The Rotary Club of Sierra Vista - People of Action in These COVID Times - PART 3

This is PART 3 of People of Action in These COVID Times.
 
PART 3 - Cochise Strong and "Cash Mobs"
                                                                                                   
                            Guest Speaker Lisa Gustafson - "Cochise Strong"
                                    with Club President Candy Pardee                                                                                                                                                                                                                 Live Meeting at Tandem Restaurant (below)                             
                                   
 
 
After the opening of the club meeting, we welcomed a former club member, Ms. Lisa Gustafson of “Cochise Strong,” as our guest program speaker. Then Rotarians KJ Wigton and Jennifer Sorenson provided information concerning two areas of interest for the club and the community. The meeting, a mixture of in person and virtual (Zoom) members, was a reminder to all of us that Rotary is an organization of People of Action.
 
Ms. Wigton shared with the club members that she had been able to determine from the District 5500 Rotary Youth Leadership Award (RYLA) chairperson, that the annual RYLA camp in Prescott, Arizona, was still scheduled to be held in January 2021. Our club is planning to support the camp by sponsoring 4 local youth (ages 14-17) to the event. We may also have candidates for Junior Counselors (previous attendees who are selected to serve for the RYLA event) and also have spaces for Senior Counselors (Rotarians) who want to be a part of the leadership and development training team for the RYLA 2021 camp. Ms. Wigton says the applications are available on-line and through her and we should all look for possible candidate youths to apply for consideration to attend the camp.
 
Club President Candy announced that our weekly “Happy Bucks” for this week and next week will be used to support the Sierra Vista School Supply Drive, on August 15th in the Sears Parking lot of the Mall at Sierra Vista. Ms. Sorenson of the Sierra Vista Herald is a prime sponsor of the School Supply Drive and she said that monetary donations were happily accepted as well as traditional items for school kids like, pencils, paper, scissors, rulers, back packs, etc.  The collection of items for the drive will be from 10 AM to Noon on August 15th. Collection for the Happy Bucks resulted in $550 for the School Supply drive and next week we hope to contribute even more for the benefit of the schools and the children.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                         
Our guest speaker, Lisa Gustafson, then began her presentation on her new community support organization called “Cochise Strong.” As Lisa explained, the purpose of the organization is to support the community, especially the most vulnerable businesses and individuals in the community, with events called “Cash Mobs.” A Cash Mob is like a Flash Mob only the purpose of the “mob” is to gather at a business or at a location where the mob can purchase items to support a business or give support in terms of donations provided by sponsors/contributors who want to help. There are other Programs under Cochise Strong besides the Cochise Cash Mob. Programs are specifically focused on First Responder & Emergency Services Support; Community Response Support; Annual Police Department and Fire Department Softball Game; and the Warrior Healing Center Partnership to Harmonize Businesses and Veteran Support.
 
Lisa reports that Cochise Strong has already had 8 – 10 Cash Mobs that have gathered at businesses and at locations of First Responders and Medical Staff. For each Mob, the people giving back to the community purchase products to help the business stay solvent or obtain items to recognize/support the first responders, Fire and Police, Doctors and Nurses, with a showing of appreciation with coffee, tea, cookies, doughnuts, breakfast items, and COVID emergency supplies like masks, hand sanitizers, gloves, and thermometers. The community has been extremely supportive and have helped several business owners meet their financial requirements with the cash from the sales generated by the Mob. It is possible to donate at:  www.cochisestrong.rocks/donate or also at www.facebook.com/cochisestrong .
 
To close out the meeting, President Candy provided Chocolate Cake and Lemon Cake to celebrate all the Birthdays and Anniversaries in the month of July. We were reminded to Vote for the Best of Sierra Vista and told the next Cash Mob would be at Ruby’s Devine Chocolates, Hwy 92. Jim Evans mentioned that anyone wishing to donate blood for a Blood Drive, should register with the Sierra Vista United Methodist Church before August the 10th. (Prepared by Club Reporter, John Spengler)