About Us....

On September 10, 2002, the Rotary Club of Allen Sunrise marked its fifth anniversary as a member club in District 5810. In 1997, largely due to the efforts of Linda Engle of the Allen Club, assisted by Cindy Alexander, the Rotary Club of Allen Sunrise was chartered. Barbara Erwin, then Superintendent of the Allen Independent School District, served as the club’s first president. We were also graced that first year with the guidance of Plano Rotary Club member L.B. Broach who was assigned to monitor our club by the District. In September 1997, thirty members were installed as charter members.

In the formative years, Kenneth Fulk, Danny MCLARTY,KEVIN KERR JOHN SPRAGUE and MARTY WIARDA have served in the office of president.

The history of the Rotary Club of Allen Sunrise is the story of many individuals stepping up and volunteering their time and their talent to respond to the needs of our community and of Rotary International. It is a special honor for the club to actively participate in the Rotary Youth Leadership Awards [RYLA]. Each year, under the leadership of Steve Shafranek, the Sunrise Club sponsors two students, juniors at Allen High School, to participate in the week-long RYLA leadership camp. We are especially proud to have these students return and report on how much the experience has meant to them.

In 2002, with membership being a major focus of Rotary International, the club organized a New Member Orientation workshop under the direction of past president Kevin Kerr and Bill Beatty of the Allen Noon Club. District Governor Elect Pete Snider, Past District Governor Jim Griffith and a variety of service chairpersons and officers from the two Allen clubs conducted the event.

It is with great pride that the Rotary Club of Allen Sunrise partners with the Allen Independent School District in its volunteer work. For several years our members teamed up with the Channels Program in mentoring students at the middle school level. Under the direction of past president Kenneth Fulk, each year a growing number of our members continue to volunteer to read one-to-one with primary students of Rountree Elementary School.

On the national front, in response to the horrible events of September 11, 2001, the Club was able to make a financial donation to the Red Cross of America for its relief fund. Internationally, the club has arranged a matching grant from the District to assist Dr. Tom Brian, D.D.S., of Allen, with his Send Hope dental service program to the indigenous in the far reaches of Honduras.

Some of the club’s community service activities over its five-year span include: hosting an appreciation breakfast for the Allen Fire Department and Police Department, adopting a mile and maintaining a clean-up schedule for a road in Allen, and volunteering for the Allen Chamber of Commerce Northern Lights Christmas holiday activity.

In 2002, club member Larry Becker accepted the challenge of Rotary International and organized the first Art and Poster contest for middle school age children. The two Allen clubs sponsored contestants who went on to be judged at the District level. He followed this success by arranging for the Sunrise club to hold a Four-Way Speech contest and send a contestant to the annual District competition.

The premier annual activity of the club, largely through the efforts of club members Don Grimes, Bill Rushing and Susie McCloud, has been to sponsor the annual Allen Christmas parade. This is an activity which we partner with the Allen Noon Club to accomplish. It’s such an exciting event to see nearly a hundred floats and many hundreds of kids make their way through Allen with the Rotary banner leading the way.