Events

Wichita businesses are coming together to create real change in our community. Service for Change isn't just about raising funds – it's about creating a revolution in how the service industry drives positive change.

As restaurateurs, we believe that the incredible impact each service professional makes individually can be amplified exponentially through collaboration.

Learn how you can get involved in this unique and local movement!

Jennifer Ray, Owner, Monarch

Jennifer Ray is a proud native Wichitan who has owned the Monarch since its opening in 2012.  She began her career in hospitality while attending Wichita State University and has enjoyed 20 years of growth in the restaurant industry. She has since become a voice for Small Businesses within the local community. She is actively involved in various community organizations including serving on the boards of the Kansas Restaurant and Hospitality Association, Wichita Regional Chamber of Commerce and as a member of the Operations Team for the Wichita River Festival.

Jennifer’s overarching goal is to leave Wichita a better place than she found it. Through her work and community involvement, she strives to contribute positively to her city, ensuring that it remains a vibrant and welcoming place for future generations.

Stacy Ward Lattin, Co-Owner, Hopping Gnome Brewing Company

Stacy Lattin owns a microbrewery and taproom with her husband Torrey. While he focuses on brewing the beer, Stacy works on marketing, operations, and business development. Hopping Gnome Brewing is located in Wichita's Douglas Design District where Stacy has served as board President, helping to start and plan events including the Wicked Brew Tour and Small Business Saturday.

She is passionate about community involvement and civic engagement, and has served on several community boards, including Tallgrass Film Association, The Women’s Network and Know Your Worth Women's Leadership Conference.

Stacy has a background in nonprofit management and received a Master's in Organizational Leadership from Fort Hays State University where she continues to serve as an adjunct instructor with the Department of Leadership Studies. Stacy believes that collaboration and building relationships are keys to growing a successful small business

Emily grew up in Newton, Kansas and graduated from Newton High School in 2013. She lettered four years in volleyball and four years in basketball and played Volleyball at Wichita State University from 2013-2017. She was inducted into the Pizza Hut Shocker Hall of Fame in 2023. After graduating from Wichita State in the Spring of 2018, Emily taught Physical Education and Health in the Wichita Public School District. She was hired as the General Manager of Wheat Shock Collective in July of 2024. Wheat Shock Collective is the official Collective of Wichita State Athletics. A Collective is a third party that collects financial resources and then directs the resources to the athletes for the right to use their name, image, and likeness. 

Wheat Shock Collective is a fan-driven and alumni-led Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) collective for Wichita State University student-athletes, alumni, and fans. Community members who commit their support to Wheat Shock Collective are pledging to maximize opportunities for student-athletes. In addition, community supporters gain access to exclusive events, autograph sessions, and more.

Advanced Reservations required! Sign up at our October 15th meeting or email Diane if you would like to attend.

Bring one dollar bills to cast votes for your favorites!

Don't go to Rolling Hills Country Club this week. Instead, join us at Starkey, 144 S. Young St., for our Annual Soup Luncheon. A map will be emailed showing where to park and enter the building. If you signed up to bring food, please arrive early to allow time to set up and don't forget to bring a serving utensil.

A little history about our Soup Luncheon...

Our club’s first Soup Luncheon took place on April 25, 2000, with the goal of raising funds and awareness for Hunger Plus, Inc., a non-profit relief agency dedicated to providing food and essential supplies for emergency situations and, for longer term projects, to improve food security — a project supported by Rotary International. The money we saved by not eating lunch at RHCC for that meeting was directed toward sponsoring shipments of dehydrated soup from the Breedlove Dehydrated Foods facility in Lubbock, Texas.

Initially, we prepared bags of the dehydrated soup for our luncheon, which, although nourishing, lacked flavor. To enhance the experience, John Mosley proposed a Soup Contest for the following year, inviting members to bring their own creative soups using the dehydrated mix as a base. By 2006, we evolved our approach, allowing our talented “chefs” to showcase their favorite soups without the mix.

Over the years, this event has transformed from a simple soup cook-off into a full-fledged soup, chili, and dessert competition with members casting $1 votes for their favorites, raising a few extra dollars for the project. In 2017, we decided to shift our donations from Hunger Plus, Inc. to local organizations, such as the Lord’s Diner and Paxton’s Blessing Box. Another recent recipient has been ShelterBox who is focused on disaster relief. They have now become the established beneficiary of our proceeds, largely due to the fact of our close connections since they are a Rotary International Project Partner, Ed Frey is the Rotary District  Coordinator for ShelterBox, and it is one of our club’s International Service projects. 

2024-25 COMMITTEES

Club Service: Annie Pfeifer – Chair, Sean Babjak,Christy Barnett, Paul Blissett, Mark Chamberlin, Marv Fisher, Colin McKenney, Bob Nelson, Colby Reynolds, DeAnn Sullivan, Joe Terick, Fe Vorderlandwehr, Mindy Wagner, Sharon West, Jamie Wise

Community Service: Jacob Beckman – Chair, Jodi Barnwell, Heidi Bowen, Roger Bowles, Bob Broeckelman, Rod Brown, Terry Gardner, Vern Klassen, Mike Ludlow, Tony Morrow, Zella Newberry, Bruce Pearson, Jon Roper, Allan Sands, Lori Taylor, Ann Welborn

Vocational Service: Stephanie Flaming – Chair, Dave Abbott, Randy Bowles, Scott Hinderliter, Brian Turney

International Service:  Brian Goudie – Chair, Bob Beumer, June Costin, Diana Fredelake, Ed Frey, Mark Hansen, Mark Hazleton, Maurice Linnens

Foundation: Cindy Hand – Chair, Monty Allen, Bob Goebel,     Brent Groves, Phil Michel, John Mosley, John Oswald, Dale Rein, Pat Walden

Membership/Public Relations: Wade West – Chair, Gregg Greenwood, Meliss Hamilton, Rick Oglesby, Joey Timmer

The RITE (Rotary Intercountry Teacher Exchange) program was started in our District by Ralph and Armida Hight in 1996. It began as a joint project of the Rotary Clubs of West Wichita and West Sedgwick County–Sunrise and has grown to involve additional clubs in our District, namely Downtown, East & Andover. The inbound portion of the project includes receiving teachers from Panama and Argentina for 4 weeks mid-January to mid-February. While here, they visit a wide variety of schools to learn our educational methodology and experience our culture through various community activities.  Our thanks to Dalia Hale (WSC- Sunrise Rotarian) and Shelli Kadel (former WW Rotarian) organizers of this project, and to those hosting the teachers! This year's hosts from our club include: Mark Hansen, Mark Hazleton, John Mosley and DeAnn Sullivan. 

Ayelén (Aye) Usandizaga, 30 yrs old,  is from Baradero in Buenos Aires Province, Argentina and is a member of the Baradero Rotary Club. She is a busy and creative teacher of English at four schools and a private institute in her community. This experience has allowed her to work across all grade levels up to adults since 2013. Her passion for teaching English was learned from her much older sister who owns an English school. She is looking forward to learning new methodologies in teaching English. Her goal as a RITE Teacher is to promote peace between countries and learn about US culture. She also wants to interact with people and use her English. Ayelen loves to cook and spend time with her dog, Berni. She loves the beach and dancing in her folklore group. 

Belén Morán Galvarici, 31 yrs old, is from Junin, Buenos Aires, Argentina. She is a highly professional and talented teacher who continues to learn to help her students at primary to university level adapt and excel in clever and self-inquiry methodologies. She is a busy and creative teacher of English in three schools in her community. This experience has allowed her to study and earn her credentials to teach elementary and secondary students. Belén’s goal for the RITE Program is to help her expand her knowledge about other cultures to share with students. She strives to grow from others worldwide and expand her teaching repertoire. She continues to create connections around the world. Belén comes from a big family. She is a dog lover and she loves spending time outdoors in her garden. She loves cooking (her favorite is Italian) and loves music and movies. 

Esteban Almengor, 41 yrs old, is from David, Chiriquí, Panamá. He is an enthusiastic and determined educator with over 15 years of experience teaching English as a Second Language. He has worked with elementary students to students in higher education. He desires to keep improving his skillset as a teacher. Esteban is comfortable motivating his students through technology and creating educational content on various platforms. His student-centered approach helps him maintain a positive learning environment. He has received recognition for leading school projects that help his students. Esteban is married and has three children. He has volunteered in a recycling programs called “Bottles of Love” for kids and teenagers.

Dayra González, 42 yrs old, is from Dolega, Chiriquí, Panamá. She has been a teacher of English to elementary at three different schools for 24 years in the David area and has continued her education in higher education. She has become an expert in teaching English at the bachelor's and master’s level and beyond. Recently, she completed her master’s in management and supervision. Dayra is eager to participate in the RITE program because it offers an exceptional platform for professional and personal growth as an educator. She also believes that cultural exchange enriches learning experience and fosters mutual understanding which is essential in the context of language education. She is committed to sharing the insights and strategies learned while here with colleagues. She is hoping to return to motivate others and make changes as needed to help her school and community. Using Dayra’s words, “Learning new things every day is one of my personal goals. I like to be updated on the teaching field, and I also like to use technology in my classroom. I am sure this experience will provide more than I expect.” Dayra is a mother of an adult daughter and a teen son. 

Mike Manderino has spent the last 31 years as a coach and teacher. A native of Topeka, Kansas, he was impacted by several influential coaches that introduced him to FCA. During his time teaching and coaching in high school he was an FCA huddle leader and as he moved into a career as a college baseball coach continued to stay close to the FCA vision through coach and player bible studies. Mike's coaching stops include Kansas, California, Colorado, North Carolina and Italy. He is married to Jenny Manderino and has two stepdaughters Annika and Savana, both live in the Wichita area. 

Sara Sawer, MPH, RD, LD

Sara is a Registered Dietitian and the Nutrition, Health & Wellness Agent for K-State Research and Extension Sedgwick County. In this role, she helps adults in Sedgwick County make simple, sustainable changes to improve their health, manage chronic conditions, and feel their best. Sara also collaborates with community partners to find creative, practical solutions for improving access to healthy foods in the area.

With a Bachelor’s in Dietetics from Kansas State University and a Master of Public Health from the University of Kansas, Sara combines expertise and passion to support healthier communities.

Amy Draut, MPP

Amy is the EFNEP and SNAP-Ed Agent for K-State Research and Extension Sedgwick County. In this role, she oversees a team of nutrition educators who help individuals and families in Sedgwick County make the healthy choice the easy choice by encouraging small behavior changes related to food choices, physical activity, and food resource management. EFNEP and SNAP-Ed work with community partners to bring nutrition education to the places people eat, live, work, shop, learn, worship, and play.

With a Bachelor’s in Political Science from Wichita State University and Master of Public Policy from Northeastern University, Amy is passionate about helping community partners implement changes to impact policies, systems, and environments that address the root causes of hunger and poverty, and improve access to healthy and affordable foods.

Topic: Kitchen Restore

The Kitchen Restore program provides kitchen starter kits to low-resource households. Adult participants in K-State Research and Extension nutrition education programs serving individuals at or below 185% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL) are eligible for a kit. Kits include a range of items to help households prepare and eat more nutritious meals at home.

Funding for Kitchen Restore is made possible through donations and grants. We are grateful to West Wichita Rotary for the sponsorship and support they have provided for this initiative.