Stories

Scholarship winners Cassidy Byrd, Rachel Baudo, Madison Lutterman, Cade Holland, and Titus Rust with Rotary member Charles Centilli.

Ruidoso NM - Five Lincoln County graduating seniors received scholarships from the Rotary Club of Ruidoso at the club's May 5 meeting, continuing a tradition of investing in the educational futures of local young people.

The scholarships, funded by the club's popular Enchilada Dinner and Bingo Night held each March and October, went to students heading to universities across three states to pursue careers in education, healthcare, entrepreneurship, and the sciences.

A five-year-old boy lay in his hospital bed at UNM Children's Hospital, his oxygen levels dangerously low. He'd been there for a week, surrounded by monitors and medical equipment, far from everything familiar and safe.

And he kept asking for one thing: his train set from home.

He asked over and over. His father tried to explain why he couldn't have it—the logistics, the hospital rules, the complications of a medical crisis. But the boy kept asking.

A nurse overheard. And she brought him a miniature train set.

"Just like that, everything shifted," said the boy's father, who later shared the story with an Albuquerque Rotarian. "The fear softened. The room felt a little less overwhelming."

Albuquerque, NM — April 4, 2026

The Rotary Club of Albuquerque Sandia collected 2,651 servings of pet food and $100 in cash donations during their Pet Food Drive on Saturday, April 4—ensuring low-income seniors in Albuquerque won't have to choose between feeding themselves and feeding their companion animals.

The drive gathered 630 ounces of canned cat food, 27.8 pounds of dry cat food, 451 ounces of canned dog food, and 323 pounds of dry dog food. Volunteers also collected treats including 24 ounces of milk bones and 10 ounces of meal toppers. All donations will be distributed through Silver Horizons, a nonprofit that serves financially vulnerable seniors and veterans in the Albuquerque area.

What started eight years ago with 10 to 15 students has grown into a district-wide movement of over 100 young people tackling food insecurity, financial literacy, and community needs—one project at a time.

Lending a Paw, the student-led service organization founded at Los Lunas High School with support from the Rotary Club of Los Lunas, recently earned statewide recognition when Nusenda Credit Union awarded founder and Los Lunas Schools Capstone Community Coordinator Jessica Baldonado the 2025 Financial Education Innovation Award.

The $5,000 award recognizes innovative approaches to teaching financial literacy while addressing real community needs—exactly what Lending a Paw has been doing since its founding by Baldonado, Cecilia Adkins, and Linda Ole.

"To Change the World One Project at a Time"

Ruidoso, NM & Juarez, Mexico — January 27, 2026

When police bring children to Bethel Orphanage in Juarez, Mexico, they arrive with nothing but the clothes on their backs—survivors of abuse, neglect, and situations no child should endure. Some have never experienced three regular meals a day.

What they find at Bethel is a family spanning three generations of women who have dedicated their lives to breaking cycles of trauma. And for the past three decades, the Rotary Club of Ruidoso has been an essential partner in that work—paying monthly gas bills, donating heaters, sending supplies, and providing the operational support that transforms crisis response into sustainable care.

Ruidoso, NM — December 13, 2025

On a Saturday morning outside Albertsons grocery store in Ruidoso, the Ruidoso community showed up in force—delivering a record-breaking $6,000 in monetary and food donations to ensure Lincoln County children wouldn't go hungry during winter break.

The Rotary Club of Ruidoso partnered with Food 4 Kids for their annual "Pack the Bus" fundraiser, collecting food items that would be packed into backpacks and delivered to families before schools closed for the holidays.

District 5520 — December 2025

District Governor Tom Simon brought Rotary's mission to a new audience through his appearance on the "All Things Real Estate" podcast, discussing how professionals can leverage their vocational expertise for community impact—a theme that will anchor the District 5520 Conference in April.

The podcast conversation explored Rotary's unique approach to service: using professional skills, business connections, and industry knowledge not just for profit, but for community transformation.

When Roselva Zuniga spoke at a Deming Rotary Club meeting about a simple program that could save lives, the club listened. Now, thanks to her initiative and a partnership with Deming's first responders, the Vial of Life program is rolling out across the city to protect homebound and vulnerable residents.

The Vial of Life is a national program designed to help people who live alone or are homebound provide critical medical information to first responders in emergencies. Zuniga learned about the program from a friend in Phoenix and immediately saw its potential for Deming.

Ruidoso, NM — October 28, 2025

The line stretched out the door of the Ruidoso Convention Center just before 5 p.m. on October 28 as residents arrived for the Rotary Club of Ruidoso's 50th Anniversary Enchilada Dinner and Bingo Night. By the time the last bingo number was called, the club had served more than 20,000 handmade enchiladas to around 600 people and raised over $14,000 for scholarships—a new record for the beloved community event.

Rotarians Lincoln Devault and JayBe Barrett help load dozens of briskets onto the cooker

Farwell, Texas — March 25, 2025

The smell of dozens of slow-cooked briskets filled the air at Farwell High School as more than 400 people gathered for the annual FFA Auction—a tradition that has raised over $1 million for local agriculture education since 1995.

Tucson, AZ — November 22, 2025

Mitch Selking and Rotary Del Sol Club President John Heck joined Rotary International General Secretary John Hewko and thousands of Rotarians worldwide in El Tour de Tucson, one of the largest cycling events in the United States, to raise funds for Rotary's Polio Plus prevention programs.

The two District 5520 Rotarians completed their rides before desert rains arrived, battling persistent wind to finish alongside more than 9,000 cyclists participating in the annual event.

El Paso, TX — November 1, 2025

Downtown El Paso transformed into a celebration of wine, food, and community impact as the Rotary Club of El Paso hosted its 12th Annual El Paso Winefest on Día de los Muertos.

The event drew record attendance and stronger sponsorship support than previous years, raising funds that directly support local Rotary initiatives—most notably the club's Christmas Children's Party, a tradition serving 4,500 Head Start children that has run for over a century.

Albuquerque, NM & El Paso, TX — December 2025

When children arrive at UNM Children's Hospital or El Paso Children's Hospital, many are facing not just medical challenges but life-altering transitions—including entrance into the foster care system. For these children, a small gift can provide a moment of normalcy in circumstances that feel anything but normal.

That's the mission behind Year of Cheer, a District 5520 initiative led by the Rotary Club of Albuquerque Del Norte in partnership with UNM Children's Hospital and El Paso Children's Hospital, both members of the Children's Miracle Network Hospitals.

El Paso, TX / Ciudad Juárez, Mexico — November 21, 2025

As winter temperatures drop across the border region, more than 200 children in Ciudad Juárez received warm jackets through a cross-border collaboration between the Zaragoza Rotary Club of El Paso and Club Rotario Juárez Paso del Norte.

Ruidoso, NM — November 2025

In the days leading up to the holidays, when food banks face their heaviest demand, the Rotary Club of Ruidoso and the Ruidoso/Lincoln County Association of REALTORS showed up where it mattered most: on the warehouse floor.

In just six hours on a Saturday morning, volunteers at Crossroads Bible Church in Los Alamos assembled 25,000 meals for families across northern New Mexico.

The Rotary Club of Los Alamos partnered with Meals of Hope and The Food Depot for their annual meal-packing event, bringing together volunteers of all ages and abilities to address food insecurity in the region. From 9 AM to 3 PM, assembly lines of volunteers measured, scooped, sealed, and boxed nutritious meals that will reach families through local food distribution networks.

On a Saturday morning in southeast Roswell, volunteers from the Rotary Club of Roswell gathered with the New Mexico Ramp Project to build something simple but life-changing: a wheelchair-accessible ramp for a mobile home.

High school juniors from across New Mexico and Far West Texas spent a transformative week at Manzano Mountain Retreat, participating in District 5520's RYLA (Rotary Youth Leadership Awards) camps. Separated into boys' and girls' weeks, 130 students challenged themselves through high ropes courses, climbing walls, speaking contests, and community service projects—all designed to develop self-awareness, leadership skills, and community-mindedness.

50 Years of Service: Rio Grande Rotary Celebrates Half a Century of Community Impact

Las Cruces, NM — September 12, 2025

Rio Grande Rotary is marking its 50th anniversary with something most organizations can only aspire to: founding members still actively serving alongside the next generation of community leaders.

Since 1975, this Las Cruces club has built a legacy of sustained impact through programs that address education, health, accessibility, and youth development. Their approach is simple but powerful—identify a community need, create a solution, and keep showing up year after year.