October 21 program - BHC Health

Black Hawk County Health Department Director

Dr. Nafissa Cisse-Egbuonye is the public health director for Black Hawk County Health Department. She earned her doctoral degree in public health education from Texas A& M University and her Master’s in Public health from San Diego State University. Dr. Cisse-Egbuonye has worked with different organizations conducting research, implementing health promotion programs, and advocating for the vulnerable populations. Furthermore, She is person coming from a diverse background and fluent in four major languages. She is accustomed to various cultures, which is necessary when developing public health programs nationally and globally.

October 14 Program - Verve Kombucha

There's a new drink in town. The Cedar Valley is seeing a new business serving the latest trends of kombucha. Verve Kombucha started as a dream from Sidecar Coffee. Verve partners Alex Hottle and Andy Fuchtman brewed it for their own consumption. Fuchtman approached Hottle to expand the drink into a new business in Waterloo. Learn more here.

Rotarian of the Week - Nick Rossman

Years in Rotary - 1st Year

Hometown - Dubuque, Iowa

College - BA, University of Northern Iowa; MLIS, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Occupation – Interim Director, Waterloo Public Library

Fave Food - Probably anything with Pork Belly

Fave movie - Big Lebowski

Random fact about yourself - I have an absurd collection of retro video game systems and games.

Favorite quote - "Humor is the affectionate communication of insight" Leo Rosten

World Polio Day

The world is THIS close to being polio-free. In October, we recognize World Polio Day and it just so happens to be the birth month of District Governor Michelle Bell. There is nothing she wants more for her birthday than your help with a donation to Rotary’s End Polio Now campaign. Let’s help honor Michelle’s birthday with a special gift.

Click on this link to donate now or send a check made out to The Rotary Foundation with a happy birthday message to: Rotary District 5970, PO Box 445, New Hampton, Iowa 50659.

Upcoming Programs

One reason we have amazing programs and speakers is to entice more community leaders to be a part of our club. Invite someone to have lunch and learn about one of these upcoming topics!

October 28 - Cedar Falls CAPS Program. The Center for Advanced Professional Studies (CAPS) represents the collaboration of education, business and community, providing students with a unique, immersive experience, resulting in highly skilled, adaptable, global innovators and leaders. Dr. Alba Aguillon, is the Director of the Medical & Health Sciences Division of CAPS. Learn more about CAPS and the variety of strands they offer students in Northeast Iowa.

October Birthdays

At our meeting October 7th, we'll celebrate these Rotarians who were born in October!

Lind, Mike - Oct 04

Heaton, Bob - Oct 07

Carignan, Steve - Oct 10

Paulsen, Chuck - Oct 10

Bovenmyer, Samuel D. - Oct 12

Durbahn, Mark - Oct 13

Englin, Kaye - Oct 15

Stanford, Doug - Oct 15

Gallagher III, E. J. - Oct 16

Nash, Philip - Oct 16

Schmitt, Steven - Oct 16

Kuiper, Mark - Oct 19

Ericson, Marcella - Oct 25

Beecher, John - Oct 27

Rotarian of the Week - Dr. Todd Holcomb

Years in Rotary – 10 years

Hometown – Tipton IA

College – Truman State University, Texas Tech University, University of Georgia

Occupation – President, Hawkeye Community College

Fave Food – Spaghetti and meatballs

Fave movie – Patch Adams

Random fact about yourself – 10-year participant in RAGBRAI

Favorite quote – “To have made even one person’s life a little better, that is to succeed.” – Thoreau.

One Rotary Summits

5970 District will be presenting One Rotary Summits, emphasizing how we as Rotarians and Rotaractors are Connected by Our Rotary Stories. The summits emphasize the relationship among Membership, Public Image, and Humanitarian Service through The Rotary Foundation and is a unique and effective way to help club members understand and become truly engaged in the opportunities offered by Rotary and Rotaract.

October 29, 2019 - Cedar Rapids - Matthew 25 - 2201 3rd Avenue SW - Register.

Please register as soon as possible...don't miss this awesome training opportunity!

Sign in to member access at www.district5970.org to register for a One Rotary Summit near you! If you have any trouble with the registration process, email Suellen Kolbet at des@district5970.org and she will register you!

October 7th Program

October Birthdays & President-Elect Annie will interview Assistant District Governor Phil Nash

Phil is a past president and a 7 year veteran of the Waterloo Downtown Rotary Club. He is working alongside District Governor Michelle Bell to connect the local clubs in the Cedar Valley. He is the liaison between our clubs and the District Governor. Learn more about Phil, his new role, and how you can be part of the new hashtag movement...#FlatPaulHarris

Rotarian of the Week - Micki McCracken

Years in Rotary - This is my 1st year in Rotary

Hometown - Waterloo, Iowa

College - Upper Iowa University

Occupation - Deputy Director at Tri-County Head Start

Fave Food - Tacos

Fave movie - Grease

Random fact about yourself - I love dogs and have two that own me, an Irish Setter and a Gordon Setter, Dublin and Austin

Favorite quote - " Be the change you wish to see in the world"

7-Time Paul Harris Fellow Jeff Halverson

The PAUL HARRIS Fellow is an award given to those who have given $1,000 dollars possibly over several years to our foundation or by a sponsor that has given the money in their name for extraordinary services rendered. It is one of the most prestigious awards in Rotary and thereby named after the founder of Rotary, Paul Harris.

A multiple Paul Harris Fellow is a Paul Harris Fellow who has contributed additional $1000 gifts to the Foundation.

Giving any sum of money to the Rotary Foundation makes you a part of the eradication of Polio, a partner in creating PEACE, a person who supports Clean Water and Sanitation where water is worth more than gold, it is measured in LIVES. It makes you someone who believes that all babies, children and moms should have good medical resources, micro-credit and equal rights. You are a person that is fighting Aids, Polio, Malaria and other diseases and doing so much more than I could ever tell you in these few short minutes.

Jeff, your contribution to the Rotary Foundation of Rotary International is improving living conditions and providing educational opportunities for young people all over the world. A truly selfless act.

Therefore, it gives me great pleasure to present to you, on behalf of the Trustees of the Rotary Foundation, this emblem of a SEVEN TIMES Paul Harris Fellow.

-Foundation Chair Deborah D. Pullin-Van Auken

September 23 Program

J. Wilson is the Minister of Iowa Beer for the Iowa Brewers Guild. He serves on the Iowa Wine & Beer Promotion Board; organizes events such as the Iowa Craft Brew Festival, i-BEST technical conference, and the Drinking Pants Pageant; and testified before a United States congressional subcommittee in 2015. A certified beer judge with more than a decade of experience in and around the brewing industry, Wilson has written about beer online and in print for outlets such as CNN, Zymurgy, and All About Beer, and has authored two books on the subject.

September 16 Program

Jamie Siefken is the General Manager / Executive Vice President of Cedar Ridge Distillery. He will be presenting information about this unique business located near Swisher, Iowa. The business started with the Quint family which has farmed and distilled spirits for generations. In 2005, Jeff Quint founded Cedar Ridge because he believed it was time for Iowa–the number one corn-producing state in the U.S.–to share its homegrown Bourbon Whiskey with the world. Cedar Ridge was the first licensed distillery in Iowa since Prohibition. After releasing its first batch of whiskey in 2010, Cedar Ridge Distillery quickly became a nationally recognized leader in craft spirits, winning multiple awards such as American Distilling Institute’s “2017 Distiller of the Year” or “Best American Craft Whiskey” at the 2016 New York World Spirits Competition.

September 9th Program

Rotary Spotlight - Live Interview with Hops & Grapes sponsored organizations: House of Hope & Boys & Girls Club - brought to you by Chuck & Barb.

We also introduced these new members:

Dr. Todd Holcomb – Hawkeye Community College President

Nick Rossman –Waterloo Public Library

Micki McCracken – Tri-County Child & Family Development Council, Deputy Director

Star Rupe – President and CEO of Goodwill Industries (not pictured)

Hurricane Dorian Relief

With many things happening this first week of September, we find ourselves thinking about those that are seeking shelter and recovery from Hurricane Dorian. It will not be enough to just think about them, there are ways Rotarians can get involved by making donations to organizations.

The Rotary Foundation provides Disaster Response Grants to the areas affected by the hurricane, which are funded through on-line donations. The quickest and easiest way to give is online on Rotary’s website at this link: https://my.rotary.org/en/donate and direct your gift to the Disaster Response Fund. (Please note that the donations will be credited toward a Rotarian’s Annual Giving, but will not apply to Share or District Designated Funds.)

You will also find a few more organizations and Rotary Districts that are raising funds for Hurricane Dorian relief on Rotary’s website. They can be found at this link: https://www.rotary.org/en/our-causes/disaster-response . (Please be aware that gifts to these organizations may be charitable gifts, but may not count toward a Rotarian’s Annual Giving since they are not given to The Rotary Foundation.)

Thank you for your support to help our Rotarians who are in dire need of help as they work to recover from this horrible disaster. Our prayers are with all who have been impacted by this storm.

Michelle Bell

5970 District Governor

September Birthdays

Join us on the 9th to honor these Rotarians born in September:

Wade Itzen	Sep 02
Steve Weidner	Sep 06
Kevin Sonnenberg	Sep 7
John Bunge '02	Sep 09
Dave Lederman	Sep 12
Annie Vander Werff	Sep 13
Gene Leonhart	Sep 14
Bryan Burton	Sep 15
Bari Richter	Sep 16
Larry Steffens	Sep 23
Nick Hildebrandt	Sep 24
Adam Schaefer	Sep 24
Deb Pullin-Van Auken	Sep 26
Jeff Halverson '13	Sep 28

9-3-19 UPDATE from President Mark:

I found out today at lunch that Shoebox volunteers are not needed this week. The first semi-trailer truck has been packed and is all ready to go. The next semi-truck trailer has yet to arrive. We may have a last call for volunteers coming up so please pay attention to upcoming emails.

Thank you to all of the Rotarians that were able to help last week and this weekend and thank you to the Rotarians that donated to the cause.

Mark

The Shoebox Project is really taking form this week as HUNDREDS of filled shoeboxes will be arriving in Waterloo. Chief Shoebox Wrangler Steve Thorpe is looking for several capable hands to demonstrate "Service Above Self" and do some light lifting and carrying. Separate events have been posted to the EVENTS page on our website, and you can register yourself as well as friends, family, co-workers, etc. for short shifts that will make all the difference in the world to the people in Nicaragua. As new tasks are identified, we'll add more events to that page with brief descriptions of the tasks.

This is our club's signature project and our club is known nationwide for our efforts to help distressed families in Nicaragua - be sure to lend your hands!

Click this link to see the available shifts and fill the suggested number of helpers needed so Steve can focus on the logistics of getting TRUCKLOADS of love on the long road down south!

August 26th Program - $100 million theme park

A waterpark was only the beginning. Thanks to the Bertch family, Waterloo will soon be home to a one-of-a-kind theme park as well. After a ribbon cutting August 23rd, Eric Bertch joined us August 26th to share more of the details and highlights that led up to and will go into adding a $100 million theme park to the already amazing waterpark.

The owners of Bertch Cabinet, whose prior endeavors have earned local, national and global plaudits, raised the ante by announcing their intention to build a $100 million theme park with roller coasters and other thrill rides.

The park would have five “lands” and a 30-acre lake on 200 acres of farmland on Shaulis Road across the street from their nationally recognized Lost Island Waterpark and the neighboring Isle Casino Hotel Waterloo.

Construction could begin in August. A summer 2022 opening is planned. Learn more by clicking here.

House of Hope Needs Your Votes

**Voting is now closed, winners will be announced September 25th

$25,000 Grant Opportunity for House of Hope's Boost Program

Megan Kugler presented this huge opportunity at our August 12th meeting. House of Hope has been selected as one of our beneficiary organizations for Hops & Grapes, and this is a simple way to help them win some extra money from a national grant program. You can vote 10 times per email address for House of Hope to support local single mothers in the job shadow program Boost. Click the link below and cast your 10 votes from each of your email addresses!

Single mother families are the fastest growing population of homeless in Iowa, 70% struggling for economic security. There are no other programs offering this unique opportunity to homeless mothers in the Cedar Valley. Boost is an 8 week internship program providing women at House of Hope with an opportunity to achieve employment earning a livable wage.

Submit 10 Votes for House of Hope: State Farm Neighborhood Assist Grant Opportunity

https://www.neighborhoodassist.com/entry/2023783

Hops & Grapes Beneficiaries

House of Hope and Boys and Girls Club were voted by Rotarians as the beneficiaries of the Hops and Grapes fundraiser!

House of Hope is a 2-year transitional house for single mothers with children, as well as women aging out of foster care. House of Hope walks alongside women as they overcome barriers to independence, and provides a support system for them. Through providing individualized case management and housing, their vision is to end the cycle of homelessness for single mothers and at-risk women in the Cedar Valley.

Boys & Girls Clubs of the Cedar Valley has focused on providing program opportunities to nurture the youth of the community for more than 50 years. At their facilities children can trust that they:

· Will find adults who will respect and listen to them

· Have a safe environment to have fun and be themselves

· Experience constructive activities to channel their energy into challenging pursuits

As the challenges facing the young people of our communities change, their staff remains as dedicated as ever to provide them with constructive programming that will make them more responsible. Members tend to achieve better academic grades, miss fewer days of school and display more positive behavior.

THANK YOU! Many of you have offered a basket, gift card, cash donation, or creative auction item to support the Hops & Grapes event. If you haven't invited your employer or favorite Cedar Valley hotspot to contribute yet, please do. You can use this letter to make it an official request. Please bring your items to Rotary on September 9th. Not going to be at the meeting? No problem, contact Annie at annie.vanderwerff@chihaiti.org or (641) 780-0993 and we can arrange an exchange!

Paul Harris Awards Presented

4 Waterloo Rotarians were honored August 19th for their contributions to the Rotary Foundation and improving living conditions and providing educational opportunities for young people all around in the world. Rotary Foundation Chair Deb Pullin-Van Aucken presented each of these already Paul Harris Fellows with a new foundation pin for marking their continued support.

Jerry Maifield is a 6+ fellow with a ruby on his pin, Kathy Braun is a +4 fellow with 4 sapphires, Annie VanderWerff is a +1 fellow with 1 sapphire, and EJ Gallagher is a +4 fellow with 4 sapphires on his new pin. Each "+" indicates a $1,000 contribution to the Rotary Foundation, a registered charity that supports the efforts of Rotary International to achieve world understanding and peace through international humanitarian, educational, and cultural exchange programs. It is supported solely by voluntary contributions from Rotarians and friends of the Foundation who share its vision of a better world.