Wednesday, January 21 Socialize @ Noon! Table Talk @ 12:20! 12:30 PM to 1:30 PM Washington Athletic Club
Seattle Police Chief Shon Barnes
Please ensure you register soon for this event as we expect this to be well attended. This will certainly be a highlight of January, our “public safety” month in Jan's Elements of a Healthy Community.
The main program at Settle Rotary’s Wednesday lunch at the Washington Athletic Club focused on sex trafficking – how to prevent it, recognize it and report it. President Jan opened the meeting with Linda Rough leading the day’s song, “Lean on Me” (Bill Withers/1972) accompanied by Eric Laschever, Michael Harris, and Jevon Powell.
Virgina McKenzie, who helped establish the PNW to End Sex Trafficking Rotary Club www.rotarypnw.org in 2021, provided the day’s inspiration quoting anthropologist, Margaret Mead: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”
The Rotary Club of the PNW Ending Sex Trafficking a single-issue club of dedicated members focused on human trafficking prevention education -- from internet safety training at youth organizations to training about how to avoid online attacks to hotel/hospitality employee training and adults who work with youth including teachers/staff to recognize signs of sex trafficking and where to report it. Seattle 4 has been a supporter from the beginning.
As Seattle prepares for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, training police, first responders, hospitality workers to help them spot signs of sex trafficking. Major international events bring opportunity—but they also increase the risk of exploitation.
A legal perspective on sex trafficking was to feature two recognized advocates, Dr. Susanna Southworth Esq. who recently litigated a federal sex trafficking case that went to jury trial in late 2025—only the third jury trial in the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act. The jury in this case awarded $40 million to survivor “J.G.” Her associate, Kristine Moreland supported this legal work directly advocacy with homelessness, addiction, and sex trafficking -- focusing on women and children in crisis.
Calendar invites went out to scheduled greeters this week for lunch meetings in 2026. Thank you to the 43 members that signed up to greet!
Many people wanted similar dates, so if you didn't receive a calendar invite, it was likely due to many people requesting that date. Please only attend to greet on dates you've received a calendar invite for. Priority was given to new members looking to complete their Blue Badge Checklist.
If you are a new member that needs to schedule dates to greet and missed the sign-up window, please email mary@seattlerotary.org so we can work to slot you in!
Our club member and long-time Rotary advocateCatherine Gibsonrecently announced her retirement after a 40+ career related to business management and consulting. From finance work in New York City to international development projects to mediation and family business succession planning, Cathy's career focus on collaboration made its mark.
Cathy looks forward to enjoying her community and service engagements in retirement. Congrats Cathy and enjoy your new chapter!
(Picture: Cathy standing on the right with 2024-2025 Rotary International President Stephanie Urchick, seated)
This year's official giving campaign will wrap at the end of January! While we will continue to ask outstanding members to give until the end of the Rotary year, we hope you have already made your gift or plan to do so soon.
As a reminder, the dollars raised by your SRSF donations are used to fund local and international grants each year, as determined by scoring by your own fellow members. Members are encouraged to invite their favorite nonprofits to apply for funding and act as their “application advocate”. In particular, local nonprofits working to revitalize downtown Seattle, combat food insecurity, or in support of educational initiatives are requested to apply.
For more general information about referring a nonprofit or the grant application process, please contact Mary at mary@seattlerotary.org.
This week's meeting speaker Susanna Southworth shared some resources related to human trafficking with members. This was sent out in an email on Thursday and available above for those interested.
Get Involved!
Tuesday, January 27 6:00 PM Tanoor 803 Dexter Ave. N
Fedva's Annual Ethnic Dinner
As we start this new year, I am excited to extend a warm invitation to an ethnic dinner I have organized at my favorite Middle Eastern restaurant. It's a wonderful opportunity for us to gather, enjoy delicious food, and strengthen our bonds as friends and colleagues. The restaurant has kindly honored the same price as last year, which makes this event even more special and accessible. I am looking forward to sharing a memorable evening with all of you, filled with good conversation and great cuisine.
Please RSVP by emailing me at fedvadikmen@hotmail.com and paying via the options on the flyer.
Hope to see you there!
-Fedva
Sunday, February 8 1:00 PM 4710 Lake Washington Blvd. NE Renton
Rotary Tour of The More We Love
You are cordially invited for a very special private tour of the Emergency Receiving Center run by The More We Love. People open to pathways out of sexual exploitation get referred here, often by police officers who find them on N Aurora or tent encampments. Agenda: 1:00 Arrive and mingle 1:15 Friendly introductions - this may include participants at TMWL who will be invited to join us 1:30 Overview of TMWL by Founder and Fellow Rotarian Kristine Moreland 1:45 Tour of the intake room where TMWL first greets guests - so much heart!! <3 2:15 Tour of the Community Kitchen - this will be of special interest to the Rotary Clubs who are contributing to the project 2:45 Q&A 3:00 Wrap up Address: 4710 Lake Washington Blvd NE, Renton, WA 98056 Note, the facility is a converted motel. To keep the location private there is not a sign out front that says "The More We Love." Parking is easy and free in the adjacent parking lot. The entrance is under a large portico. Look for Virginia McKenzie who will be there to greet you warmly. Who is invited? This event is for Rotarians and guests. Yes, you are welcome to bring a friend or family member, as long as they are 13 years of age or older. Please let Virginia know so she can keep track of head count. We have room for 15-20 guests. RSVP by Wednesday, February 4 by emailing virginia.mckenzie74@gmail.com
Tuesday, February 10 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM Taproot Theatre
February Evening Event at Taproot Theatre
As we prepare for Education Month in February, our Education Subcommittee has been exploring ideas for a meaningful social event—one that would bring us together while also highlighting an issue that deeply affects children and families in our community, bullying in schools. Taproot Theater, a multi-year grant recipient of your donations to the Seattle Rotary Foundation, combines the arts and education to address this issue.
A couple of days ago, Lori Walker and I visited Taproot and met with Producing Artistic Director Karen Lund and education leader Jeremy Ehrlich. What began as a brief visit quickly turned exciting as, together with John Steckler, we started shaping what promises to be a truly special Rotary experience. We are delighted to announce that our Education Month social event will take place on Tuesday, February 10, from 5:00 to 7:00 pm, at Taproot Theatre.
We will have the entire theatre to ourselves. Imagine an evening where Rotarians can not only engage with the audience but also have a face-to-face with Karen, Jeremy, and some of the actors. There will be time for conversation, questions, and behind-the-scenes insights, along with snacks and wine available for purchase. We have also discussed a few surprises, so expect a bit of theatre magic woven into the evening.
Most importantly, this event will leave you energized, informed, and inspired to take action. Bullying remains a critical challenge both locally and nationally. In Seattle, about 1 in 6 students in Seattle Public Schools reported being bullied in the 2024–25 school year, including in-person and online harassment related to race, gender, or identity. Nationally, 34% of adolescents report experiencing bullying in the past year, with higher rates among younger teens and girls.
We believe this evening at Taproot Theatre will deepen our understanding of the issue—and help us explore how Rotary can play a meaningful role in addressing it.
Please mark your calendars. We look forward to sharing this powerful and inspiring experience with you.
In an effort to better inform membership of the health of the club, we will start posting member additions and resignations after each month's club board meeting. December membership changes approved by the board are as follows:
New Members: Suzana Sakay, Patty Chow, Masahiro Nakashima, Letitia Johnson, Ashley Burman, Ravi Keelveedhi
Resignations:Alan Sclater, Amy Hall, Owen Hoskinson, Mike Hatzenbeler
We love to see our Rotary members promoting good works in our community and abroad! If you have a project or fundraiser that you are excited about and would like to promote to your fellow club members, please check in with our Club Director, Mary Goldie, before distributing information or invitations through our email roster. We value the privacy of our members’ contact information and can let you know the appropriate ways to reach out to folks in our club. Thank you!!
Patty Chow Masahiro Nakashima Suzana Sakay Ashley Burman Letitia Johnson Ravi Keelveedhi
CELEBRATING THIS WEEK
January 9-January 15
Jennifer Hohnstein
Einer Handeland
JANUARY CLUB MEMBERSHIP ANNIVERSARIES
These are club membership (not total years of Rotary membership) anniversaries only
1 Year
Allison Webel
Karen Kalish
Dalia Sherif
Jean-Paul Yafali
2 Years
Kyle White
Paul Spieldenner
Ariel Delaney
3 Years
Jorge Chapa
Tony Chen
6 Years
Rajeev Agarwal
David Frum
Steve Woolworth
9 Years
Randy Frisch
15 Years
Lillian Sherman
21 Years
Burr Stewart
25 Years
Ev Billingslea
26 Years
Jeff Borek
28 Years
Bill Hammond
31 Years
Nancy Cahill
32 Years
Don Nielsen
33 Years
Chris Clark
36 Years
Sten Crissey
37 Years
Bill Fetterley
Fedva Dikmen
38 Years
Laurie Jonsson
43 Years
Bob Davidson
46 Years
John King
48 Years
Bill Weisfield
52 Years
Neil McReynolds
Get Involved
Meet fellow Rotarians and get involved in service. See below for a list of committees. Email the committee chair by clicking on their name. Or, contact Mary Goldie for more information.
4. Invite your connections to a weekly meeting, and let mary@seattlerotary.org know so they may be introduced.
If you don't already have a LinkedIn profile, CLICK HERE to learn how to get started.
SEATTLE 4 ROTARY AUDIO VISUAL SPONSORS
Video of Seattle 4 Rotary Programs are available online thanks to the generous support of our Seattle Rotary Audio Visual Sponsors.
In addition to supporting our club, becoming a Seattle 4 Rotary Audio Visual Sponsor brings many benefits. To learn more, click here, or contact Mary for more details at mary@seattlerotary.org.
Do You Have Any Musical Instruments to Donate to Students in Need?
Music4Life is a non-profit and project of Rotary District 5030 that distributes musical instruments to public school students in need.
We welcome any gently used musical instruments you wish to donate. They can be delivered directly to these local music stores that are now open: American Music in Phinney Ridge and Kennelly Keys Music in Bellevue, Lynnwood, and Everett.
Please accompany your instrument with the PDF donation form, linked below.
Our Rotary Cares team is ready to listen and to support you. One of the wonderful things about our club is that you have many friends --you just need to reach out to tap into our amazing network of caring people. Please contact our Rotary Cares Committee Chair to let us know how we can help.
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