Events

Partnering with the Road to College group to deploy flags for Labor Day through Patriot Day.

Flags go out Fri evening or Saturday morning before and are retrieved the evening of Monday Sept 12th

October 2, 2 – 5 PM, Lucy Park Pavilion. The pavilion has been reserved. The menu will be hamburgers, hot dogs, chips, and watermelon. Various activities, such as dominoes and cornhole will be available. Members are encouraged to bring frisbees, soccer balls, horseshoes, etc. We are inviting groups sponsored by the Rotary Clubs (Road to College, SAFB Adopt-a-Squadron, Rotaract, Interact), so a good turnout of members/families of all the clubs is needed.

The Food Bank will have a refrigerated truck on site at our County-wide Rotary picnic on October 2 at Lucy Park. We urge everyone to bring a frozen ham or turkey.   As a minimum, bring non-perishable items. We suggest two cans of vegetables, tuna, salmon, or fruit.

Lucy Park Pavilion. The pavilion has been reserved. The menu will be hamburgers, chips, and watermelon. Various activities, such as dominoes and cornhole will be available. Members are encouraged to bring frisbees, soccer balls, horseshoes, etc. We are inviting groups sponsored by the Rotary Clubs (Road to College, SAFB Adopt-a-Squadron, Rotaract, Interact), so a good turnout of members/families of all the clubs is needed.

WFSO Rotary Social Event Oct 8, 2022.  To get two free tickets call up the WFSO and speak to Alicia Deges.  Help SW Rotary support 75 years of the Symphony Orchestra here in Wichita Falls.  Alicia has also asked that all SW Rotarian's fill out this form:  https://forms.gle/EnM5cY1CdNdHEsWB9

A very special event for our October 17th Weekly meeting.

The Rotary Club of Southwest Wichita Falls will host a panel discussion at noon Monday, Oct 17^th to educate and share community resources in response to our Fentanyl crisis. Members of the media and leaders of youth oriented organizations and activites are invited to RSVP by clicking guest button (in column at left), limited seating available. It is key for all to understand this threat and educate their circles of influence.

One Pill Can Kill Panel:
Fentanyl clearly a threat to our community! Our panel’s purpose is to educate all to the threat and what to do in an emergency.  Join SW Rotary together with representatives from WFISD, WFPD, Community Healthcare Center for an education discussion about the threat of Fentanyl in our community – 18 deaths year to date

Our Panel:

• Jean Hall, MC, SW Rotarian, Director of Marketing at Big Brothers, Big Sisters
• Dr. Ebrahim, Chief Medical Officer, Community Health Care
• Dr. Donny Lee, PhD., WFISD Superintendent
• Stacey Wood, WFISD Director of Nursing
• Manuel Borrego, Chief of Police, Wichita Falls

Panel format, 5 minutes of statement with a “slide” or prop by each panelist.  We have an overhead projector, default is an HDMI cable for connection. Can accept standard pc vga, but need to bring your cable.  Moderator asks a handful of questions of the panel (furnished by panel or discussion), then opens to audience.  Done in 30 min if no questions else end at 45 min. 

SW Rotary guests for event are always welcome.

Raphael A. Grau, Deputy Manager, International Space Station Program External Integration Office, currently living in Houston, TX

Bachelor of Science in electrical engineering from Texas A&M University in 1986 with a Master of Business Administration Degree  from the University of Houston in 1992

Awars include; Director’s Commendation, 2008, Procurement Improvement Award, 2004, Silver Snoopy Award (Astronaut Corp’s highest honor), 1999, Group Space Flight Awareness Award, 1998, Manned Flight Awareness Honoree (NASA’s highest safety honor), 1994

CURRENT ASSIGNMENT:  Deputy Manager, International Space Station External Integration:  Responsible for external and internal communications about the ISS program and its results, relationship management and negotiations with Space Station international partners agencies and countries, export control, and international partner’s physical and virtual access to NASA assets.

Favorite Quote:  The greatest good you can do for another is not just share your riches, but to reveal to him his own. - Benjamin Disraeli

Walter Lambert has been a business consultant with America’s Small Business Development Center at MSU since 2016. With a background in marketing, economic development research, and small business support he works with local entrepreneurs to help them start and grow their businesses. At the SBDC he works with clients in 13 counties of North Texas, completed a Rural Business Development Program with USDA, and helped clients secure over $20 million in CARES Act funding.

Child Care Partners is a local non-profit organization whose mission is to protect children and strengthen families through early education, childcare, and social services. The agency dates back over a hundred years. The story began when Ms. Kemp was driving across the river into downtown Wichita Falls and noticed children playing along the river with no adults to be seen.  She made it her mission and then the Federated Women’s Mission Societies’ mission to ensure these children were safe and receiving an education. Child Care Partners has changed immensely over the years to accommodate the community’s ever-changing needs. Today, it serves almost 200 children daily, with five centers across the city.  CCP provides scholarships for children so that no child is left in a dangerous situation and does not have the support they need to reach developmental milestones. Eighty percent of the families we serve are single working moms and dads, who would not be able to afford to work without help.

Keri Goins has been with Child Care Partners for 6 years but has been working in child welfare for over 15 years.  She has a Master’s in Communication from Texas Tech University and was raised in nearby Bugscuffle, TX.  She is married to a local WFPD officer, and together they have three boys.  Goins brings with her a vast knowledge of experience in child welfare having worked at the child advocacy center, foster care, and adoption services. 

Goins will be talking about what the outlook is for childcare post-pandemic and recent legislative efforts to support the childcare industry.

Partnering with the Road to College group to deploy flags for Veteran's Day.

Club members voted to host a potluck. A sign-up sheet will be coming around soon.  A cash bar will be available.

There will be a service component for the holiday party. The club has selected Child Care Partners as the agency for action in conjunction with the party. You have two ways to contribute. You may select individual children to purchase items for (Tim Sawyer has the angel tree cards) or you may purchase items to give to Child Care Partners directly. Some of the items requested include diapers, pajamas (up to size 7), unscented baby wipes, hardback books, and facial tissues. There was a suggestion that if you wanted to avoid carrying large items such as diapers, you might order from Amazon and have them shipped directly to Child Care Partners at their address, 119 E. Wichita Street, Wichita Falls, TX 76306. Include a gift receipt mentioning the Rotary Club of Southwest Wichita Falls.

The University Kiwanis 67^th Annual Pancake Festival Saturday January 28^th, 2023 from 6 am to 6pm at the Bridwell Ag Center, 111 Burnett, in Wichita Falls, TX.

A 2019 news story said, “With 63 (in 2019) years of pancake making, the University Kiwanis club has created the perfect environment for all members of the community to take part in an event that isn’t just about eating food but rather supporting each other,” 

University Kiwanis shared that 500 volunteers could serve as many as 10,000 diners.  Volunteers over 12 accompanied by parents, as appropriate. Volunteers are MOST needed from 7am to 1pm, with two-hour time slots available at VOLUNTEER CLICK HERE.

Members of the Rotary Club of Wichita Falls Southwest and their guests should use the "Members" button in the left column of this page to volunteer.

Lee

Paul Coraccio - Biography

Paul Coraccio is the current president of Home Educators Around Texoma, or H.E.A.T., which is a local Homeschooling support group whose purpose is to encourage, inform, and support area homeschooling families.

Paul is married to Maritess, his wife of 32 years, and together they have four children in various stages of life, two of whom they’ve homeschooled--with the last one graduating this year.

Paul is a U.S. Air Force veteran, having served at various staff levels in the fields of security police, computer programming, cyberspace operations, cybersecurity, cruise missile planning, operational testing, and education & training over a 30-year military career.  

Paul is a 3-time graduate of Patriot Academy, the Torch of Freedom Foundation’s civics leadership program held at the Texas State Capitol each year. He is also one of their Constitutional Coaches--educating and equipping citizens to rekindle the “Torch of Freedom” in their local communities. 

He currently teaches college as an Adjunct Instructor of Government at nearby North Central Texas College (NCTC) since 2018.