly different countries and cultures, the first fellows at Rotary’s Istanbul peace center unite around a shared purpose
Co-founded by a Rotary Peace Fellow, Everyday Peace Indicators is working on the challenging task of measuring peace
.jpg){kind=small}
