Newly organized Rotary Club launches dictionary donations to elementary schools

Hundreds of third graders across Sanpete County will receive their own dictionaries this month, thanks to the newly chartered Rotary Club of Sanpete County and a summer-long fundraising raffle.

The first deliveries began Oct. 13 at Manti, Gunnison and Ephraim elementary schools. Distributions continue Oct. 14 in Mt. Pleasant, Spring City and Fountain Green, followed by Fairview and Moroni on Oct. 20.

It marks the first dictionary distribution the Sanpete club has organized independently, funded through a rifle raffle that raised the $3,000 to $4,000 needed annually for the project.

The raffle’s prize, a Browning A-Bolt 3 Hunter rifle, went to Michael Brook, who purchased tickets months earlier at a Sanpete Cares Coalition meeting.

“Today’s your lucky day,” the caller told Brook when notifying him of his win.

“One might be a little skeptical answering a phone and hearing that,” Brook said. “As I was very busy, I’m glad I didn’t hang up.”

Brook said he initially considered his ticket purchase simply a donation.

“At the time I bought the tickets all I was thinking about was, ‘this is a good cause to support,’” he said.

The dictionaries contain more than word definitions. Each includes reference materials covering the U.S. Constitution, sign language, cloud types, U.S. presidents and facts about all 50 states.

Rotary members have distributed dictionaries to Sanpete third graders since approximately 2001. After the original Ephraim Rotary Club dissolved, Rotarians Wally Brown and his wife continued the program for years.

The new Sanpete club operated as a satellite club until Rotary International approved its independent charter in mid-September. Dan and Holly Bradshaw organized the effort with 16 founding members.

“We’re quite a different community in Sanpete County,” Dan Bradshaw said. “We wanted to stand on our own, create our own service projects, our own identity, and have the club have our own feel for the specific needs of the cities in Sanpete County.”

The club has already undertaken several community projects. In July, 40 volunteers organized Mt. Pleasant’s Fourth of July pancake breakfast, serving more than 600 people and raising money for the Sanpete Food Pantry.

The club also contributed to the Sanpete Clothing Resource Bank’s back-to-school effort and supports a Navajo Nation water project.

Guided by Rotary’s motto, “Service Above Self,” the club meets at noon on the third Tuesday of each month, usually in Ephraim. Visitors are welcome.

For membership or donation information, contact Dan Bradshaw at (801) 518-7055.