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Rossing a true humanitarian
Kurtis J. Wood/Post-Register
Dave Rossing, the president of Quincy’s Kiwanis chapter, hopes the club’s corn maze is a success this year.
Dave Rossing has been retired for 12 years now, but he’s made a marked effort to keep himself plenty busy. It’s definitely in his personality to stay active, but he also feels as if it’s time for him to give back to the community that has been good to himself and his family over the years.
His post-retirement activities could classify Rossing as a humanitarian of sorts.
“It’s very much important to me (to give back),” said Rossing, who spent three decades as a teacher and principal. “I have a commitment to the community. There are a lot of good things to do here. You get to know people on a daily basis.
“I touch base with parents I had dealt with over the years, and kids, and now those kids are grown up and have families. I run into them every day. It’s a friendly atmosphere. A lot of people were responsive to what we tried to do at the schools. It’s a good feeling. I’m proud to live in Quincy and intend to stay.”
One of the ways Rossing gives back to Quincy is through his involvement in Quincy Valley Kiwanis. He’s one of five charter members from when the service club started in 1980.
He’s currently president of the club.
“We focus on children,” he said. “We assist the community by focusing on kids. We’re happy to do that. Whether it’s through things like Toys for Christmas, or the Reading is Fundamental program, scholarships or sponsoring the Key Club at the high school, whatever needs that surface, we’re happy to support the cause.”
Rossing’s background as an educator makes him a natural fit with Kiwanis’ focus on children.
“I learned what kids need, so (my involvement in Kiwanis) is a natural extension,” Rossing said. “We help each other. When members take a look at what kids need, or when a principal or teacher comes to us with a request, I have the background to understand what they’re after and support the club.”
One of the club’s current projects is readying the Quincy Valley Corn Maze for another year of enjoyment. Kiwanis, along with the Quincy Valley Lions Club, is sponsoring the maze, which will be open every weekend from Labor Day through Halloween.
The maze, which Kiwanis started seven years ago at the suggestion of local farmer Rich Royston, is subject to relocation from year to year based on field rotations, but will be at the same location this fall as it was last year — two miles south of town on Highway 281, close to Road 7.
“We have tremendous support from the local agriculture companies who provide the fertilizer and seed that we need, as well as the spraying,” Rossing said.
Kiwanis holds a design contest for the maze that students from the fourth to 12th grade can compete in. The winner earns a savings bond and sees his or her design implemented into the maze.
“Quincy has signs that say, ‘Opportunities Unlimited,’ and with the corn maze, we wanted to provide an opportunity for the kids to have fun,” Rossing said. “It also gives the parents a positive, economical opportunity to work with their kids. There’s also a lot of educational opportunities with it.”
Rossing said the maze, which has started to attract student groups from neighboring towns such as Almira, Coulee City, Leavenworth and Chelan, has been a success.
“It’s been well received,” he said. “Once we start advertising, we’ve got lots of groups that are quick to sign up. We’re looking now to have it as an annual activity. We’ve got somebody assigned to locating ground for next year.”
Rossing and his wife, Elaine, have two grown daughters — Rita, who works in Sierra Leone, West Africa, for Plan International, a child-centered development charity; and Rhonda, who works for the National Science Foundation at the University of Montana.
Another way Rossing is involved in the community is through is work with the local chapter of Habitat for Humanity.
The group has built five homes in Quincy since its inception, and Rossing has been involved in all five, from just pounding nails to organizing construction.
“We’ve got two more vacant lots, and we want to get ready to construct another house, but our limited number of volunteers had dwindled,” he said. “Until we get that pool put together, it’s hard to start a house. The last house we did took us a year and a half, and that’s a long time. We need professionals with the skills to guide us, and until then it will be hit and miss.”
Habitat For Humanity is an international, ecumenical Christian, nongovernmental, nonprofit organization devoted to building simple, decent and affordable housing. Homes are built using volunteer labor, as well at 500 hours of “sweat equity” from the family themselves, and are sold at no profit.
Rossing got his interest in Habitat for Humanity when he was able to listen to a talk given in Seattle several years back by Habitat for Humanity founder Millard Fuller and became inspired.
“I was encouraged to hear what he had to say,” Rossing said. “I figured it would be something I’d enjoy doing, and it’d take my interests and tie them to a community need.”
It’s not always easy work, but it’s tremendously rewarding for Rossing.
“Every one of the houses that we’ve built has improved the quality of the city, and has helped the community grow. I take a lot of pride in it,” he said.
