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 Friday, Eric Bertch will join us on Monday 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.
LAST DAY TO VOTE!! $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
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!
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.
Programs the Rotary Foundation supports include Polio Plus – a program designed to eradicate Polio from the world. It supports Humanitarians programs, including grants to fund club and district service projects – and matching grants for international projects. The Foundation also supports educational programs – like ambassadorial scholarships, Group Study Exchange, Rotary Grants for University Teachers, and Rotary World Peace Scholarships,
50% of the money we donate to the Rotary Foundation comes back to our District. 50% then goes to the World Fund, and the club can apply for grants from that pool.
The Paul Harris Fellowship is named for Paul Harris, who founded Rotary over 100 years ago – and, incidentally, graduated from the University of Iowa College of Law. The Fellowship was established in his honor in 1957 to express appreciation and recognition for a contribution of $1,000 to The Rotary Foundation.
9/9 - Rotary Spotlight - Live Interview with Hops & Grapes sponsored organizations: House of Hope & Boys & Girls Club - brought to you by Chuck & Barb, plus September Birthdays
9/16 - Jamie Siefken with Cedar Ridge Winery & Distillery
9/23 - J Wilson with Iowa Brewers Guild
9/26 (Thursday) - Hops & Grapes
9/30 - No Meeting (Members encouraged to attend Hops & Grapes)
Hi all, let’s make the shoebox project a success again this year. We have a lot to do. To help us complete this project successfully, please review the list below and email one of the contacts with your pledge:
Shoebox Project To Do List
Please commit to filling additional shoeboxes so our club can meet our goal of 75 shoeboxes filled. If you haven’t signed up for a shoebox it’s not too late, they are due September 6th.
.jpg)
