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 Mary Ann Burk and the Community Foundation she heads are making a difference in our communities which will continue forever.

Every day we benefit from the gifts that nonprofit charitable organizations give to our communities  

The Community Foundation of Northeast Iowa is a leading voice and catalyst for connecting donors, nonprofit organizations, professional advisors, community leaders and other partners to inspire charitable giving and improve the quality of life in communities across the state.
            It works with donors and nonprofit organizations to educate them about issues affecting their communities and offer support for their charitable goals.
          Due to the generosity and vision of all our donors, the Community Foundation is able to build stronger, healthier communities across Northeast Iowa today, and in the future.  

Today Mary Ann Burk, its president and CEO,will remind us of the success of the foundation over the years in building our community.

Fellow member Bill Roths submitted this Opportunity To Serve: The City of Parkersburg needs our help. The playground in the park was destroyed by last year's tornado and they are set to rebuild it better than ever.

They have the funding. They have the materials. Now they just need the labor. MidWestOne Bank is sponsoring an employee build day for the Parkersburg playground on Thursday, April 16. We are seeking volunteers who would like to spend the day outside helping rebuild the playground. No special expertise is needed! This is the first day of the build project, so there will be plenty to do. You may want to include that the planned build days are April 16-19 and April 23-25. The city already has plenty of volunteers for the weekend dates, but more are needed for the Thursday and Friday dates. Amy Truax is the contact person for volunteers. Her email is ajtruax@aol.com and her phone numbers are work 319.243.2111 and cell 515-371-0251

There are many needs in our community, some of which simply need extra hands to get a project completed.  These "Opportunities To Serve" will be posted on our website, and I urge you to consider volunteering your time as a Waterloo Rotarian.  Click the "EVENTS" link at the top of the page, then look for "OTS".  You can register for these events online if you login.

-Mason

               Two former and valued club members have re-joined us and President Mason has dubbed them "re-members." They are Warren Wiele and Kathleen Wernimont. Please welcome them back. If you know of other former members who could "re-member," please let them know they are welcome.   Send a message to President Mason, and he will contact them directly with a personal invitiation to "re-member".

            In addition, the club met new member Bryant Ward, proposed by Bette Wubbena. Bryant works for the Isle Hotel and Casino where he is in charge of bus tours.

            For her efforts, Bette received $50 which she decided to give to the Rotary Foundation to start Bryant on his way to becoming a Paul Harris Fellow.

              It was a very brief part of the March 30 program, but an important one. President Mason reported on the Nominating Committee's slate of officers and directors for next year and then asked for a voice vote. The new leaders are:

            Steve Carignan, President

            Amber Jedlicka, President Elect

            Mason Fromm, Immediate Past President

            Bill Robert, Sergeant at Arms, and

            Todd Rohlfsen, secretary treasurer.

            In addition, we elected five members to serve two-year terms on the Board; they are Ken Cutts, Sue Hennings, Al Ricks, Sindee Kleckner and Tom Arthur.

            Five board members elected last year will serve their second year on the board. They are Brad Smith, Bettty Steege, Bill Roths, Shannon Farlow and Amber Jedlicka.

This year's Duck Race to raise funds for the Rotary Foundation will be held at the District Conference May 1st & 2nd.  Bring $5 per duck for your chance to win $500 towards your Paul Harris Fellowship.

This year's Duck Meister is Tom Arthur, with assistance from Chris Hurley and Sue Beach.  The Mason City Sunrise Club has organized this annual event, with all proceeds going to the Rotary Foundation, benefiting programs like Group Study Exchange, Youth Exchange, Polio Plus, and Matching Grants.

Our district has contributed almost $150,000 to the Foundation through the Duck Race.  In fact, our own Bill Robert has "won" 2 fellowships!

Be the first to email me this Rotarian's name - I'll reveal his identity in the next Reporter, so stay tuned!