Events

The JUSTin HOPE Foundation gives hope to families and individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities by promoting inclusion and creating opportunities through education/training and family support to maximize the individual's potential.  The Foundation was inspired by Justin Reitz, the founder's son, who was born in 2002 and diagnosed with autism at the age of two.

Dave is on the Board of Director's for the Foundation.  He will speak to us about the programs they offer and their upcoming event.

In Preparation for Kids Free Fishing Day, we will not be meeting this week. 

Sparks Rotary would like to invite all adaptive youth to join us at the Sparks Marina on Thursday, June 9th for a fun day of fishing with our friend Rebecca. All necessary fishing gear will be provided free of charge! Fishing coaches will be available to help you catch a fish.

Thursday, June 9, 2022
10 am to 2 pm
Sparks Marina

We’re Going Fishing!

The Rotary Club of Sparks in partnership with the City of Sparks and Nevada Department of Wildlife is excited to be hosting Kid’s Free Fishing Event. The fishing event is free for all kids 17 years old and younger. All youth must be accompanied by a parent or responsible adult.  Only registered youth for this event may fish at this location without a fishing license.

Registration is day of the event only on the south side of Sparks Marina.

Don’t have a fishing pole? No problem. Fishing poles and bait are provided, while supplies last.

Never been fishing before? We have coach volunteers to help our youth anglers reel them in and NDOW will stock the lake with over 7,000 rainbow and brown trout in preparation for a fun and eventful event!

Face painting and many more fun activities for the whole family. Did we mention… it’s FREE!

With over two decades experience on the Nevada coaching staff and in administration, Ken was named UNR's 27th head coach on December 10, 2021.  While building relationships with Wolf Pack fans in the community has been a goal since becoming Nevada's head coach, it's far from Wilson's top objective.  That is to build Wolf Pack football into a championship football program again, a place it has not reached since 2010 when Wilson was the Wolf Pack's associate head coach and Nevada won the WAC with a 13-1 record.

For five years Rob oversaw all aspects of fleet repair and maintenance for Sierra Pacific Power Company before becoming the owner and general manager of his own automotive repair company.  Specializing in fleet maintenance, general automotive repair, preventative maintenance and automotive transmission repair, Rob will speak to us about preparing now for summer weather conditions that will keep your vehicle on the road.  

No lunch meeting Wednesday, but we look forward to seeing those who have signed up to attend the Demotion Party and Dinner at 5:00 pm!

Come support the beginning of Tom's year as president.  He has great plans and fun ideas for the year ahead.  Tom looks forward to hearing your thoughts!    

Alongside her four goats; Bosco, Oatcake, Sharkey and Jon Snow, Jody hiked the 172 mile Tahoe Rim Trail in 2021. Throughout the 26 day trek, her goats carried her gear, became her best friends, and provided wonderful entertainment.  Now they can take you hiking as well! Jody will speak to us about her walking adventures throughout the beautiful Sierra Nevada Mountain Range, and "Leading a Life Uncommon."  

John Hammond was a U.S. Army Aviator, flying helicopters from 1985 to 2006.  John has a strong background in law enforcement and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles.  He has worked for the Nevada Institute for Autonomous Systems (NIAS), and is currently working with Alchemy Analytics.  John will show examples of drones; speak to us about unmanned aircraft systems, what they are used for, operating rules, and UAS test sites for research and concept validation.

Pat Hickey's Irish ancestors immigrated to the Carson Valley and Lake Tahoe in the 1870s.  Pat wrote about growing up there in: "Tahoe Boy: A Journey Back Home."

Pat has worked in Nevada media for the past 30 years doing a syndicated radio report on Nevada politics, a columnist for both the Nevada Appeal and RGJ, and served as Editor of the Nevada Journal for the Nevada Policy Research Institute.

Pat served eight years in the Nevada Assembly, including Minority Leader during the 2013 Legislative Session.  Following his retirement from the Legislature, Brian Sandoval appointed Pat to the State Board of Education.

Pat has written a book entitled:  After this life...What Notable Nevadans have to say about life and the beyond."  He interviewed prominent Nevada figures like:  Harry Reid, Mike Tyson, Carlos Santana, Elaine Wynn, Oscar Goodman, and others.  Pat will share with us insights and anecdotes from his interviews, and growing up at Tahoe.

President Tom Young is calling all members to attend this meeting as he reveals:

- Results of club survey

- Discusses committees

- And speaks to us about club direction for the year

You won't want to miss it!

Our school teaches children the joy and art of music with an emphasis on empowering them to believe in themselves.  Our work would not be possible without the generous support the Rotary Club of Sparks has provided.  Thank you for allowing us to make a difference in the community.

Our kids will be performing.  Sit back, relax and enjoy! 

Preserving Sparks History

Work is underway to create a new research library inside the Sparks Heritage Museum to chronicle as much of the city's history as possible.  Documenting the city's historic buildings could be a big step in preserving them before it's to late.

Listing on the National Register does not protect buildings from demolition unless they are federally owned.  There is no historic resources commission in Sparks devoted to saving historic buildings, however, Christine is working on it, and will speak to us about:

History that is right under all our noses.  It's up to all of us to decide what we want to save.

The Community Emergency Response Team is a regional Citizen Corps program overseen by the Washoe County Sheriff's Office.  The mission of Citizen Corps is to harness the power of every individual through education, training and volunteer service to make communities safer, stronger, and better prepared to repond to threats of terrorism, crime, public health issues, and disasters of all kinds.  Janet will speak to us about Medical Emergencies, and how to prepare yourself, your family, your home and your business with supplies and response plans.  PREPARATION, are you ready?

Doug became Assistant Athletic Director, Development for UNR in January 2022.  Previously he was an assistant men's basketball coach at Oregon State, Tulane University, as well as an assistant men's basketball coach under Eric Musselman during his tenure at UNR.  Doug will be joined by Ross Melen, Director of Group Events, who has experience with the Reno Aces, Oakland Athletics and Nevada Athletics.

Doug and Ross will speak about the Wolf Pack Athletic Association, launched in 2020 to provide a more seamless experience for Wolf Pack donors, fans and alumni, and to grow support for our more than 400 student-athletes to ensure they can compete for championships and prepare them to excel in their lives after graduation.  Nevada Athletics annually supports the educational and competitive pursuits of more than 400 student-athletes.

Silver State Chautauqua provides a free young Chautaugua program to local youth 8-18 years of age.

We will hear from a 14 year-old Reno youth portraying Emperor Constantine the Great.  He researched the life and historical time period of the Future Roman Emperor, Constantine the Great, who made Christianity the main religion of Rome and created Constantinople, which became the most powerful city in the world.  He will be taking questions both in-character and out-of-character as he brings history to life!

Unlike surrournding western states, Nevada has not received as much dinosaur attention.  In 2008 the remains of a little dinosaur were recovered from Valley of Fire State Park and have now been officially named as Nevada's first dinosaur, Nevadadromeus Schmitti.  Come hear about the discovery and the growing record of dinosaurs from the Silver State!

Josh Bonde is a born and raised Nevadan, and citizen of the Te-Moak Tribe of the Western Shoshone.  He is originally from Fallon, received his B.S. in Biology from the University of Nevada-Reno, his M.S. in Earth Sciences from Montana State University-Bozman, and his Ph.D. in Geoscience back in Nevada.

Join us for the Rotary Club of Sparks 2nd Annual Poker Tournament, a fundraiser for our club's various projects and community efforts.  

Date: Saturday, September 17, 2022

Time: 4 p.m. check-in

Location: Hidden Valley Country Club

• Texas Hold'em & Board Games
• Pre-Sale: $135 ($150 at the door)
• Includes 1 alcoholic beverage and heavy hors d'oeuvres
• Optional: $30 spectator meal (non-players only)

Must be 21 years or older to participate.

Please click a registration option on this page (Members or Guests) to register each invidual in your group and then submit payment using the following link:

Online Payment Link

Brendan is Senior Air Quality Specialist for Washoe County Health Department.  A topic that has been on everyone's mind recently; Brendan will speak to us about Air Quality, how it's calculated, the environmental effects, how to protect ourselves and our animals, and how to use AirNow during wildfire smoke.

Join us for a fun and entertaining evening mystery dinner on Wednesday, September 21 at 5:30 p.m.  The dinner will be held at Hidden Valley Country Club.  Tickets are $42 each.  Please register online or see Dave Read or Mike Hix for tickets.  RSVP by September 18.

Vicki has been a member of our club since 1992 serving as Club President in 2004-2005, Governor for District 5190 in 2013-2014, and now Rotary International Director from the "Big West" zones 2021 to 2023.  Vicki was the first woman to be inducted into our club.  She sees Rotary as a "leadership organization that provides community service."  Vicki's "Why" in Rotary is to make a positive difference through youth service, public image, polio eradication, education, and leadership development.  We are honored this week to have Vicki speak to us about the Power of Rotary.

Darren is CEO of both Sierra Computer Group and McBride Machine.  Sierra Computer Group is N. NV's oldest computer and IT sales and support firm.  McBride Machine was founded in 1970 and is a metal shop that repairs heavy industrial equipment and fabricates metal parts of all types.  Darren has an electrical engineering degree from UNR and was the long time host of the Radio program "Computer Bytes" on 780 KOH in Reno.  He helped found the "Entrepreneur's Organization" in Reno in 2001 and is still an active member in that group.  It was through EO that Darren first attended a 1 day bus tour of burning man in 2012.  Along with a fellow EO member from Cincinnati Ohio, Darren vowed to return for the whole burning man experience in 2013 and subsequently helped found a "theme camp" called dEOxzidozed at burning man.  The name was a play on words to represent entrepreneurs who want to "kick the rust off" and get outside their comfort zone.  In 2017 he helped create the popular art car "The Mirroracle" and bring it to the Playa.

As a local resident and business owner, Darren will discuss the Burning Man history, culture, art, music and the "Pros" and "Cons" of the Burning Man experience.

Tour TMWA's Hydroelectric power plant on the river with Andy Gebhardt.  It's been in operation for over a century and creates clean, renewable energy, directly from the Truckee River to power thousands of homes.  Parking on-site.  No steps to navigate.  Easy tour for those with mobility issues.

BRING A BAG LUNCH to enjoy in the park.  Picnic tables on-site.  Refreshments and Desserts will be provided.

Mike Day will demonstrate fly casting in "catch & release pond."  All welcome to give it a try!

Directions:  80 West - Exit 5 to Verdi - Right on Bridge St. - cross canal and take immediate right.
                     0 Power House Rd., Verdi, 89439  

Thank you to Dr. Karin Hilgersom, President, TMCC, for recommending Dr. Poku.

Kofi Poku, PhD, is a professor at TMCC in the Business Department.  Kofi received the Faculty Advisor of the Year Award in 2021 for his amazing leadership of his Business and Entrepreneurship Club.  Prior to joining TMCC, Kofi worked as corporate internal auditor for Eastman Kodak which took him all over the world, and served as a consultant to the World Bank, assisting developing countries to strengthen entrepreneurship education and training programs.

Dr. Poku has been funding a housing project - The Platinum Hostel, for students in Ghana, his original home.  With over 50% of the youth unemployed in Ghana, Kofi has championed the building of this affordable high-quality hostel facility for students of Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, his alma mater, and leading university in Ghana and Africa.  Kofi will speak to us about development of The Platinum Hostel, and the opportunity it's affording young students so they may follow their dreams in pursuing higher education to become more productive citizens of society.

We are pleased to have Past President Volker Huber Present:  Cultural Differences in Business
Volker Huber has been leading international companies for more than two decades.  He came to the U.S. in 2005 to build the American subsidiary of a German electronics distributor where he was also responsible for the Hong Kong office.  After 13 years the company was sold and Volker became President and CEO of Nitrado USA, a German game server hosting company, and was tasked to build the business in North America which included building a tech support center in Mexico City.  During this time, he lead a team of 67 employees in 9 different countries.  After Nitrado was sold in 2021, Volker was hired to build the U.S. market for a Swiss whisky company called Seven Seals.

Volker also taught International Management at UNR for five semesters and will speak to us about his experiences in international business, how to effectively lead people with different cultural backgrounds and what research and science can actually explain different behaviors for example in the decision-making process or how best to incentivize your team.

This talk is meant to be interactive, so have your questions ready.

In 2001, Jeff Gabriel joined the Rotary Club of Topeka South in Rotary District 5710.  In 2017, he transferred to the Rotary Club of Bishop Sunrise.  At the club level he has served as 2nd Vice President, 1st Vice President, and President.  At the District level Jeff has served on the Audit Committee, Rotary Youth Exchange Committee, Assistant Governor representative for the Avenues of Service Committee, and more.  He is also a Paul Harris Fellow +2 and a member of the Paul Harris Society.

We are honored to have Jeff join us this week.  He will cover his theme for the year, Together We Are One, and his vision for the District.

Angel Flight West is a nonprofit, volunteer-driven organization that arranges free, non-emergency air transportation within the 12 Western states for children and adults with serious medical conditions and other compelling needs.

Michael, "Hutch" Hutchinson is a single engine and sea plane pilot for over 37 years.  He has been with AFW since moving to Nevada.  Hutch coordinates medical providers, physicians and hospitals for Angel Flight West.  Hutch will be joined by Barbara Ausherman, Angel Flight West Wing Commander for the State of Nevada.  Barbara is a twin and instrument rated pilot, and has been with AFW for years on numerous missions.  "When someone's transportation needs are critical, organizations know they can depend on us.  There is never a cost to the patient or the health care provider/organization.  We are part of their interdisciplinary care plan."

Since 1983, AFW has completed 20,184 flights, transported 95,809 patients/families.  This year, 2022, flights have carried over 4,016 passengers.

Barbara and Hutch will speak to us how Angel Flight West matches volunteer pilots to people in need, enabling them to receive medical treatment and other essential services that might otherwise be inaccessible because of financial, medical, or geographic circumstances.

Sandra James, Founder and CEO of Private Eyes, was selected in December 2021 by producers of the television show "World's Greatest!" aired on Bloomberg TV, to be a part of their popular television series.

At Private Eyes, we make a safe workplace possible by providing high quality background checks to our clients across the nation fast!  We are a trusted background screening partner for clients in all 50 states with access to information in over 200 countries, and over 22 years of innovation and customer satisfaction.  In today's environment, background checks on prospective employees have become an imperative norm rather than an exception.  Private Eyes is one of the most trusted background check services in our industry.

Sandra will discuss why it is important to know who you are hiring and some best practices that can support you during the process.

(Beyond background screening, Private Eyes also offers income verifications, designed to streamline your loan approval rates.  In 2010 Sandra expanded and added the subsidiary 4506-Transcripts.com to meet the need for banks and financial institutions to verify income for borrowers through the IRS.)

Cozy up to the fireside with Past President Andy McInnes as he talks about the ideals and traditions of Rotary; including Being, Belonging, and Benevolence.
Andy was president of the Rotary Club of Sparks from 2010-2011, and as we all know - "Dam Proud" to be!