Local NBA Powerful Conversation with Sonics Legend James Donaldson
“We all go through dark moments, but those moments don’t define us. What defines us is how we move forward—with hope, support, and a willingness to keep going.” -James Donaldson
We’re thrilled to welcome former Seattle Sonic James Donaldson as our featured speaker at our Rotary luncheon. James is best known for his remarkable NBA career and his years anchoring the paint for our beloved Sonics—but in the years since basketball, he’s taken on an even bigger challenge: advocating for mental-health awareness, hope, and resilience.
James has been refreshingly open about his own struggles and the journey that brought him to the work he does today. His story is honest, uplifting, and filled with insights we can all use—whether in leadership, service, or simply navigating the pressures of modern life. This is one of those programs you’ll leave talking about long after lunch is over.
A big part of Donaldson’s message is how he redefined “success” by discovering a purpose beyond the game. It’s a lesson we all could use to navigate the big transitions in our lives.
Don’t miss this chance to hear from a Seattle icon who’s using his voice to make a real difference. Invite a friend, grab a table, and join us for an inspiring afternoon.
Last Wednesday afternoon theRotary Club of Seattleand our Seattle Rotary Service Foundation were honored as one of the 25Gates Foundationcommunity partners recognized for the foundation's 25th anniversary.
Several of our club and foundation's own community partner organizations were in the room, as well as several club members employed by those orgs.
To be included in this group and to share this honor with other fellow community collaborators means a lot to our club and our foundation.
CLICK HEREto make your pledge to give before January 31!
Amplify Our Club Through Your Social Media Channels!
One of the easiest things you can do to help promote our club is to use your LinkedIn or Facebook account to repost club posts OR create your own Rotary themed posts.
If you are not doing so already, please make sure you are following our club social media channels:
When you see club posts that are enticing, please make sure to “repost” or “share” them on your own account, adding some text to your own post: this could be an invitation to attend a meeting, the link to membership materials or the club website, or Club Director Mary's email address for more information.
Since we do not regularly host public facing events such as community service days or fundraisers, it is even more critical that our members "work their own contact groups" to help us raise area awareness of our club!
We are now scheduling greeters for 2026 meetings. Any club member can greet at a meeting, but priority will be given to new members completing their blue badge checklist- required four lunches of volunteering.
As always, remember in person lunch meetings are held on the first and third Wednesday of each month.
President Jan opened the meeting with a classical beginning song, Mozart in the Morning Performance, performed by Linda Rough, Rick Russell and Vicky Oxley with Dr. Kia Sams on the piano. Charley Dickey was inspired by the resilience of Africa's resource-limited public health systems after witnessing real adversity on a Rotary International trip. He shared various adversities he had experienced, how he gained strength from them and why success begins when you try once more.
David Bobanick and Cindy Sharek provided an update of the Seattle Rotary Service Foundation campaign that in its third month with about half our members having made a commitment. He described various levels of ‘matching’ amounts, encouraging Rotarians to donate online from the S4 website. He also encouraged Rotarians to support the work done by Rotary International.
President Jan introduced the day’s featured speaker as a visionary leader who brings more than 30 years of experience in public health to his new job. Dennis Worsham took the helm as Washington State Secretary of Health in July with a focus on all sides to create better public health in Washington.
LT Project LEAD—which stands for Leadership, Effectiveness, and Diversity—is a board training program designed for equity-centered, skilled, and passionate Black, Indigenous, and other people of color. The program equips participants with the tools, knowledge, and confidence to step into nonprofit board service and make a lasting impact.
Key Details:
Information Session: December 16, 12-1 p.m. on Zoom - Register here
Priority Application Deadline: December 19, 2025
Final Deadline: January 16 (if space allows)
Program Dates: March 4, 2026-April 1, 2026. Program schedule available here.
Tuition: $600, with reduced rates available based on income
If you have someone you would like to nominate for this program, please fill out this interest form byCLICKING HERE.
Get Involved!
Monday, December 15 5:00 PM - 8:00 PM Queen City Yacht Club
Annual Holiday Party
Our bartenders as always will be “Good Pour” Pete Delaunay and “Jolly” John Steckler. Rest assured we will be dancing again this year, thanks to a dj recommendation from Assunta Ng. See you there!
Invitation to our Christmas Card Kindness Initiative
This holiday season, we are delighted to continue spreading kindness and connection with the wonderful children of the Rotary Boys & Girls Club. Following the success of our Back-to-School Cards project, we invite every Rotarian to join us once again—this time with a festive twist perfect for the season of giving.
On Tuesday, December 17, at our in-person Rotary meeting, we will launch our Christmas Card Kindness Initiative. Each Rotarian is warmly encouraged to bring two cards (We will have large, colorful envelopes to place both cards):
1. One signed Christmas or Holiday card with your personal message of encouragement, joy, and kindness. (See examples below.)
2. One blank card, which will be given to a child so they can write a message to someone meaningful in their own life—a parent, a friend, a teacher, or anyone who deserves a little holiday cheer.
This simple act turns our gesture of kindness into something even more powerful: a ripple effect that teaches children the joy of giving, gratitude, and spreading holiday spirit. With your help, each child will feel celebrated and empowered to brighten someone else’s day.
I trust you will join Lori Walker, me, and our entire Education Group in making this heartfelt initiative a success. Together, we can help over 70 kids feel supported while nurturing the beautiful habit of kindness.
Thank you for bringing your generosity—and your cards and a pen—on December 17. Let’s make this a holiday season to remember.
Examples:
1. Merry Christmas! Wishing you a holiday filled with twinkling lights, cozy surprises, and a little bit of Christmas magic in every moment. There’s a blank card inside just for you—give it to someone special so you can sprinkle a little magic on their day too!
2. Ho ho ho! Hope your Christmas is full of giggles, sparkle, and wonder—just like you! You’ll find a blank card with this one. It’s waiting for you to write a message to someone you really care about—your own Christmas surprise!
3. Merry Christmas to a wonderful kid! May your holidays be filled with secret wishes, magical moments, and all the joy your heart can hold. Inside is a special blank card for you to give to someone dear—share a little Christmas magic with them!
4. Wishing you a Christmas full of magic dust, bright stars, and unexpected happy moments! There’s a blank card here just for you—write a message to someone you love and let them feel your Christmas magic too!
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:
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
CELEBRATING THIS WEEK
December 12-December 18
Steve Boyer
Vicky Oxley
Steve Woolworth
Charmaine Vazquez
Bill Center
Ani Black
David Bobanick
DECEMBER CLUB MEMBERSHIP ANNIVERSARIES
These are club membership (not total years of Rotary membership) anniversaries only
2 Years
Logan Reilly
Collin Olden
3 Years
Jared Grose
Barton DeLacy
4 Years
Ryan Pong
8 Years
Paul Tsai
9 Years
Adel Sefrioui
Mary Wagner
11 Years
Jim Kraft
15 Years
Alan Bergen
Andrew Rapp
16 Years
Fred Grimm
18 Years
Brian Bruce
21 Years
Mark Wright
24 Years
Heather Fitzpatrick
31 Years
Linda Walton
33 Years
Jim Duncan
34 Years
Assunta Ng
45 Years
Skip Kotkins
46 Years
John Ellis
47 Years
Carl Behnke
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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