Rotary in Southern Utah: St. George

There is no doubt, St. George Rotary Club has added to the quality of life in the state's most southwestern community, the world and Utah’s District 5420 in many positive ways during its 78-year history. Chartered by Rotary International in 1931 (when the Cedar City Rotary Club voted to share its territory), Club #1079 is one of the oldest and most respected clubs in Utah. From its membership, five District Governors have been selected including PDG Eldon McArthur (1987-88), PDG Douglas Quayle (1989-90), Sterling Spafford (1996-97), Jim Coleman (2000-01) and currently Utah District Governor Gilbert Trujillo (2009-10).

With a strong spirit of "service above self," the members of St. George Rotary Club have initiated numerous projects in the nearly eight decades of their existence to "build goodwill and better friendships."

Over the years, SGR has been involved in several International Service projects, including collecting 500 pair of eyeglasses for the visually impaired in the Philippines; purchasing almost 200 wheelchairs for men, women and children with disabilities living in third world countries; collecting and shipping boxes of shoes to Mexico; purchasing a school bus for young men in Thailand with an RI matching grant; and, sending Allen Hilton and Jim Coleman into the world as GSE team leaders. The most recent international project involves collecting money for the purchase and installation of hundreds of stoves to save lives in Guatemala, where women and children die at an alarming rate due to smoke inhalation and burns.

SGR has also built informational kiosks at trail heads throughout the St. George community; funded Safety Town for pre-schoolers and the Sterling Scholar program for accomplished high school students; supported YouthLINC; nourished capable, patriotic leadership in dozens of teens through participation in Boys and Girls State; developed a successful annual 4-Way Test Essay Contest; and in six years, has distributed 10,700 dictionaries to 3rd grade students in Washington County schools. SGR was an active participant in the creation of the Encampment Mall where club members rolled out more than seven acres of sod to create a popular gathering place for students at Dixie State College; and, with the City of St. George in the creation of the Rotary SK8 Park.

Unquestionably, the most ambitious project undertaken by SGR is the Dixie Rotary Bowl, now in its 24th year as the "premiere post-season junior college bowl game in America." Since its inception, more than $1 million dollars have been raised to benefit participating schools from all over the United States meeting head-to-head on the gridiron.

Through it all, SGR has a strong history of support for EREY; Paul Harris Fellows number 134 and in the past five years the club has received three simplified grants and four matching grants from RI.

In 2009-10, Ken Sizemore is serving as the 79th president of the 81-member St. George Rotary Club. Meetings are held each Monday at noon at the St. George Holiday Inn where members enjoy fellowship and finding new ways to make the community and the world a better place.