Ponca City Rotary is topping off a busy holiday season as they finish up one of their annual projects. In 2008, the club began their participation in The Dictionary Project by presenting personalized dictionaries to every 3rd grader in Ponca City. Over the years the project has expanded to include all of the 3rd grade students in Kay County schools. Once this year’s presentations are complete, the club will have presented over 9,000 dictionaries.
The dictionaries are designed especially for that age group and feature much more than just words and definitions. There are maps, tables, charts and much more. According to project chairman Zac Robertson, “One of the students’ favorite things is the American Sign Language chart. They seem to find it first thing and start immediately trying to spell their names.” In a thank you note, one of the students wrote, “I love the maps. One day I hope to visit some of those places.” Another wrote, “I love the periodic table. I’m going to be a scientist.”
The project is accomplished with help from local sponsors and volunteer efforts from club members. When the dictionaries are delivered, Rotarians take time to visit with the students about Rotary and what it means to be a service organization. For some students, just having a book that is their very own is something special. Tina Mantz, Lincoln Elementary teacher, and Newkirk resident shared the following about her grandson Cole Mantz, “I wanted to let you know about how proud of that dictionary Cole is!!!! Got it out of his bag to show me. ‘Look YaYa!!! It even has my name!’ Occasionally, all weekend, I saw him reading it. Apparently, there is the world’s longest word somewhere in there and he is bound and determined to figure out how to say it!”
In the middle of the dictionary project, there were other Ponca City Rotary projects taking place. In November they launched their Bean Challenge to benefit Ponca City NERA (New Emergency Resource Agency). In just three weeks, members collected over 1,000 cans of beans that were delivered to NERA. Darrell Mendiola, club community service chair said, “Helping some of our community members who are most in need is important to us. We know that the holiday season is not easy for everyone.”
That project was followed by an early December effort to gather supplies for a student in Ponca City Public Schools’ Teen Pep program. The club’s relationship with the Teen Pep program is long-standing and ongoing. “Helping young parents continue their education is important and we want to help in any way we can,” said Mendiola.
To finish up the year, club members worked as greeters for the Festival of Angels light festival. “When the Festival began in 1994, it was a Ponca City Rotary project,” said club president T.L Walker, “and although the club has helped out as greeters for many years, we wanted to find a way to renew that original connection.” In response to that desire, the club partnered with A+ Printing to print maps for the festival. The maps were designed by club member Brook Lindsay and the printing was donated by Chad and Paige Winslow of A+. Paige shared “I grew up helping set up all the light displays. It holds a special place in my heart and childhood memories!”
As the club moves into 2024, there are new projects on the horizon. Walker said, “We’re always looking for new ways to engage our members in service to our community. It’s what we do.”
All three Lincoln Elementary 3rd grade classes received dictionaries from Ponca City Rotary. In addition to the students, the adults pictured are teachers Molly Smith, Summer Whitted, and Andrea Ryan, along with community service chair, Darrell Mendiola and dictionary project chair Zac Robertson.