Current Service Projects

Boone Sunrise Rotary is committed to thinking globally and locally. We start with local service projects. Members past and present have dedicated thousands of hours and dollars to create positive and lasting change in the High Country region. Here are some ways you can join us.

		Back 2 School Festival
		The Back 2 School Festival is an event designed to streamline school readiness efforts for a greater impact on Watauga County families. Each year, the Boone Sunrise Rotary Club provides volunteer and fundraising support for this multi-day event. A few members even host school supply drives at their businesses leading up to the event.

River Clean-Up
Twice annually, members of the Boone Sunrise Rotary Club participate in the Town of Boone’s “River Clean-Up,” by taking responsibility for removing trash and debris along a stretch of the South Fork of the New River running through the Greenway.

Bed and a Book		Red Cross Blood Drive
Description soon to come.		Boone Sunrise Rotary sponsors two Community Blood Drives with the Watauga County Chapter of the American Red Cross through recruiting donors and providing volunteers and snacks at the blood drive. The Community Blood Drives are held each April and December at the Holiday Inn Express in Boone.

Valle Country Fair		Salvation Arm Ringing of the Bell
Description soon to come.		Description soon to come.

College Scholarship Programs		CART: Alzheimer’s Research Fund
This Club project coordinates annual scholarship drives for Watauga High School Seniors to attend a college of their choice. The program also provides Caldwell Community College Dream Scholarships for Watauga County students to realize their dream of attending college.		Through the C.A.R.T. Program (Coins for Alzheimer’s Research Trust), Rotarians in five southern states make weekly donations, providing “seed money” for research to find a cure and preventive approaches for Alzheimer’s disease. Members of the Boone Sunrise Rotary Club proudly raise funds throughout the year for this important endeavor.

Habitat for Humanity		Hospitality House Blessing Bags
In partnership with the Watauga County Habitat for Humanity, Boone Sunrise Rotary Club members participate in building projects and fundraisers throughout the year. These efforts help to create homes in our community for families in need, providing them not only a physical home, but a sense of great pride and hope about their future. Members regularly contribute to the annual Big Kahuna fundraiser, raising over $16,000 as a club in 2021.		Rotary Club members support Hospitality House — a private, non-profit crisis intervention agency that provides critical assistance and support for adults and families facing a crisis or homelessness. Funds are raised annually by Rotary club members to support the work of this remarkable and highly effective local agency.

Past Service Projects

Boone Sunrise Rotary Club is celebrating our 40th Anniversary. There are a few projects we'd like to highlight from over the years.

Shelter Box		Tanzania Aqua Project (TAP)
Starting as the brainchild of one Rotarian with the support of his club in 2000, Shelter Box has grown to become one of the largest Rotary Club projects in the 100-year history of the organization. The Rotary International Shelter Box Program delivers humanitarian aid and relief on a worldwide basis in the form of material and equipment that provides shelter, warmth and comfort to people displaced by natural and other disasters. Each box contains a 10 person tent, 10 thermal blankets, a multi-fuel cooker and ancillary equipment such as water purification tablets, a torch and batteries, spade, rope etc. the basics a family would need after losing everything in a disaster. Victims of the horrific earthquake in Haiti have been among the most recent recipients of this life-changing program.		“TAP” was founded with the goal of establishing a water collection facility to improve the quality of life for the community of Bukota, Tanzania. Communities such as Bukota currently collect their water from mud holes where animals drink, leaving their only water source contaminated with feces and bacteria, causing disease. Children often must search for and carry water for miles, preventing them from attending school and obtaining the education they need to raise themselves out of the poverty and disease they are living in. The project establishes mechanisms for collecting and storing rain water, as well as distribution points at schools and churches in needy Tanzanian communities.

Dictionary Project		Honor Air/Veterans Group
A joint Area XI project for all Rotary Clubs in Watauga and Avery Counties. this initiative enables schools in schools across our region to acquire dictionaries, atlases, thesauruses, and Spanish/English dictionaries at no cost for students in these schools. The program also provides digital reference media to Watauga High School students.		Launched in 2010, this effort began with a goal of bringing 27 World War II veterans from the High Country to Washington, D.C. for one of the last Honor Air flights. Veterans and a number of Boone Sunrise Rotary members who accompanied them to Washington were treated to a tour of the city’s memorials, as well as a special ceremony honoring their extraordinary service to our country. Inasmuch as the WW II veterans are now at an average age of 90 years, and most will be limited in their ability to travel long distances, this trip was extremely meaningful to the veterans who attended, as well as the club members who made this extraordinary journey with them. Based on the success of the program, the Boone Sunrise Rotary Club is continuing its efforts to support these veterans by providing them with an ongoing organization devoted to fellowship, service and support.