Guest Speaker: Tan Parker What a wonderful program! Being elected to serve the people of Denton County and fight for the betterment of Texas is something Tan Parker commonly refers to as the highest honor of his professional life. Thank you to everyone who joined us Friday, October 29th at Water Works Hall to welcome State Representative Tan Parker! He spoke to us about his latest legislative session and how he works to serve the people of Denton County. |
Guest Speaker: Brian Glenn We are so thankful that Brian Glenn, a ShelterBox USA Response Team Member, was able to speak to us about how Shelter Boxes and kits are helping people around the world recover from disaster and conflict. Our club also donated money to help give resources to families in need! Shelter Box is such an amazing, Rotary-grown organization and we are inspired by their passion for helping those who need it most. Visit shelterboxusa.org to learn more or donate. |
Guest Speaker: Ashley Smalley Unity begins with you! Cross Timbers Rotary welcomed Ashley Smalley as a guest speaker to emphasize the power of empathy, patience, humility, and enthusiasm. Caring for the people on our team through positivity and optimism helps us unite as a club. We are so thankful for Ashley and all of our fellow Rotarians for meeting with us at Water Works Hall. |
A Huge Success! |
Congratulations Duck Derby Winners! Congratulations to the winners of our 4th annual Duck Derby! This was a record year with 30,000 ducks adopted. Thank you to everyone who supported our charitable efforts! First place through 10th Place:
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Rhythms at the Riverwalk & Duck Derby The 4th Annual Rhythms at the Riverwalk and Duck Derby event was a HUGE success! This marks our largest Duck Derby yet. Our sincerest gratitude goes to the 117 event sponsors, everyone who adopted one of our 30,000 ducks, and all of our Rotarians and their loved ones who dedicated their time, treasures, and talents for this event. We came together as a community to help raise funds for over 25 charitable nonprofit organizations. Next year, we plan on going BIGGER! Mark your calendars now for next year’s event on September 17, 2022! |
4th Annual Rhythms at the Riverwalk Live Stream |
4th Annual Rhythms at the Riverwalk Join us on the Flower Mound River Walk for the 4th annual Rhythms at the Riverwalk event this Saturday, September 18th! Get ready for a day full of family fun. Enjoy duck derby, food trucks, music, children's activities, vendor booths, and more. Cheer on 30,000 yellow rubber ducks as they race towards the finish line. The first lucky duck wins a $2,500 gift card! The second through tenth place winners will also receive prizes. This event is the signature fundraiser for our club. Help us support several local nonprofit organizations by adopting ducks for the duck race. Adopt your ducks at the event! |
Guest Speaker: Jason Morgan On Friday, September 10th, our club welcomed Jason Morgan, a retired Staff Sergeant in the Air Force, as a guest speaker! He is the best-selling co-author of “A Dog Called Hope: The Special Operations Wounded Warrior and the Dog Who Saved Him.” He is also a national spokesperson for an organization that pairs highly trained service dogs with wounded veterans and has founded Operation Renewed Strength, a nonprofit organization that raises money to benefit disabled veterans. Our club was delighted to meet Jason and his service dog, Yago, and enjoyed listening to his inspiring story. |
Welcome New Members!On Friday, September 3rd, Cross Timbers Rotary celebrated new duck sales for our 4th annual Rhythms at the Riverwalk event and welcomed four new Rotarians to our club. We are proud to welcome Derek France, Tami Creeser, Pam Petrides, and Joe Booth to the Cross Timbers Rotary Club! We are beyond excited to serve the community with you. |
Thank You Sponsors! The countdown to our 4th Annual Rhythms at the Riverwalk event has begun! We would like to thank our top-tier sponsors that are helping us raise money for local nonprofit organizations. We are honored to have each and every one of you support this year's event. Adopt your ducks online at RhythmsAtTheRiverwalk.com to participate in our annual Duck Race! Winners receive prizes, and all proceeds will support our community. |
Best Rotary in Denton County GREAT NEWS! Cross Timbers Rotary has been voted the Best Rotary in Denton County! Thank you to our community members, friends, and Rotarians for taking the time to vote for us. We couldn't be more grateful for your support. |
Guest Speaker: Dr. Sujatha Krishnan Thank you to all of the wonderful Rotarians that visited Water Works Hall for the August 27th club meeting! Dr. Sujatha Krishnan, the Infectious Disease Medical Director at Medical City Lewisville and Texas Health Flower Mound, spoke to us about the COVID-19 Delta Variant. We are so glad she was able to join us and teach us how to keep ourselves and others around us safe. |
UNT PUSH Program Donation Our amazing Rotarians came together at our club's 6th birthday party to give gifts to the UNT PUSH (Persevere UNTil Success Happens) program and the Texas Woman's University Frontiers program. Our Cross Timber’s Rotary President, Shelly Dodge met with Brenda Sweeten of UNT to present our collective contribution totaling $5,295. It’s incredible to witness the generosity of this club and passion for our non-profit partners! |
Cross Timbers Rotary Club's 6th BirthdayHappy Birthday to Cross Timbers Rotary! Our Club had such a great morning celebrating 6 incredible years of community, fellowship, and vision! We extend our deepest gratitude to our founding members: Andy Eads, Ginger Eads, Lori Fickling, and Lori Walker (founding member not pictured: Chuck Elsey). Your vision continues to inspire and guide this growing club that Serves to Change Lives! In honor of our 6th birthday, we collected $4895 in donations to help support our newest partners: The PUSH Program at UNT and The FRONTIERS Program at TWU. They are both wonderful organizations that serve to guide foster care alumni through their college careers. They provide supplies, resources, and function as a foundational support system for students who have aged out of foster care. Thank you to everyone that came out to celebrate with us! Cheers to another amazing Cross Timbers Rotary Year! |
Guest Speaker: Sean & Jenny Carter Our club welcomed Sean and Jenny Carter as guest speakers at the August 13th club meeting. They shared their inspirational story of how Sean overcame severe injuries from a devastating car crash and talked about the dangers of drinking and driving. We would like to thank WhenSeanSpeaks for talking to us about their efforts to improve the lives of those that suffered traumatic brain injuries, much like Sean. Thank you to all of the fellow Rotarians that came out to Water Works Hall to support such a fantastic nonprofit organization! |
Paul Harris Winners Continuing the legacy of our founder, the Paul Harris Fellow program recognizes individuals who contribute, or who have contributions made in their name, of $1,000 to The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International. The honor was established in 1957 to show appreciation for contributions that support our Annual Fund, PolioPlus, or an approved Foundation grant. Congratulations to Kelly Woodall Heslep as a new Paul Harris recipient! Stacy Shriever was welcomed to Cross Timbers Rotary with a medallion and ribbon to honor her existing Paul Harris level. Also, a huge shout out to second-time Paul Harris winner, Mike Donnelly! Thank you all for your long-standing commitment and generosity! |
Vocational Service Excellence Awards The Cross Timbers Rotary Club Vocational Service Excellence Award is designed to recognize first responders and teachers for their dedication, leadership, and commitment to excellence. Congratulations to Double Oak Volunteer Fire Department Chief, Scott Whisenhunt, and Double Oak Police Department Chief, Ruben Rivas, for being our honored guests and recipients of this prestigious award. These individuals demonstrate exemplary vocational service and we honor them as they tirelessly protect and serve our community. Thank you both for your service to our community! |
Duck Sales BeginIt's QUACKING time! The Cross Timbers Rotary Club had a fun and informative gathering at Water Works Hall to celebrate the start of Duck Derby duck sales! This year marks the 4th Annual Rhythms at the Riverwalk event, and it's sure to be a great one. Adopt your ducks online at RhythmsAtTheRiverwalk.com to help support local nonprofit organizations! |
Rotary International Citation: Platinum Presidential Distinction The Cross Timbers Rotary Club is beyond honored to be awarded the Rotary International Citation with Platinum Presidential Distinction! We won this award under Ginger Eads' leadership for our work in the 2019-2020 Rotary year, and are proud to be receiving this award of the highest recognition from Rotary International. Thank you fellow Rotarians for working hard to serve our communities, reach our goals, and making this accomplishment possible! |
Guest Speaker: Samantha Sims Our club invited Samantha Sims as a guest speaker for the July 30th Club Meeting. She kindly came to talk to us about how the Journey to Dream Foundation is changing young lives. Kyle's Place is working hard to support at-risk, victimized, and homeless teens, and is teaching them how to become self-sufficient and productive adults. |
Guest Speaker: Brenda Sweeten Cross Timbers Rotary Club had an uplifting and informative meeting Friday morning! Our club members welcomed Brenda Sweeten, a UNT PUSH Program Advisor and Clinical Associate Professor of Social Work, as a guest speaker. Brenda shared how this foster care alumni program aids college students on their journey to graduation. Our club also awarded our very own Chris Haverstick the 2020-2021 Rising Star Award! We are so lucky to have such caring and passionate club members. |
4th Annual Rhythms at The Riverwalk Event   Join us on the Flower Mound River Walk for the 4th annual Rhythms at the Riverwalk event on Saturday, September 18th! Get ready for a day full of family fun. Enjoy duck derby, food trucks, music, children's activities, vendor booths, and more. Cheer on over 25,000 yellow rubber ducks as they race towards the finish line. The first lucky duck wins a $2,500 gift card! The second through tenth place winners will also receive prizes. This event is the signature fundraiser for our club. Help us support over 20 Denton County nonprofit organizations by adopting ducks for the duck race. To adopt your ducks and learn more about this event, visit RhythmsAtTheRiverwalk.com. |
Guest Speaker: Tony Jeary   Cross Timbers Rotary welcomed Tony Jeary, The RESULTS Guy™, as an inspiring guest speaker at the Friday, July 16 club meeting. Tony has an amazing track record of helping high-achieving, top-performing organizations and leaders change the way they think, operate, and perform. We had a full house at Water Works as our members gathered to learn from Tony, and are so grateful for our community of growth-focused leaders. |
End of Year Awards & Installation Luncheon  |
Moving to Water Works!  Cross Timbers Rotary Club is so excited to start our next chapter in a brand new location! Our new home is now at the beautiful Water Works Hall, located at The River Walk in Flower Mound, Texas. With our stunning view of the riverwalk, our weekly meetings will be more exciting than ever. Join us at 8 am every Friday morning to see what we're planning and how we're going above and beyond to help our community. |
22,000 Rubber Ducks Race to the Finish Line to Benefit Local CharitiesThe Duck Derby 2020 looks different in this year of pandemic, but the Cross Timbers Rotary Club has not been deterred, selling more duck adoptions this year tha  n either of the first two years of the event. As a result, 22,000 rubber ducks will “race” to the finish line on Saturday, September 19, 2020, at the River Walk in Flower Mound, and one lucky winner will take the $2,500 grand prize.Due to the governor’s orders limiting outdoor gatherings, the ducks will be released at an undisclosed time to avoid a crowd. The club is asking everyone to watch the event online on the Cross Timbers Rotary Facebook page at 11:00am on September 19. Cross Timbers Rotary was founded in 2015 and the Duck Derby is the club’s major fundraiser, supporting more than 20 nonprofit organizations in the community, as well as international projects in developing countries. The organizations have been hit hard this year due to the pandemic, which means the support is needed more than ever. The top 10 luck ducks to cross the finish line win a prize and first prize is $2,500! Be a part of the 3rd annual Duck Derby “virtually” by following Cross Timbers Rotary on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/CrossTimbersRotary/ and watching in at 11:00am Saturday, September 19, to see the ducks go over the waterfall and race to the finish line! For more information, message us on our Facebook page. |
It’s Duck Season!
Thousands of Rubber Ducks Race at the River Walk to Benefit Local Charities Duck season takes on a whole new meaning as the Cross Timbers Rotary Club hits the scene with its 2nd Annual Duck Derby as part of its Rhythms at the River Walk festival. Thousands of ducks will “race” to the finish on Saturday, September 21, 2019, at the Flower Mound River Walk, where one lucky winner will take the $2,500 grand prize. The Rhythms at the River Walk is a family-friendly day full of activities centered around the Duck Derby. Festivities kick off at 8:00 a.m. with a 5K River Run, followed by a family-friendly River Walk at 10:30 a.m. and continue throughout the day until 3:00 p.m. The ducks hit the water at 1:00 p.m. for an exciting race down the river, and a first, second and third place winner will be plucked out of the water at the finish. |
Cross Timbers Rotary Making a Difference On the last weekend in March 2018, the Cross Timbers Rotary Club spent the weekend blitzing the community with service projects. This weekend is known as RAD, which stands for Rotary Action Days, and has become an annual event with this nearly three-year-old club. |
Rotarians Hit the StreetsThe Cross Tim  bers Rotary Club in Flower Mound held their first annual Rotary Action Days (RAD) weekend on Friday a nd Saturday.The entire club membership spread out into the community helping nine local non-profits with hands-on service projects both large and small. The club even gave the future Rotarians of our community the chance to serve with a lemonade stand in Parker Square during Saturday’s Farmers Market. |
Community Service Becomes Contagious
The Cross Timbers Rotary Club in Flower Mound received their official charter last August to begin a new club with 62 members. Now, one year and many service projects later, the club celebrates with 100 members and continued enthusiasm for “Service Above Self.” As the Cross Timbers Rotary club celebrates its first anniversary, members paused during their weekly meeting on Friday to reflect on their many accomplishments and to prepare for an even more ambitious second year. |
Mayors, Cross Timbers Rotary, to help rebuild homes destroyed in FruitvaleFlower Mound Mayor Tom Hayden, along with the mayors of Argyle, Highland Village, and Lewisville, are joining with Habitat for Humanity and the Cross Timbers Rotary Club to help rebuild an East Texas town devastated by the April 29 tornadoes. The idea gre After Chief Greaser discussed what he had learned and witnessed in Fruitvale, Mayor Hayden was inspired to organize a project on a grander scale to help Fruitvale.
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Volunteers Needed to Help Build Homes for Fruitvale Tornado Victims
Tornadoes devastated the rural East Texas town on April 29, 2017 and local officials and mayors helped organize fundraisers for the victims, but then they wanted to do more to help them clean up and rebuild. Flower Mound Mayor Tom Hayden came to a Cross Timbers Rotary Club meeting to tell them about the aid needed in Fruitvale, and David Eiland, owner of Eiland Construction, went with other members to help with the cleanup effort. They’re now working to restore homes for four families: donations went toward helping two to get new homes, and two more are being rebuilt. |
Cross Timbers Rotary Holds Louisiana Fundraiser
The Cross T Club members are supporting a school in an underprivileged area in the East Baton Rouge Parish School District that was hit hard by the flooding. The club will accept yard sale item donations on the east side of Parker Square in Flower Mound at noon on Friday. |
Rising Star
May 2015, a half-dozen civic leaders met in Flower Mound, Texas, a short drive (or long kickoff) from Dallas. Five were already Rotarians, but while they enjoyed their weekly meetings, they were itching to try some ideas of their own. “Meeting time, for one thing,” recalls Andy Eads, a Denton County commissioner whose energy level could power several suburbs. “Thursday at lunch wasn’t working for us.” The six founders wanted to get a jump on the workday, not stop in the middle for a lunch meeting. They discussed founding a club that would meet at 7 a.m. or even 6:30, but bank President Julie Meyer and a couple of other parents in the group said no. “We have to get breakfast on the table and kids off to school before we start serving humanity.” In the end, they settled on 8 a.m. Fridays – a breakfast meeting to start the day. Next question: Who else should be in the club? |
Cross Timbers Rotary Club Receives Official Charter
The Cross Timbers Rotary Club received its official charter Friday at Bridlewood Golf Club. The first meeting was spent deciding how the club will be organized, brainstorming who they would like to see join it, and what ideals the club wanted to uphold. “The Cross Timbers Rotary Club has been in the minds of a few of us for more than a year, as we talked about how to expand Rotary’s footprint in our district, District 5790,” said Andy Eads, club president at the ceremony. “We knew it was a desire of the leadership of this district to grow, and … we knew we could play a part in that.” |
Saving lives in Ghana What is it like taking a large team to Africa? It has probably been one of the most rewarding experiences in my life. In mid February, I began leading Rotary members from all over the East Coast of the United States through Ghana. I’ve tried to give the team a warm Ghanaian welcome like I’ve received on my earlier trips. A large trip is a real blessing because each person sees Ghana and our work in a different way. |
Finding Safe Haven For years, Angalia Bianca had slept in abandoned buildings throughout Chicago. She stole. She did drugs. She spent time in and out of jail for forgery, theft, trespassing, and possession of narcotics. But after she landed in prison for the seventh time, something changed -- Bianca knew she wanted a better life. She just didn’t know how to make it happen. |
Helping people with disabilities make their own music
Music has been an important part of leading an ordinary life for students at the Music School for Children With Disabilities in Honor of Paul Harris in Lublin, Poland. Founded by Rotary members, the school serves 20 students with various disabilities, including Down syndrome, autism, and visual impairments. The Rotary Club of Lublin-Centrum-Maria Curie-Sklodowska has provided funding with help from Rotary Foundation Matching Grants and the Henryk Wieniawski Musical Society, which houses the school.
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India celebrates three years without polio Throughout India and around the world, Rotary clubs are celebrating a major milestone: India has gone three years without a new case of polio. The last reported case was a two-year-old girl in West Bengal on 13 January 2011. To mark this historic triumph, Rotary clubs illuminated landmarks and iconic structures throughout the country with four simple but powerful words, "India is polio free." |
Cupcakes, sparkling cider, party favors, a mini-auction, and bacon can only mean one thing – the Cross Timbers Rotary Club is celebrating a milestone!
w after Flower Mound Fire Chief Eric Greaser and Emergency Management Officer Brandon Barth dropped off the community’s gift cards in Fruitvale earlier this week and learned of a few residents who had lost their homes.
Volunteers are needed this weekend and next to help build new homes for Fruitvale residents whose houses were destroyed by a tornado last April.
imbers Rotary Club in Flower Mound is holding a community-wide garage sale this Saturday to raise money for flood victims in Louisiana and they need your donations.