Rotary Takes Over Leavenworth with ‘Imagine Rotary Reimagined’ District Conference - ‘a new way to conference’

LEAVENWORTH - Rotary District 5060 is excited to unveil a unique, first-of-its-kind conference coming to Leavenworth May 19-21. Designed to provide a transformative experience for all participants, for the first time ever, Rotary is opening the annual district conference and all associated events to the general public this year.

“We’ve turned it inside out,” explains conference executive producer Colin Brine. “This conference is not about what participants can sit and listen to, it’s about what kind of new experience they can create on their own, it’s about relationship building, it’s about imagining a new future not just for Rotary, but for themselves and the world they live in.”

There are so many activities surrounding the conference, in fact, that the City of Leavenworth issued a proclamation officially declaring the week of the conference “Rotary Week in Leavenworth.”

In a break from tradition, Rotary is inviting the general public to participate in any and all of its conference events. Here are some of the highlights planned for the upcoming event:

• Prologue Events: A series of social events in the days leading up to the official start of the conference starting Wednesday, May 17.

• Going Green Golf Tournament and Game Olympics - May 17, 9 a.m. - 1 p.m., at the Leavenworth Golf Club with events for golfers and non-golfers alike.

• The Great Leavenworth Geo-Hunt - May 17, 2 - 5 p.m., will send participants on a discovery/scavenger hunt around town.

• Roady Rally for the Environment - May 18, 9:30 a.m. - 1 p.m., takes participants on 2.5-hour journey of discovery by car.

• Tour de Leavenworth Discovery Ride - May 18, 2 - 6 p.m. is two-hour guided bike or e-Bike tour, led by Bavarian E-Bike Tours co-owner Tom Potter.

• US vs. Canada Mini-Golf Tournament - May 19, 12:30 - 2:30 p.m., at the Icicle Village Resort features a silent art auction and prizes for the winners.

• Special guests: The conference itself will feature entertaining and inspirational presentations from Olympic gold-medal winning cross-country skier Kikkan Randall and mountaineering legend Ed Viesturs. In addition, The Paperboys will play a private, live concert in the Leavenworth Festhalle for all attendees and their families. The entire event will be led by Master Facilitator James Carter.

• “Build a Dream” Bikes for Tikes program: Conference organizers plan to give away 100 bikes, helmets, locks, and backpacks to youth in need.

• Rotary Causes Expo Village: “Rotary Cause Vendors” will line the blocks around the Leavenworth Festhalle during the three days of the conference, with booths featuring local organizations whose products or missions align with one or more of

Rotary’s Seven Causes.

• Community Impact Project and Team Challenges: Participants will focus on building together to create a positive impact on the community through guided activities designed in part by the participants themselves.

• Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA): Rotary is working to provide scholarships for up to 100 high-school age students to participate directly in this year’s conference, as part of the annual RYLA Camp taking place at the Lake Wenatchee YMCA Camp.

“Imagine Rotary Reimagined” is the second annual district conference to be held by Rotary District 5060 since before the COVID pandemic. The district conference is hosted in the home of its 2022-23 District Governor, Karl Ruether of Leavenworth.

Rotary International is one of the world’s largest non-profit service organizations, counting more than 1.2 million members in over 32,000 clubs across 200 countries. The Rotary motto, “Service Above Self” guides their efforts to create positive impacts on the communities where they live and work, as well as on a global scale. To find out more or to register for any of the events listed above, visit rotaryreimagined.com.