Events

Five Life Lessons Applied to Rotary 

Andrew Mitchell will explain the history and provide a tour of Colorado Gators, the only alligator farm in Colorado.

Colorado Gators, originally a tilapia farm, is now a major tourist destination in the San Louis valley. About twenty miles west of the Great Sand Dunes National Park, our rescue is home to over 300 alligators, caiman, and crocodile. They also take in snakes lizards, turtles and tortoises, as well as birds, well behaved or otherwise

Through our expertise in treating cleft lip and cleft palate, we create solutions that deliver safe surgery to people where it’s needed most

Operation Smile is committed to ensuring that every child has access to high-quality health care. By working closely with communities around the world, the work of Operation Smile expands access through training, education, and by providing free, life-changing cleft surgeries and comprehensive care

TA
TACT empowers individuals on the Autism spectrum through skilled trades education, training, and placement.

Offsite at Children's Museum

Erica is the founder of Joy & Justice, a nonprofit that supports survivors of domestic violence and their children through joyful experiences that promote healing, and advocates for systemic change within the family court system. The organization partners with local agencies to provide safe, fun, and meaningful activities that help rebuild the bond between children and their safe parent. Erica’s mission is deeply personal, now, she uses her story to educate judges, attorneys, and lawmakers about the dangers of coercive control and the urgent need for reform. Joy & Justice invites the community to support this mission by learning, advocating, donating, and helping families reclaim joy and safety.

Lori will be discussing a brief history of Crossroads Safehouse and share an exciting new project nearly 20 community agencies are undertaking to better serve victims of child abuse, domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking and trafficking. Since COVID, Crossroads has seen an alarming increase in high-risk cases of victimization, we are working to bring evidence based interventions proven to decrease deaths and increase positive outcomes for survivors and their families. 

A Little Help’s history, service model, and opportunities for service-minded individuals, businesses, and organizations to support Northern Colorado’s growing older adult population.

CSU is the proud steward of the largest collection of African ceramics in this part of the globe. This talk will introduce the collection and discuss how this resource has served as a springboard to pursuing communal change both locally and across the African continent. 

Cynthis Eichler, President and CEO of Visit Fort Collins, will explain how Visit Fort Collins promotes local tourism and educates visitors to Fort Collins and the area.

In 1997, Joe Castillo rode his 11 year old Arabian horse 2000 miles from Overland Trail in LaPorte to Washington DC.  The ride was to fulfill a promise to his two friends lost in Vietnam to see America and meet the people when they returned.  Joe will tell the store of his ride and reporter Sabrina Davies will join Joe and provide some additional details.

Robert Eccleston is a former Captain in the US Army Infantry who is also a talented sculptor.  He has completed many sculptures honoring veterans and the military and First Responders.  Robert will talk about his approach to making public art and the process of creating his sculptures for these memorials.  He is currently completing sculpture for the new Desert Storm and Desert Shield Memorial opening in Washington DC in 2026.

This presentation will explore the transformative role of artificial intelligence (AI) in higher education and cultural heritage covering various aspects such as the democratization of access to AI tools and technology, the importance of understanding biases in AI models, and the commitment to transparency and information integrity. The presentation highlights the opportunities and challenges AI presents in education, libraries, museums, and historical archives. 

Our club's charitable Foundation and The Rotary Foundation

The Colorado Springs area was blessed by a streetcar system that was one of the best to be found anywhere. This had much to do with Winfield Scott Stratton who became owner of the Colorado
Springs Rapid Transit Railway Company, and did great things with it. The PowerPoint presentation will cover the history of streetcar service pre- and post-Stratton, how it affected the lives of residents, and
what became of it. We will also review what is going on presently in the trolley world and what we might imagine for the future.

Circle the Atlantic: Flight To End Polio, like its sister flight in 2023, titled, Around The World: Flight To End Polio, raised awareness and funds for the efforts of Rotary International (RI) and the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI). 

Circle The Atlantic: Flight To End Polio was piloted by Rotarians Peter Teahen and Ed Galkin, with technical support provided by Rotarian John Ockenfels. The flight was flown in a 1976 Cessna 210 single-engine airplane.  The flight involved a 37-day, 9,000 nautical mile flight, with 15 landings in eleven countries, and multiple fundraisers.  Galkin and Teahen accomplished three international aviation records on the flight.