Get to know the soon-to-be President-Elect of our Rotary Club. A retired attorney and active Rotarian; Mr. Gallagher has worn many hats in the Cedar Valley community and beyond!
E.J. Gallagher III was born in Washington D.C. and came back with his Iowan parents to Waterloo in June of 1950. He graduated from Columbus High School after kindergarten at Kingsley and grades one to 8 at St. Edward’s. He got an undergraduate degree from the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul followed by a law degree from Georgetown University in Washington D.C. He was admitted to practice law in Iowa in 1974 and spent a year back in Washington D.C. working for a special Federal commission studying wiretapping law.
Lowell is the former police chief of Rockwell City and a former member of the city’s maintenance department. He served more than 30 years on the city’s fire department and is an active member of the Rockwell City Rotary Club.
Lowell's installation celebration is scheduled for June 28, 2020, at the Twin Lakes Golf Club in Rockwell City. Register to attend.
A Message from Outgoing District Governor, Michelle Bell...
As Rotarians, we know this phrase is true: Rotary Opens Opportunities. Chosen as the 2020-2021 Rotary theme, these are words to live by for all clubs. But what does “opening opportunities” mean for individual Rotarians?
I’ve collected a few ideas I’ve observed throughout my tenure as 5970 District Governor:
Rotary clubs in districts across Italy worked together to procure state-of-the-art equipment needed to combat the deadly coronavirus disease for 26 hospitals around the country.
Join us for the last meeting of our Rotary year...and what a memorable year it ended up being! Our president-elect Annie Vander Werff is expected to ceremoniously accept the gavel from 2019-2020 president Mark Durbahn. As the world grapples with COVID-19 and finds ways to keep our businesses operating, personal connections intact, and traditions alive, Annie will need each member to support our efforts and come out of this as a stronger club. We've shown that we won't let a global pandemic stop us from fellowship, and service to our community has come in the form of weekly financial support to organizations directly impacted. Look for the good work of our club to continue as we transition to new club leaders!
Dr. Kime is the author of "Cancer is Kicking my Butt, but I have a really Big Butt."
She was raised in Taiwan under the Traditional Chinese Medicine environment. Dr. Kime received her Masters from Southern Illinois University in 1994. She then attended Palmer College of Chiropractic, after raising her 5 child family, graduating in 2010. While studying at Palmer, Dr. Kime traveled to Chicago to obtain her Acupuncture certification from National University of Health Sciences.
Congratulations to Executive Director, Barb Prather, for this well-deserved Ovation Award, courtesy of theIowa Women's Foundation, that celebrates hard-working Iowa women in leadership.
The Hail Mary Project is a sports-based youth development after school program that combines athletics, dialogue, and mentoring all into one fun activity that promotes resilience, brotherhood, respect, and accountability. The mission and purpose is to reduce recidivism by preventing juvenile delinquency, by providing opportunities to young people who otherwise may not experiencesuch things. The foundation of this is based on positive, caring relationships.
The #Rotary Club of Panaji Riviera worked with the India Red Cross Society to fund and distribute boxes of food for nearly five thousand homeless and impoverished members of their community during the #COVID19 pandemic.
Here is a beautiful video curated and executed by our young talent at the Interact Club Sharada Mandir of the Rotary Club of Panaji Riviera aimed at building awareness around the Corona Pandemic plauging the world over.
The Fair Chance Ordinance was passed to remove barriers to employment, reduce recidivism, and give a second chance to deserving Iowans. Waterloo business owners and HR professionals are encouraged to register for a webinar Wednesday, June 17th at 8:30 am. Participants will learn about why the City of Waterloo enacted the ordinance and how hiring processes for Waterloo businesses may be impacted because of it. This presentation will provide actionable steps and resources to comply with the ordinance that goes into effect July 1, 2020.
Did you know our club has a "Birthday Machine"? Several years ago, one of our esteemed members Tom Arthur bought the club an electronic Radon detector to be shared among our members. Tom was moved by one of our presentations about Radon and the prevalence of the radioactive gas in many midwestern homes. Radon increases the risk of lung cancer and is the second leading cause of lung cancer next to smoking. The original Radon detector needed to be re-calibrated after many years of use, so Steve and Liz Thorpe stepped up to purchase a new and easier-to-use battery-powered detector for our club. Each month during the birthday table, Mason encourages members to check out the detector to take home and collect some readings, then use that information to buy a chemical test or seek a professional mitigation company. Think of it as a machine that helps your family have MORE BIRTHDAYS...it's a birthday machine!
Fellow Rotarian Phil Nash recently returned the unit and had this to share with the club:
Today's speaker is Norah Schlax, an AmeriCorps Member with Iowa Heartland Habitat for Humanity. She works in marketing and volunteer outreach. She graduated in May of 2019 with a degree in Innovation and Entrepreneurship from Clarkson University and moved to Iowa for a summer AmeriCorps position with Green Iowa where she worked weekly with Iowa Heartland. She fell in love with the mission of Iowa Heartland and took a year long AmeriCorps position here. Norah will be coming on as their Marketing Outreach Manager after her AmeriCorps term finishes up in August!
Our presentation gives a brief overview about the history of Habitat and then moves into what the Iowa Heartland Affiliate has done/is doing in the Cedar Valley and surrounding communities.
The #Rotary Virtual Convention allows you to enjoy inspiring general sessions and educational breakout sessions while connecting with other members, all from your own home.
WATERLOO, Iowa (KWWL) - With the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, now more than ever is a time when kids need extra meals during the summer when school is out.
The Northeast Iowa Food Bank's summer feeding program is getting help from eastern Iowa communities to assist children at risk of going hungry.
The traditional VGM Heartland Conference scheduled for next week has been cancelled but will be back next year bigger and better than ever. Our club has been invited to assist again next year. For several years, our club has provided volunteers to serve as "room monitors" for the breakout sessions. VGM has been kind in return for our services by supporting our club's major initiatives. Thanks to all who signed up to volunteer this year, but the revised "virtual" 2020 conference will not require our club members to volunteer in-person. Any questions? Email Katelyn Tungland!
June is the final month of our Rotary year, and it’s also one of the best months in giving to The Rotary Foundation, second only to December.
Have you made your gift to the Foundation?
Our 2019-20 District Annual Fund goal is $236,630. To date we’ve raised $194,202 (82%).
Our 2019-20 District PolioPlus goal is $381,706. To date we’ve raised $376,109 (98%).
For those of you who can, and want to, please make your gift by June 30. Not because I’m asking, but because of the life-changing impact your gift will have on children needing polio vaccine, healthcare workers needing equipment and support to fight Covid-19, schoolkids needing safe and clean water to stay in school, families needing access to affordable medical clinics. And the list goes on. All supported by your gifts to the Rotary Foundation.
Remember that the Rotary Rush is still on until June 10. If you give enough to the Annual Fund that will get you halfway to your first or multiple Paul Harris Fellow level, you will receive matching points for the other half, to allow you to reach the PHF level. Please email John Wasta, District Fundraising Chair, at john.wasta@gmail.com for details. To qualify for Rotary Rush, please remember to designate your gift for the Annual Fund.
How do you make your gift?
The easiest way is make your gift online at www.rotary.org/donate . Be sure to sign in to your myRotary account when you give online. Then let your Club Foundation Chair know you made the gift.
You may also pay by check, payable to The Rotary Foundation, and get it to your Club Foundation Chair and they will send it in.
Thanks to all who have supported the Foundation this year, and to those who will be giving in June!
Businesses allowed to reopen at 50% capacity while following social distancing measures include: casinos, amusement parks, outdoor venues can hold live performances, bowling alleys, speedway, racetracks can reopen events to spectators, pool halls, and arcades
Recreational and social sport gatherings of more than 10 people will be allowed - individuals must remain 6 feet apart and venues are limited to 50% occupation capacity
Bars, wineries, breweries, and distilleries can reopen Thursday, May 28. They must follow the same public health measures as restaurants, including limiting normal operating capacity to 50 percent and social distancing groups of 6 feet. Live bands are also now permitted at bars and restaurants following social distancing guidelines.
Businesses that remain closed will continue to be closed through June 17 and Reynolds said she will continue to monitor whether any other measures should be adjusted.
Nationally only 54% of foster youth will graduate from high school when they exit care at age 18. Only 3% will graduate from college. Although Iowa statistics may be better, most youth aging out of care lack a natural support system that will assist them in celebrating achievements or help to gather needed items as they transition from foster care to their first apartment or college dorm.
This year our club generously contributed to that urgent need. In the past a community wide open house has been held at Hawkeye Community College to celebrate these youth. Obviously this year that event was impossible. In its place a “drive-by“ open house was held. All nine of the kids received a microwave, set of pots and pans, pillow and case, laundry basket, plastic mixing bowl set, can opener, 48 piece silverware and tray, surge protector, flashlight, kitchen towel, cloths and oven mitt, measuring cups and measuring spoons, and first aid kit. Individual community members contributed cards and gift cards. Since the ever popular graduation sheet cake wouldn’t be served at an open house, each student received a small cake with his/her name! They were richly blessed and were very appreciative. Reports are that one family was so excited that they locked themselves out of the house. Ha!
All youth leaving foster care receive a suitcase filled with personal care items, even those not graduating.
Waterloo Rotary’s gift of $100 gift cards to Target were gratefully received. One comment was that leaving the security of the system seemed less scary knowing that they had community support!
Sarah Kopriva is the new Executive Director of Guiding Star Cedar Valley; leading efforts to further establish the organizational mission to empower women, embrace children, and enrich families through their unique healthcare model in the Cedar Falls/Waterloo Community. Sarah believes in a society that honors and protects the beauty of femininity and the unique attributes women bring to our families, workplaces, and communities. Because of this passion, she works to educate and enable women and families to understand and appreciate their healthy, working bodies and develop a community around them to further that support throughout life.
Sarah's talk will introduce GSCV's comprehensive approach to caring for the health of women and their families and bring light to the ways we are helping our community celebrate the dignity of our natural design.
We'll be together again soon and will properly celebrate our members' birthdays in person. Until then, we'll recognize and wish them well from a distance!
Almost 80 percent of the population in Nairobi, Kenya, lives in informal settlements where it’s not unusual for families of day laborers to live together in one house. Surviving day to day on the meager wages they typically earn as shop clerks, construction workers, or domestic employees, as many as eight people cook, do homework, eat, and sleep in these tight quarters.
In short, social distancing is a luxury that many poor Kenyans can’t afford.
“If the [COVID-19] pandemic hits here, like it has in North America and other places, it will be just catastrophic” because of the inability to social distance, says Geeta Manek, a Rotary Foundation trustee-elect and member of the Rotary Club of Muthaiga, Kenya. “We’re working very hard, through preventative measures, desperately trying to keep this thing away from us.”
Shortly after the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic, Joe Otin, governor of Rotary District 9212 (Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, and South Sudan), formed a districtwide response team. Chaired by Nairobi-East Rotarian Joe Kamau, the team is working with clubs across the district to provide hand washing stations, deliver food to families who have lost jobs, and raise money for personal protective equipment.
“When [Kamau] asked what we wanted to do first, we said let’s go with hand washing stations,” says Manek, a member of the response team.
Kayleen Leonard with Best Western Hotel and Michelle Weidner with the City of Waterloo will give us an update on the plans for the hotel and the convention center. They will share renderings, timelines, and answer questions.
Below is a link to an article from last fall about the renovation...
Rotarian Michael Broshar organizes a project to supporter first responders in the area.
Waterloo – Michael Broshar, a Waterloo native and local architect, has designed and donated a water color that supports the First Responders Fund, established earlier this month by the Waterloo Community Foundation. This unique piece of art features a local firefighter, policeman and health care worker, the recipients of the fund’s proceeds. Signed prints are being offered for sale for $150 each. Proceeds above the cost of production will go to the Foundation.
The Waterloo Community Foundation established the First Responders Fund to assist local police, fire and health care workers keep our community and families safe during the COVID-19 crisis. During the month of May, the Foundation will match all donations up to $5,000. One hundred percent (100%) of all donations will go directly to local first responder organizations (no administrative fees will be withheld).
Michael Broshar grew up working in his father’s architecture firm, Thorson Brom Broshar Snyder Architects. Following his education in Iowa and Texas, he located in Minneapolis to begin his career. He returned to Waterloo to practice architecture in the early 1980’s and was named a partner in 1991. The firm grew under his leadership and became INVISION Architecture in the 1990’s with the addition of a Des Moines office. Broshar retired from architectural practice at the end of 2019.
Michael has always had a strong interest in the visual arts, pursuing painting in college and in his early career. In 2013, he renewed his interest in painting, particularly in watercolor. He has studied under John Lovett, Iain Stewart and Alvaro Castegnet, and has had solo shows at the Waterloo Center for the Arts, The Hearst Center and the Iowa Center for Architecture. Broshar is a signature member of the Iowa Watercolor Society.
The Waterloo Community Foundation was formed in 2015 to support Waterloo residents with the confidence that all gifts are being invested in our community efficiently and effectively. Most importantly, we are here to help. To learn more about the Waterloo Community Foundation, visit www.wloocommunityfoundation.org or contact us at 319.883.6022.
Six Rotarians reveal the secrets of balancing family and work that allowed them to take on the role of district governor before turning 50.
As an active member of the Rotary Club of Hampton Roads (Norfolk) in Virginia, Clenise Platt had been a club president and taken on some leadership roles in her district. Even so, it came as a complete surprise when Mary Landon, the club’s 2016-17 president, approached her at the end of a meeting and asked if it would be OK to nominate her for district governor.
“I thought one day I might place my name in the hat to become a district governor,” says Platt, 48. “But truth be told, I thought ‘one day’ was years away.”
Multiple Downtown Waterloo Rotarians were featured in a recent Courier article describing a new fund to mitigate impacts of COVID-19 in the Cedar Valley.
“This has been tough on all nonprofits, whether or not it’s on the frontlines, and it has affected charitable giving for all nonprofits, as well as affecting revenue streams and available resources,” said Kaye Englin, director of the Community Foundation of NE Iowa.
Sheila Baird, executive director of the Cedar Valley United Way, said each organization brings their own experiences and expertise to the table. “We each operate differently, which ultimately you hope is our strength."
Casey Reints, executive director at the Max and Helen Guernsey Foundation, said she is proud the foundation has partnered with other Cedar Valley area funders and “can see the impact that these collective efforts have had on our community. We are stronger together."
How’s the new virtual world treating you? I’m inspired by the number of clubs who have shared their stories of engaging online.
Though the pandemic has brought anxiety and grief, it has also surfaced opportunities for Rotary to evolve. Food banks, homelessness initiatives, and other community organizations are in desperate need of philanthropy, from volunteer support to monetary donations.
Rotarians in Lithuania and Chicago are using their influence to promote the use of “bubble helmets” and potentially lessen the need for mechanical ventilators for COVID-19 patients who struggle to breathe on their own.
The Rotary Club of Vilnius Lituanica International, Lithuania, participated in Hack the Crisis, an online event in March that brought together innovators in science and technology to “hack,” or develop solutions to, issues caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Members of the Lithuanian club, along with members of the Rotary Clubs of Chicago and Chicagoland Lithuanians (Westmont), joined a team to brainstorm ways to help COVID-19 patients breathe without using mechanical ventilators.
President-Elect Annie Vander Werff will review some 2020-2021 Downtown Waterloo Rotary Club events/opportunities. Don't miss out on the latest and the greatest of what's coming up!
I would like to take this opportunity to update everyone on some of the decisions that were made at our last board meeting regarding our meetings, dues and charitable contributions. We will not be meeting in May as the Governor’s restrictions are ongoing for Black Hawk County. During the Board meeting we decided that we will extend our charitable giving grants each week through May for a total of 8-$1000 grants through the months of April and May. This is an outstanding contribution from our Waterloo Rotary Club to organizations providing aid and assistance to those most impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. As a reminder, below is a list of the organizations that we’ve chosen to support.
At our board meeting last week we agreed that our last grant for the month of April was to Peoples Clinic. As many of you know, many of their clients are from Tyson Fresh Meats which has been particularly hard hit during this crisis. The Clinic is dealing with staff shortages, increased demand, communication barriers, and added stress of providing services to those most in need. Our grant will assist them in converting their dentistry area to provide more protection to patients and staff. Executive Director Chris Kemp pictured with $1,000 check.
People's Community Health Clinic Receives Rotary Gift
Meet Ryan Bell of Iowa City District 6000 Public Image Co-Chair
I have a message for all you young people out there who may never have heard about Rotary. Or if you have, it was from a parent or grandparent who spent more time talking about the lunch menu or how great the salad bar is. If that’s all you’ve heard about Rotary, then you’re missing a lot. And let me tell you why, in the middle of this pandemic, Rotary is more relevant than ever. It’s definitely something you want to know about.
Rotary is kind of a big deal. With over 1.2 million members worldwide, it’s the biggest service organization on the planet. If you’re a fan of the planet, that’s just what Rotary wants to preserve. Our members are working on helping save mothers and children, supporting basic education for children, and fighting diseases. Many of those members are now using their connections and resources to help combat COVID-19.
The Salvation Army wrote a thank you letter to our club as they are working hard and using the gift for us toward the impactful programs and services they provide. There is a great need right now and the Salvation Army expects the need to continue in future months.
Click on the letter above to download and read the text.
We still won't be together to honor our fellow Rotarians celebrating in May, so we'll combine the birthday tables when we reconvene. However, these Rotarians would certainly be tickled to have a note or call from you on their special day!
Ben Brustkern, Executive Director is speaking at Monday's meeting. Ben has been with Friends of the Family for more than 18 years. He is a graduate of University of Northern Iowa, resides in Waterloo with his wife Kim and has three children. Ben is well-known in the community and passionate about helping those in need.
Join the #RotaryResponds#COVID19 Livestream Telethon to hear stories of hope, inspiration and gratitude from Rotarians, Rotaractors and friends of Rotary from across the globe as they share what they are doing to help their communities.
The team at Grow Cedar Valley is excited to be hosting a series of Live Webinars on Tuesday and Thursday mornings from 10:30-11:00 AM on their Facebook Page and Youtube Channel!
The Volunteer Center of the Cedar Valley will continue to be thee connection between people who need help and the people who can help. shared a few ways to help in the local community through the Volunteer Center of the Cedar Valley. They have organized a list of immediate volunteer needs for community organizations on their website. This list will change frequently so check back often for updates or sign up to receive email alerts for new opportunities.
If you need some good news as you shelter in place, KWWL has a running feature called Iowa Strong profiling Iowans having a positive impact on their communities.
One of our largest annual meetings took a different form this year. Typically we host around 200 people as Rotarians, parents, and school administrators gather to honor high school seniors for their academic accomplishments. However, even though we didn't meet in person, and the remainder of the school year has been taken away from these students, our club still celebrated the brightest minds among our future leaders. J'Kalein Madison recorded a keynote address and Dr. Jane Lindaman submitted a letter that will be sent to all our student honorees. Congratulations and best of luck as you enter a world that has seen major change since you started your senior year.
Angie Widner joined us to review the childcare services the YMCA has been providing to businesses and families the past several weeks. She also shared her personal story of the impact of COVID-19 on her own family. You can view her comments below, using this password: 2H=^=@^j
VGM is doing a "virtual" Heartland Conference this year and canceling their traditional in-person event in Waterloo this year. Rotarians have volunteered as room monitors for many years in exchange for a donation to our club. A special thank you to Katelyn Tungland for organizing volunteers earlier this year. VGM says our club should be prepared for a big conference in Waterloo in 2021!
Job: Executive Director at the Max & Helen Guernsey Charitable Foundation
Fave Food: fajitas with unlimited avocado
Fave Movie: The Green Mile
Fave quote: Whether you think you can or you think you can’t, you are right.
Fave thing about Rotary: socialization with a mission 😊
Something unique about you: I am the youngest of six siblings, with nieces and nephews very close to my own age. Most people confuse them with my cousins, which is totally understandable. But it means I get to be the young, cool aunt!
As the COVID-19 pandemic spreads uncertainty and hardship around the world, Rotary members and participants are innovating, caring for those affected, and showing that even at a distance, there are ways to help.
Fighting disease is one of Rotary’s main causes, so members already support efforts to promote proper hand washing techniques, teach people other ways to stay healthy, and supply training and vital medical equipment to health care providers. Now they’re helping health authorities communicate lifesaving information about COVID-19 and donating protective gear and other supplies to clinics and hospitals that are under strain because of the pandemic.
These are just some of the ways that members are supporting their communities right now:
In Italy, one of the countries that has been affected most, clubs in District 2080 are raising funds to purchase ventilators and protective gear for overstretched hospitals. And when the worst of the outbreak was raging in China, the district’s clubs raised more than $21,000 for protective masks to prevent spread of the disease there.
Clubs in District 2041, also in Italy, raised funds online to buy protective gear for health workers who will care for COVID-19 patients at a 400-bed hospital being built at Milan’s fairgrounds.
Due to no in-person weekly meetings... our club has decided to donate the money that would have been used for our lunches to non-profits in the community. The most recent donation was $1,000 to the Salvation Army, and below is a letter from fellow Rotarian and Salvation Army Captain Shannon Thies:
>>
Hi Mark;
We are so very humbled by this. Thank you!
I should share that we are very busy at The Salvation Army, and due to volunteer shortages (which are understandable) Martin and I have rolled up our sleeves and are serving in areas that need extra man-power. It might be a while before I am able to tune-in to a Rotary Meeting. I miss everyone, though, so please share my well wishes and prayers to my fellow Rotarians.
Here is an update on how The Salvation Army is serving our community during COVID-19:
Food Giveaway:
We are serving a lunch to the community beginning at 11:30am on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. This is done out of our North Parking lot drive-thru style. Prior to mid-March when the concerns of the virus began in our community, we were enjoying lunch with about 50 people every time. We are feeding 120-140 people every time, now. We are seeing families and people who have never been in need before. It is a great honor to serve our community with some good-ol’ home-cooked comfort food.
We are also giving out perishable goods at the same time on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Emergency Services
We are still taking rental, utilities, food box, household goods, gas voucher, prescriptions and personal hygiene requests (yes, we do have toilet paper!!). The care management for this is done online and via phone calls. We are anticipating that this crisis will have a long-term effect on our community.
Housing Services
Our 3 shelters in town are still open. We do have a family in our Family Shelter and our men & women’s shelters are taking new people if they are not showing symptoms of the flu. We have limited our census to one person or family per room so that if someone should need to isolate, there is a comfortable place for them to do so.
Our staff are being incredible and compassionate during this crisis and we are so very thankful for them.
We are committed to serve our community in the same ways we have in the past, it just looks a little differently right now. We are blessed.
I can’t wait to see you in a socially-distanced-appropriate-interaction. 😊
No community is exempt from struggling with hunger. Since federal nutrition programs don’t reach everyone in need, food banks like ours help fill the gap for thousands of people each year. Learn more about hunger in your community by exploring an interactive County Hunger Summary map and download a County Hunger Summary here.
Fellow Rotarian and one of the busiest people in the Cedar Valley Barb Prather, Executive Director of Northeast Iowa Food Bank - joined us for a Zoom meeting. She shared the latest from the Food Bank and how her staff has risen to the challenge of providing meals to hundreds of new families that have never experienced food insecurity.
The Northeast Iowa Food Bank hosted a live conversation with Barb and members of her staff earlier this month. They discussed access to food in today's climate, how they are preparing for the months to come, and how community support helps protect the most vulnerable communities during these trying times.
Volunteers are STILL NEEDED - click here to offer your help!
April 11, 2020 - ANNAPOLIS, Md. (WJZ) — The Rotary Clubs of Parole, Annapolis and Glen Burnie announced Saturday it has established a relief fund for first responders working on the frontlines during the coronavirus pandemic.
The project aims to support healthcare workers, firefighters, police officers and other essential personnel during the pandemic by providing them with meals prepared by local restaurants.
About 3,000 meals will be provided per-week for six weeks for the first responders.
The initiative will also help restaurants sustain their operations and employees.
A group of Rotaractors are healing wounds and bringing culture together in Ugandan refugee settlement!
It’s Monday morning in one of Uganda’s largest refugee settlements, Nakivale, and the line at Paul Mushaho’s shop is out the door.
Mushaho has lived in Nakivale since 2016, when he fled violence in his native Democratic Republic of Congo. After receiving death threats, he crossed into Uganda and joined a friend in the 184-square-kilometer settlement that serves as home to 89,000 people.
The soft-spoken 26-year-old, who has a university degree in information technology, runs a money transfer service out of a wooden storefront that doubles as his home.
The Waterloo Rotary Club hosted a "Cedar Valley Healthcare COVID-19 Update." We hosted a panel of experts about the short term and long term needs of their organizations.
We won't be together any time soon to celebrate our Rotarians with birthdays in April, so we'll honor them in person when we are able to be together again at a "real" meeting! They would still appreciate a note on social media or a phone call on their special day...so keep this list handy all month and practice PHYSICAL distancing instead of social distancing!
The Covid-19 Pandemic has certainly impacted our local community as well as the world, however, it has not impacted our ability as humans to stand up and support each other.
As we are working hard every day to continue our services to the school aged youth of the Cedar Valley and their families, our community has stepped up to support us.
Pictured here, Mark Durbhan presenting our staff with $1,000 from the Waterloo Rotary Club to support us during this time. Thank you also to R.J. McElroy Trust for their $7,500 emergency check to support our services last week.
Check out the list of restaurants still open and doing carryout or take out dining! KWWL is putting together a list of establishments where you can get a bite to go or delivered right to where you are. Click the link below to see the list and consider supporting these local restaurants and their employees during this challenging time.
Support the Northeast Iowa Foodbank's annual fundraiser without leaving home!
Due to no in-person weekly meetings... our club has decided to donate the money that would have been used for our lunches to non-profits in the community! Our club voted and the first recipient is Northeast Iowa Foodbank. Please click the photo below to view a 360 degree photo of the check presentation and a link to their annual fundraiser.
Two Rotarians - Niki Litzel and Kaye Englin -- are with Community Foundation of Northeast Iowa and are doing special grants to help organizations at this time with a Disaster Response Fund. Click this link to explore different funds and ways you can help locally during this global pandemic.
Community Foundation of Northeast Iowa Disaster Response Fund
I would like to update everyone on a few things as the COVID-19 situation continues. I know that we are facing some changes and challenges as we navigate life while social distancing. As you know, the Governor has directed Iowans to limit social interaction and so we have canceled meetings through April 13th. As Rotarians and leaders in the community we should look to assist organizations and people in need during this crisis when we can.
On March 17th, the Rotary Board held a meeting using computer conferencing which included audio, video and screen sharing to discuss our response to the COVID-19 outbreak. Due to our Club not having our Monday meetings, we are not spending the approximately $1000 each week on our meal. We discussed whether to refund or credit each member the cost of the meals. It roughly relates to a little over $8 a meal for all 120 members. In the spirit of community and helping organizations most impacted by the COVID-19 outbreak, we as a Board decided to donate the $1000 each week to organizations most impacted by the crisis. We voted to do this for the next 4 weeks.
We regret to announce that the Rotary International Convention, scheduled for 6-10 June 2020, in Honolulu, Hawaii, USA, has been canceled in response to the ongoing threat of COVID-19.
The Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) needs to assess the impact of the pandemic in Iowa. To assist in these efforts, please complete this survey, developed by University of Northern Iowa – Institute for Decision Making, to tell us what your business is experiencing and how your business is handling the current crisis.
Black Hawk County Health Department is working around the clock with local government and community partners to respond to the evolving COVID-19 (coronavirus) situation in our community.
This website is meant to help Black Hawk County residents, businesses, media, and others better understand what is happening in our community, and how best to prepare and respond as the situation evolves.
March is the month we celebrate Rotaract — and this has been quite a year for our young partners in service.
Last spring, the Council on Legislation elevated Rotaract in our constitution: Rotary International is now the association of both Rotary clubs and Rotaract clubs. Then in October, the Rotary Board of Directors eliminated the artificial Rotaract age limit and took other steps to break down barriers that were preventing Rotaract from growing in some parts of the world.
Join us Monday to hear from our district governor Michelle Bell. She'll share updates from the district and beyond and encourage all of us to attend the District Conference.
A fish habitat constructed by the Waverly Rotary Club is ready for placement on Waverly's Three Rivers Pond. A raffle predicting the time it will fall through the ice offers a grand prize of $2,500.
Tickets are now on sale for a Waverly Rotary Club raffle that offers a cash prize of $1,000.
Rotary Meltdown 2020 is based on the time a fish habitat will fall through the ice at Three Rivers Pond, a popular fishing spot adjacent to Waverly Utilities. This is the second year for the event, which raises funds for local Rotary projects.
Nearly 4,000 Rotary members from 35 countries, government officials and topic experts explored ideas and solutions around disease prevention and treatment, water sanitation and hygiene, education and other topics relevant to India
Rotary began its journey in India from the city of Kolkata, on 1st January, 1920 inspired by the organisation’s motto, “service above self”. In the last 100 years, Rotary has grown from one club to 4,000 with 1.5 lakh Rotary members in India.
In 2018-19, The Rotary Foundation in India supported projects worth $22.81 million, including: improving the education system; tackling significant public health problems throughout the country;
providing women entrepreneurs with sustainable access to microfinance; enhancing sanitation and hygiene standards, especially for women and girls; providing access to clean and safe drinking water; helping rebuild homes, schools, and businesses affected by natural disasters and much more.
Join us Monday to hear from fellow Rotarian Dr. Todd Holcomb who is in his first year as President of Hawkeye Community College.
For over 50 years, Hawkeye Community College has distinguished itself as one of Iowa’s best community colleges. Known for an environment that is academically challenging, caring faculty and staff, and for providing the latest technology, Dr. Holcomb will share insights on the impact Hawkeye is having on our community and the state of Iowa. Local employment trends and ongoing priorities for Hawkeye will also be shared with our club.
Do you work for a non-profit or serve on a non-profit board in the community? Do they have a fundraising event coming up? If so, we can feature on Facebook and on the Calendar of Events on the screen at Rotary meetings! Please send event details to jheller@kwwl.com.
When you are in Honolulu for the Rotary International Convention, 6-10 June, make sure to save room for dessert, because the Hawaiian Islands have some sweet treats in store for you.
Shave ice (calling it shaved ice or a snow cone is a quick way of revealing you’re not from around here) was introduced to Hawaii by Japanese immigrants. Inspired by a Japanese frozen treat called kakigōri, they hand-shaved blocks of ice to create mounds of delicate crystals, then flavored the ice with the juice of tropical fruits.
Rob Pruitt will join us to discuss the importance of pollinators and Cedar Valley Monarch Zones, and how the Cedar Valley Arboretum, with support from the Young Family Foundation, is working with homeowners and landowners to create special “zones” to help increase pollinator habitats and the monarch population.
Toastmasters International and Rotary International. Two organizations with a long history, global impact, and proven track record of helping people. And now they have something else in common: They are teaming up to strengthen their members’ skills and broaden their opportunities. The Toastmasters-Rotary alliance, announced in January, will leverage the strengths of both organizations to help members grow personally and professionally.
Later this year, Toastmasters will begin delivering eight educational courses tailored to members of Rotary and Rotaract (a Rotary-sponsored organization for 18-to-30-year-olds). The phased rollout of the eight courses will help Rotarians develop and hone their leadership and communication skills.
Toastmasters members, in turn, can benefit from connecting with Rotarians—1.2 million members in nearly every country in the world—and learning from the organization’s model of humanitarian service. Members can use their communication skills to impact their communities.
To learn more details about this alliance, visit the Toastmasters website and watch the video below.
Have you considered adding The Rotary Foundation to your charitable giving plan? Whether or not you have a formal plan, Rotary Direct makes it easy to set up a recurring (monthly, quarterly, or annual) donation using your credit card. Simple. Efficient. Seamless. Meaningful.
BONUS! If you set up Rotary Direct to make recurring donations, the club will put 100 points (equal to $100) into your Paul Harris account!
BONUS! If you have never given to The Rotary Foundation, the club will put an additional 100 points (equal to $100) into your Paul Harris account as soon as your donation total reaches $100!
Phil Nash and Brian Aronson were recognized at our February 3rd meeting after they signed up for Rotary Direct and received 100 points from the club. Brian stated, “Contributing to the programs of the Rotary Foundation through direct withdrawals couldn’t be easier.”
Join us Monday to hear updates on the Rotary Foundation from Deb Pullin-Van Auken and Rotary's focus on social media from Jaclyne Heller. We'll also honor February birthdays!
February 3rd Program - Rotary Foundation and Social Media
It will be one step for Donna, one giant leap for polio when Rotary Great Brittian & Ireland President Donna Wallbank takes part in a tandem skydive later this year to coincide with Volunteer Expo in Birmingham. Donna explains why she has decided to make the charity jump from the Hinton Skydiving Centre in Northamptonshire.
By Dave King
Published Date: January 27, 2020
Icould have played darts, knitted squares to make blankets for the needy, walked on the treadmill to fundraise or, if I was brave enough, challenged myself to do something memorable to make a difference.
Something so memorable that when I’m sat in my rocking chair at 80-years-old, I can say ‘I did that and I was really part of making a difference!’
All this, knowing that my little part helped give polio vaccine to a child who may go on to develop a vaccine for another disease. We never know when our little bit of help will make a more significant difference for our world.
So why a skydive?
My daughter, and some of my salon team in Brynmawr, had done a tandem skydive a few years ago. When I was talking to Steph about what I could do, she said ‘skydive Mam’.
Now, I am terrified of heights. I laughed and said ‘no way’.
But I thought long and hard over Christmas what I could do that was good enough and the skydive kept coming back into my head.
Rotary is kind of a big deal. With over 1.2 million members worldwide, it’s the second biggest service organization on the planet. And if you’re a fan of the planet … well, that’s just what Rotary wants to preserve. Through peace. Through service. Through understanding. And — get this — NOT through religious or national affiliation. We don’t care what you believe or who you voted for. The way Rotary sees it, the most important thing is that we come together to accomplish some much-needed tasks for a lil’ group we like to call humanity.
Rotary efforts have already helped eradicate 99.9% of global cases of polio. (Never heard of polio? Thank a Rotarian for your ability to NOT know about this awful disease.) Now, armed with a massive investment and partnership with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Rotary is poised to take on even more ambitious global projects, including water and sanitation access, maternal and child health, basic education and literacy to name a few areas of focus. In addition to these large-scale, international projects, Rotary clubs are always working to improve their own communities, too.
The first meeting of each month, we celebrate our fellow Rotarians who have made another trip around the sun. February has one more day this year, and this group has added one more Rotarian!*
On January 2, Rotarian Laura Kurtz, her husband Nathan and big sister, Madison welcomed twins into the world. They are identical twin boys named Owen Robert and Parker Nathan! Their family is overflowing with joy!
Fellow Rotarian Bob Manning is an executive officer with the Cedar Valley Home Builders Association, and will discuss new construction housing in the Cedar Valley.
Cedar Valley Home Builders Association (CVHBA) was founded in 1955 as a trade association representing every facet of the residential building industry in northeast Iowa.
More than 70 member companies benefit from membership as the association provides services, programs, legislative representation, and membership opportunities to professionals in the building trades available only through CVHBA.
Cedar Valley Home Builders Association members are the architects, builders, remodelers, suppliers, manufacturers, developers, and sales and marketing professionals in your community who provide quality homes, reliable service, and professional building expertise to thousands of families in northeast Iowa.
Bob retired in 2015 after a 32 year career in banking, and has kept busy with supporting the Cedar Trails Partnership.
This year’s race will take place at the District Conference in Cedar Rapids, Iowa on April 25, 2020. Here’s how it works: 1. Each club and individuals from that club will be represented by a single duck in the race. 2. The first three ducks to cross the finish line will be the winners. Once the winning three clubs have been determined a computer pick at random will occur to choose one winner of a Paul Harris Fellow designation for each of the three winning clubs. 3. Each club participating in the race will receive Foundation Paul Harris Fellow points for the full amount of dollars contributed by the club through the purchase of ducks. Ducks are $5 each and checks can be made payable to The Rotary Foundation and mailed to: John Wasta 221 Kent Court NE Cedar Rapids, IA 52402
Inaugural 2021 class will focus on shaping peace and development in Africa
KAMPALA, Uganda (9 January 2020) — From human rights violations to the impacts of climate change, Rotary and Makerere University are offering a postgraduate certificate program to peace and development leaders who are from or who have worked in Africa to address the underlying challenges to peace in the region.
The year-long program in Peacebuilding, Conflict Transformation and Development will emphasize issues and solutions that are of particular relevance throughout the African continent and beyond. Hands-on experience will complement coursework that addresses topics including human rights, governance, and the role of the media in conflict. Other studies will focus on refugees and migration, as well as resource and identity-based conflicts.
Occupation – Real estate broker at Martin Realtors
Fave Food - Steak, medium-rare with sauteed mushrooms
Fave movie - Last Holiday
Random fact about yourself - I am an avid racquetball player.
Favorite quote - "By believing in something that still does not exist, we create it. The nonexistent is whatever we have not sufficiently desired." Franz Kafka
Steven McCullough with the Iowa Student Loan Program to discuss how we can help our students reduce/repay debt. Steven joined Iowa Student Loan in 1989 as the director of fiscal operations, and he became chief executive officer in 1993. In his current role, McCullough is responsible for carrying out strategic plans and policies as established by the board of directors. He became a certified public accountant in 1986 and holds a master's degree in business administration from the University of Iowa. Steve helped create the Corporation's responsible borrowing tools which help families plan for their higher education, figure out how to pay for it, and learn how to create good outcomes.
District 5970 “Rotary Rush” is on again! For the months of February and March 2020, the District is offering a significant incentive to all Rotarians who give to the Rotary Foundation Annual Fund.
A generous Rotarian Donor has offered their points as an incentive to help Rotarians easily reach their first or multiple Paul Harris Fellow level. The Donor is offering a 1 for 1 points to dollars match if a Rotarian contributes a minimum of $100 cash toward their first or next Paul Harris Fellow level. For example, you may have accumulated $500 in contributions to The Rotary Foundation. Then, if you add $250 in cash in February or March, our Donor will match 250 points to your giving account which allows you to receive your first or multiple PHF award. The match is up to a maximum of 500 points.
We have all seen the disastrous fires that have erupted, taking lives as well as destroying hundreds of homes and properties across Australia.
Rotary is once again taking the lead and looking to provide support for families in need. To this end several Rotary Districts and Clubs have established projects which are ready and able to accept donations from you. All of those projects can apply for funds from this appeal.
Rotary Australia World Community Service Ltd. (RAWCS) was formed to enable Australian Rotarians, Rotary Districts and Rotary Clubs to assist disadvantaged communities and individuals through humanitarian aid projects.
RAWCS has a financial infrastructure system that facilitates fundraising for projects that deliver humanitarian aid and charitable support in Australia and overseas. Projects are registered through Rotary Australia Overseas Aid Fund (RAOAF), Rotary Australia Benevolent Society (RABS) incorporating Rotary Australia Compassionate Grants (RACG), Rotary Australia Relief Fund (RARF), Donations in Kind (DIK) and Rotarians Against Malaria (RAM).
We had our Annual Holiday Luncheon December 16th - and you can click here to see photos.
We collected donations for the Salvation Army.
Enjoyed music from the Waterloo Cedar Falls Symphony Orchestra string quartet. They previewed their upcoming New Year’s Eve concert Melodies ‘Til Midnight which will be at the Gallagher Bluedorn.
This was the last Rotary meeting of 2019. Our next meeting will be January 6th, 2020.
Have you ever wondered why there is a peacock painted on the side of that building off of Hwy 218 near the Sportsplex? Our guest speaker, Heidi Fuchtman is the designer behind that artistic work. The founder of The Youth Art Team, Heidi and her team developed an actual grassroots team of artists who have grown together since 2010. The mission is to encourage youth to develop their creative potential, empowering both personal and social change through art. http://youthartteam.com/team/
We received a District Foundation Grant for the work on the Rotary Shelter at George Wyth State Park. Don Meyer presented a check to our club for $3,656 and we’ll match that for our project which will begin this spring. A committee has been formed and we’re looking for additional volunteers. If interested please contact Mark Durbahn at Mark.Durbahn@aecom.com.
It's the first meeting of the month, so we'll honor these Rotarians with birthdays in December. The Rotary Birthday Machine will also be available for someone to check out for two weeks and check their Radon levels.
2019 Glen "Doc" Miller Most Valuable Football Player
Ray Seidel, Columbus High School
Waterloo Rotarian Wade Itzen presents 2019 MVP Ray Seidel
This regulation-size gold football, mounted on a base, is a travelling trophy given each year by the Downtown Waterloo Rotary to the outstanding player in football in the Waterloo Schools. It is given in memory of an outstanding Rotarian, Glen "Doc" Miller, a great athlete and president of the Waterloo Rotary Club in 1954. "Doc" was captain of the University of Iowa football team in 1923, and a player on the great Iowa teams of 1921-22 which beat Yale.
Since 1936 the Waterloo Rotary Club has enjoyed the honor each year to celebrate outstanding performance by high school athletes in the city of Waterloo and surrounding areas. Area volleyball coaches choose their MVP's and then by ballot of all the coaches award the trophy for overall Most Valuable volleyball player. The winner is entitled to display the trophy at her school for the next twelve months.
2019 Waterloo Rotary MVP Avery Kroll, West High School
Avery is presented the travelling trophy by Barb Prather and Jaclyne Heller
News came recently of the completed sale of the downtown Ramada hotel to South Dakota-based Mekenda LLC. All the Ramada employees lost their jobs when the sale was completed and the building will close for business and undergo major renovations for the next 9 months. Our regular meeting venue in the Five Sullivan Brothers Convention Center will remain open and functioning during the hotel renovation, and the convention center staff are still employed. Click here to read a recent Courier article about the hotel project.
Have you considered giving to YOUR Rotary Foundation on an on-going basis to support not only Rotarians’ international activities but also those at our district and local level?
Or, maybe you have been giving regularly when you pay your quarterly dues? Would you like to help make our Treasurer’s duties a little lighter by automating those payments via your credit card directly through Rotary?
Well, we want to give you some incentives to accomplish all of that!
The Northeast Iowa Food Bank is looking for some strong people to help their Thanksgiving Distribution, November 25th through 27th. Volunteers are needed to help Families carry their Thanksgiving Goodies to their car. Please sign up today using this link:
Our own Deb Pullin-Van Auken will share a behind the scenes look at what's happening with the Rotary Foundation both at a local and national level. As a paying member of an International Organization, it is great to know what your dues are going to support!
Today, October 24th - World Polio Day, Rotary and its Global Polio Eradication Initiative partners announced that wild poliovirus type 3 (WPV3) has been eradicated worldwide. WPV3 is only the third infectious human disease-causing pathogen to be eradicated in history, following smallpox and wild poliovirus type 2. This achievement means that two of the three wild polio strains have now been wiped out, an important marker of progress against the disease.
The announcement comes on the heels of recent news that Nigeria has gone three years without a case of wild poliovirus, which means that the entire African region could be certified wild poliovirus-free in sometime in 2020.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
Previous story:
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!
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 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!
Launched in 2016, Better Angels is a bipartisan citizen’s movement to unify our divided nation. By bringing red and blue Americans together into a working alliance, they’re building new ways to talk to one another, participate together in public life, and influence the direction of the nation.
Dr. Peters is a surgeon in Coralville, the owner of Corridor Vein Center, and a member of the Iowa City Rotary. He’s also a former political candidate and now serves as the state coordinator for Better Angels. In the May issue of “The Rotarian”, there was an article titled, “Putting Civility back into Civil Discourse“, featuring Better Angels. Iowa’s “First in the Nation” status provides a great opportunity to advance the Better Angels message in leading up to the Iowa caucus. Dr. Peters believes his fellow Rotarians are particularly well suited to promote that vision, given our commitment to “The Four-Way Test”.
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.
**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
As we roll along, roll along into our new Rotary year, President Mark Durbahn is proud to announce the approved slate of officers and directors for 2019-2020. Our club would also like to extend our appreciation for the service of our outgoing board members:
2018 – 2019 Board
Katelyn Tungland (President 2018-2019)
Mark Durbahn (President Elect 2019-2020)
Brian Aronson (Treasurer)
E.J. Gallagher (Secretary)
Phil Nash
Jaclyne Heller
Megan Kugler
Steve Carignan
Luke Jenson
Lauren Finke
Annie Vander Werff
Donna Miller
2019-2020 Board (10 Members)
Dave Lee 2021
E.J. Gallagher 2020 (Secretary)
Adam Schaefer 2021 (Treasurer)
Phil Nash 2020 (Membership Chair)
Katelyn Tungland 2021
Deb Pullin-Van Aucken 2021 (Foundation Chair)
Annie Vander Werff 2020 (President Elect)
Megan Kugler 2020
Jaclyne Heller 2020
Heather Labonte 2021
Programs / Committees
Hops and Grapes: Chuck Rowe and Barb Prather
Shoe Box Project: Steve Thorpe, Liz Thorpe and Dave Lee
Operation Warm: Steve Thorpe and Liz Thorpe
Football Banquet: Wade Itzen
Volleyball Banquet: Barb Prather and Jaclyne Heller
Youth Exchange Officer: Luke Jenson
Urban / Rural Luncheon: Larry Steffens, Bob Regenwether, Rick Morris
Academic Honors Luncheon: Beth McCrindle
Invocation Committee: Steve Schmitt
Meeting Guest and Sign-In Coordinator: Norman Ussery
Song Leader: Hovey Brom
Pianist: Bonnie Smith-Davis
Summer Picnic: Katelyn Tungland and Larry Steffens
Heather Marquez is a Business Coach with ActionCoach, which incorporates leadership development, customer obsession, and DISC training.
After a couple of months as a retail cashier, at 16 Heather quickly found out through trial by fire there was more to being a leader than a title and a set of keys. This experience began her lifetime quest to build her leadership skills and help others develop theirs.
Now, with more than 25 years of management, leadership, and training experience, Heather’s mission is to help others realize their purpose and passion through collaboration that will unlock their leadership potential. She supports business leaders by equipping them with the skills needed to increase employee engagement and build a positive company culture.
We had a beautiful night at the Rotary Reserve for our annual picnic July 25th. Over 130 Rotarians, family, and guests enjoyed fried chicken, Marcella’s baked beans, corn on the cob, watermelon and Hansen’s Ice Cream. Many thanks goes to Larry Steffens who was in charge of the cooking and Katelyn Tungland who organized the event. Also, thank you to the other volunteers that made this happen such as Henry Edsill, Marcella Ericson, Steve Finegan, Todd Wordel, Phil Nash, Dave Buck and John Beecher. It was a good night for fellowship and camaraderie.
Ryker Nash looking at the prizes during meal time.
On Monday, July 22nd our meeting was at the Courtyard Marriott and catered by the Blue Iguana.
On Monday, we had A Celebrity in our midst! His smile melted our hearts! He's a University of Iowa Stead Family Kid Captain!! Mason Gonzalez is the 8 year old son of Amy (Hallberg) and Jesus Gonzalez. When he was an infant, his parents started to notice he was not meeting his normal milestones, such as holding his head up and sitting up. Around 15 months old Mason was diagnosed with Angelman Syndrome. Angelman Syndrome (also known as AS) is a rare nero-genetic disorder characterized by severe intellectual and developemental disability, sleep disturbance, seizures and jerky movements.
July 15th we welcomed Felicia Carter, a Certified Prevention Specialist with Pathways Behavioral Services. She presented on prevention programs used in Community Outreach with high risk youth.
Mark Oliver and Rich Eckstien from Bergan KDV presented on the “do’s and don’ts” of cybersecurity.
Mark is the Sales Leader in the Cedar Valley market. He is responsible for growing the client base in the Cedar Valley area by building relationships with potential clients and working with them to help solve pain points they are experiencing in their business operations. Mark has been with the firm’s technology team for more than ten years, helping clients find solutions for their technology needs and is known by his clients and coworkers for being easy to work with and for his friendly and light-hearted demeanor.
A graduate of the University of Northern Iowa, Mark holds a degree in marketing with a focus on sales and advertising. He devotes his time to the Chamber of Commerce, serving as an Ambassador since 2008. He is also a long-time volunteer for the Boy Scouts Golf Tournament Committee. When he’s not in his office, Mark enjoys spending time with his family, fishing, cycling, golfing, landscaping and brushing up on reruns of Seinfeld.
Thanks for all the interest your clubs have shown in our District Grant and Global Grant program. As Rotarians we are people of action, we are people of passion, and we are people of compassion. Through our involvement with District and Global Grants, we have fun living that out as we work to make our communities and the world a better place to live. We’re receiving new District Grant applications each day, and we have three new Global Grants in the works, including a Global Scholar application.
Just a reminder that District Grant applications are due June 15. There’s still time to submit a grant request!
OFF-SITE MEETING: Waterloo Center For The Arts, Shoitz Room
Jessica Christensen with the Cedar Bend Humane Society will have pets in need of homes as well as discussing the services that the Humane Society provide.
The Hops & Grapes committee has prepared the ballot for this years event - each member of our club may choose TWO organizations. Printed ballots will be distributed at our June 10th meeting, or you can review the candidate organizations and email your 2 choices to Barb Prather.
Join us IN CEDAR FALLS at the Gallagher Bluedorn Performing Arts Center June 3 for a preview of the 2019-2020 season. Fellow Rotarian Steve Carignan will be our guide.
Job: Chief Office of Human Resources & Equity, Waterloo Community School District
Fave Food: HOTDOGS!!!!
Fave Movie: The Nightmare Before Christmas
Fave quote: I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel." - Maya Angelou
Fave thing about Rotary: The involvement in the community for the betterment of ALL!
Something unique about you: I love to code in my spare time!!
Chris Hofeldt with Cedar Valley Hospice will be talking about their 40 years in the Cedar Valley and how they’ve grown through the years. He will also discuss the services that Cedar Valley Hospice provides the community. Chris Hofeldt graduated from UNI in 2012 with a degree in Marketing and Public Relations. Since graduation Chris has worked at several non-profit organizations in the Cedar Valley.
Anahi’s self confident, but quietly positivity shows in her bright smile today as it always does. Her plans are made and completed one at a time. One of her first goal this year was to learn to speak English confidently . When she arrived here with her first interview, her translation app was receiving a real workout and she needed a lot of assistance from her host mom. But, not now. Anahi communicates on her own with me more clearly and understandably than some American students.
Over the 8 months of living in the Cedar Valley, she has had many adventures. In-between a full-time job as a student at West High School in Waterloo. But, she says... “ I can’t believe it is already only 28 days left here. So many friends and incredible places. So many friends. I will miss them all.”
Years in Rotary – 1 (what was I thinking two decades ago?)
Hometown – Cedar Falls (Waterloo last 24 years)
College – Pillsbury College, Owatonna, MN
Job – Director of Development, Friendship Village
Fav Food – Farm eggs with Sriracha Sauce
Fav Movie – Lord of the Rings – all
Fave Quote – “There is a God in heaven.” (Bible – Daniel 2:28)
Fave thing about Rotary – the spirit of community service
Something unique – two: 1) I married Annie Oakley, 2) Started my business career as senior in high school under James Dutton in the accounting dept. at Santa Claus Industries, WL
Congratulations to the following Clubs for earning the 2018-19 Governor’s Excellence Award:
Algona Bellevue Cedar Rapids Daybreak Cedar Rapids Downtown Cedar Rapids Metro North Cedar Rapids Sunrise Cedar Rapids West Cedar Valley Charles City Dubuque Estherville Forest City Fort Dodge Noon Garner Guttenberg Hampton Iowa Great Lakes Manchester Mason City Noon Mason City River City Sunrise Monticello Mt. Vernon-Lisbon New Hampton Rockwell City Spencer Waterloo Waverly Webster City
Be sure to check the District's Facebook page over the next 28 days to see your Club recognized. Better yet, follow District 5970 on Facebook! Also, there is still time to earn the Governor’s Excellence Award. Here is a link to the form for completion.
Thanks to all who assisted with or attended the District Conference. It was great fun and we even learned some new things and got some new ideas! Visit District 5970’s Facebook page here and click on photos to see pictures taken by District Trainer David Drewelow at the Conference.
David Deeds from JSA joined us to review the great things that JSA has done with revitalizing downtown Waterloo including the new Anton's Garden and future projects that they are planning.
Thanks to Steve and Liz Thorpe, our club has a new easier-to-use Radon detector and YOU can take it home for a week. Simply press the reset button and set it in your basement or other area where you want to test fro Radon. After about 6 hours, it will display a short term reading, and after 24 hours, you'll see a long-term reading. If your long-term average is more than 4 pCi/L you should consider steps to reduce the Radon level to a safer level. The Iowa Radon Survey has indicated that Iowa has the largest percentage (or 71.6%) of homes above the US Environmental Protection Agency action level of 4 pCi/L. It is also designated by the US EPA as an entirely zone 1 state, which means that at least 50% of the homes are above US EPA's recommended action level.
Mason will bring the new detector to the meeting today, but asks that you send him an email to RSVP your week to make more birthdays in your home!
Michelle Sweeney, Project Manager for the University Avenue project in Waterloo shared details on the phases of design and construction on this major project for the City of Waterloo.
I’ve been an “official” Rotarian for less than ten years but have been active for over forty!
Born in East St Louis, Illinois, I grew up south of Chicago in Park Forest. It’s amazing to me that I’ve lived in Waterloo over half my life!
My undergrad was at St Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota. I planned on law school after that but married a lawyer instead. I was close! Ha! My MA is in public speaking from UNI after starting a curriculum endorsement at Loyola of Chicago. I love school!
I’m now retired after thirty-five years as a public educator. Teaching was the right fit for me! I enjoyed every day!!
I love to cook AND eat AND travel so not surprisingly I have many favorites. Always at THE top, however, is South India’s masala dosa! Not fancy—just delicious!
Kevin would say that I’m addicted to the Hallmark Channel which isn’t far from the truth this past winter! Actual movies would be any version of Pride and Prejudice.
My favorite Bible verse is Philippians 4:6 which encourages us not to worry about anything while turning those cares over through prayer. My favorite quote is the Arabian proverb: “All sunshine maketh the desert.”
I like lots about Rotary! Especially having lunch with Kevin once a week! During his busy seasons that’s a blessing!
Steve Husome was our guest and presented on the Husome Strong Foundation which is committed to helping the amputee community through peer support, education, advocacy and financial assistance.
Hops and Grapes is going to be on September 26 from 6-9 PM at The Isle!
Save the date!!!! More details to follow.
The first step on our planning process will be to nominate your favorite Nonprofit to receive funding from the Event.
Once we have the nominations the Club will vote for the 2 non-profit organizations we would like to receive a portion of the proceeds from our event.
50% - will go to Rotary projects (to be determined) 50% will be split by two nonprofits the club chooses through voting.
Qualifications: A 501c3 organization that is either 1. A member of the Rotary club or 2. Has a Rotarian that is a board member.
Process: to nominate a non-profit (or your non-profit) please write a short description, not more than a paragraph, describing the organization and its impact. It’s like an elevator pitch for the organization. Please be concise, as we will likely have several to choose from.
Valerie Schwager from North Star Community Services shared the many great programs that North Star has and we were entertained with a preview of Shrek the Musical -their summer production.
Fave Food – My wife’s chicken and homemade noodles
Fave Movie – The Godfather, The Equalizer, John Wick, It’s a Wonderful Life, Miracle on 34th Street
Fave quote – President John F. Kennedy’s statement to the brightest minds in America at a dinner at the White House: “This is perhaps the assembly of the most intelligence ever to gather at one time in the White House, with the exception of when Thomas Jefferson dined alone.”
Fave thing about Rotary - Contact with other community members interested in helping others.
Something unique about you – When I was a junior in law school at the University of Iowa, I was the Iowa Law School Athletic Director.
Saturday, March 30th, I and several others from our District Leadership Team attended a fundraising event held by the Cedar Falls Rotary Club. The proceeds will be used to fund a global grant to provide water wells in several Honduran villages. During the event, an eight year-old girl named Lyra Benjamin was honored for her charitable work to help people in need. To celebrate her First Communion, she chose to raise charitable funds instead of receiving personal gifts. Lyra raised nearly $1,800 to help victims of Hurricane Irma. The really impressive thing she and her family did was to research which charitable organizations she could trust to handle disbursement of the funds. What did her research tell her? Trust Rotary International!
Lyra gave the funds to the Cedar Falls Rotary Club to make sure the funds made their way to the disaster fund of The Rotary Foundation. We are honored and humbled by Lyra’s story. If you are inspired by her story, you are welcome to give to Rotary’s Disaster Response Fund at rotary.org/en/donate. Thank you, Lyra, for your inspiration!
Fellow Rotarian Rich Frevert was named director of the Waterloo Cedar Falls Symphony last fall, and has a goal of creating buzz about upcoming performances in an effort to get people to more concerts.
Rich returns to the WCF Symphony after serving as manager in the late 1970s. He's worked with the St Paul Chamber Orchestra, Lincoln Symphony Orchestra, and the Springfield (Mass.) Symphony Orchestra. Rich works closely with WCFSymphony Artistic Director and Conductor Jason Weinberger to develop an exciting series of concerts with a multi-media component. For example, April 13 they will present Concert: To The New World, The story of Antonín Dvořák’s journey to America and his experience living in Iowa as told by visual artist Gary Kelley.
Years in Rotary: I've been in Rotary for 25 years. Bernie McKinley encouraged me to join back in 1994 when we both worked for the Cedar Valley Partnership, which is now the Grow Cedar Valley.
Hometown: Waterloo. I've lived half my life in Waterloo and half in Cedar Falls.
College: University of Northern Iowa
Job: Black Hawk County Supervisor
Fave Food: Brownies (like potato chips, I never eat just one).
Fave Movie: Recent favorites include Green Book, the Upside, and Cold Pursuit.
Fave quote: As long as you're breathing, it's never too late to do some good." Maya Angelou
Fave thing about Rotary: Networking with new and old members who want to make our Community a better place.
Something unique about you: I enjoy participating in the Precieux Art Jewelers Treasure Hunts with my family. Last fall, we found 7 of the many hidden treasures. This picture is of one of our "finds" - a gold nugget. We also found two gift certificates ($50 and $100) , an opal, a red sapphire, a blue topaz, and a diamond. Thank you, Dave Cutler.
If you are interested in helping out the member services desk please let Norman know. He is in need of helpers for the next several weeks. This opportunity is a great way for you to get to know you fellow Rotarians and put a face to a name! We only ask you arrive early (11:30am) and work the desk by handing out badges, greeting guests, etc until noon. Fun and easy way to get involved!!!
Mark A. Grey is Professor of Anthropology at the University of Northern Iowa. Mark has conducted research on immigrants, refugee and other newcomer populations in Iowa, the United States and internationally for more than 30 years. Mark is a widely recognized scholar on mobile populations and a highly sought-after speaker, trainer and consultant. In addition to UNI, Dr. Grey is on the teaching faculty at the Iowa Law Enforcement Academy and he holds an adjunct professor appointment with the U.S. Army War College.
Jared Seliger, President of Allen College shared recent developments at the school and described the relationship between the healthcare industry and their evolving program.
For the last three years, President Katelyn has been proud to bring her family of farmers to the Rural Urban Day Luncheon. Her Grandparents, Jim & Lovelle Pedersen, Uncle Jeff Pedersen and Dad, John Pedersen all work on the family farm south of Hudson in the Eagle Center area. Katelyn has the fondest memories of riding on both green and red tractors and tagging along in the farm truck or four wheeler with her great grandma and grandma to deliver the boys their sack lunches while spending hours in the fields during harvest time. Katelyn recognizes the hard work farmers do and feels blessed to be part of a family who never takes this life for granted.
Years in Rotary - I've been a Rotarian for 16 years. 10 years in the Waverly Chapter, and 6 years here in Waterloo. I'm proud to be a Paul Harris Fellow.
Hometown - Audubon, Iowa
Job - President and CEO of the Community Foundation of Northeast Iowa
Fave Food - Grilled steak and fettuccine (with a glass of wine)
Fave thing about Rotary - I enjoy the fellowship with our members, and learning more about the community we all love and serve!
Something unique about you - married to John, my high school sweetheart for 37 years and counting! We love traveling together and with our family! This picture is from our recent trip to the Grand Canyon. We have two adorable grandchildren, Kaylee and Jackson who live three minutes from our home!
Tom Eachus, Executive Director of Black Hawk Grundy Mental Health made a presentation to the Club regarding the status of mental health in Iowa as well as the mental health care deficit.
Years in Rotary 24 yrs. (counting Crossroads Rotary Club)
Hometown Montrose, Iowa
College UNI
Job Commercial Loan Officer (BankIowa)
Fave Food Toasted Ravioli (St. Louis style) and spaghetti
Fave Movie Saving Private Ryan
Fave quote “People ask me what I do in winter when there’s no baseball. I’ll tell you what I do. I stare out the window and wait for spring.” ~ Rogers Hornsby
Fave thing about Rotary Fellow Rotarians, the surprise of what’s for lunch and the great programs each week.
Something unique about you I’ve been to 12 Jimmy Buffett concerts.
Paul Huting Waterloo Leisure Services Director will share updates from Waterloo Leisure Services as well as present details about two projects in their pipeline: pickleball courts and the Riverside Skate Park. Both projects are near Riverfront Stadium and are candidates for our club to support financially this year.
Waterloo's skate park was first opened in 2002, but the floods of 2008 and 2016 damaged the ramps and the park has been technically closed for almost 3 years. FEMA originally planned to help but major hurricanes in 2017 redirected funding.
Waterloo Leisure Services has hired a California company, Spohn Ranch, to develop plans for a new all-concrete skate park. On January 30th, a design workshop brought skaters and city officials together to discuss and vote on specific features for the new park. The results and photos of that workshop can be seen on the group's Facebook page.
Somewhat related to the skate park project - the existing concrete slab under the damaged ramps is still in good condition and can be transformed into pickleball courts. If you've heard of pickleball but aren't familiar with how to play, it's basically a combination of tennis, badminton, and table tennis. A pickleball court is smaller than a tennis court, and Leisure Services Recreation Manager Mark Gallagher says three pickleball courts could easily fit on the current skate park concrete pad.
Years in Rotary – My current official initiation date is January 18, 1994 when I joined the Rotary Club of Iowa City A.M., However, I was a Rotarian with the Waterloo Downtown Club for a few years before I moved to Iowa City. At that time, there was not a transfer system in place so there was a six-month period when I was not a Rotary member.
Hometown – Waterloo, Iowa
College – Iowa State University – GO CYCLONES!
Job – Wealth Management Banker, U.S. Bank, Waterloo
Fave Food – Anything chocolate
Fave Movie – I have many favorites … I typically go for something entertaining or fun … but that being said, I do love the Harry Potter series having gotten hooked on the books when I read the first in the series with an Iowa City elementary student I journaled through Rotary with when the book first came out in the U.S.
Fave Quote – I used to collect quotes (before computers and Pinterest), so it is hard to select just one … but one that always sorts itself to the top is “The Shepherd’s Prayer” that my mom posted by her desk in college to remind her of her late father: “Heaven won’t be so lonely if what I hope is true, if a little lamb of God is there or come old friendly ewe. In those celestial pastures beside still waters deep, my the eternal future find me with a little bunch of sheep.”
Fave Thing About Rotary – I actually have two favorites … first, I love being able to help people locally and across the globe through the many Rotary initiatives … and second, I really enjoy the social aspects provided not only through involvement in the local club but also through the many friendships I developed by being involved at the district level when I was in Iowa City.
Something Unique About Me – I spend most of my vacation time helping my family exhibit our purebred, registered Hampshire sheep at three state fairs in the summer and our national show at the North American International Livestock Exposition in the fall. My husband and I recently relocated to the area to help my parents, including assisting them with the sheep operation. Right now is lambing season (approximately January–April) so we are very busy with all the new additions and trying to keep everyone warm and healthy!
Hawkeye Community College Athletic Director of Red Tail Athletics, Dave Ball joined us to talk about the athletic programming at Hawkeye Community College.
Lori Eberhard, George Wyth Park Manager talked about the many programs George Wyth State Park has to offer, the soft trails community collaboration and touch on the many activities around the Rotary Shelter.
College: University of Iowa undergrad, Drake for law school
Job: Attorney with McCrindle Law Office
Favorite Food: Steak & Fries
Favorite Movie: “It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World”
Favorite Quotes: “No matter how far down the wrong road you have travelled, turn back.”—Turkish proverb; and “The problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people’s money.”—Margaret Thatcher.
Favorite Thing About Rotary: Camaraderie in doing good stuff for others.
Something Unique About Me: Fascinated by the craft of live theatre and how a show is put on stage—all the things that go into creating what the audience sees.
Through excellent club finance management practices, our club is in a position to support a local project and possibly tap into a district matching grant. The board has narrowed down a list of projects and we'll hear about them during our February meetings.
George Wyth projects - Feb 4th
Waterloo Pickle Ball Court - Feb 18th
Riverside Skate Park - Feb 18th
Allen/Mental Heath Center landscaping project - Feb 25th
After the presentations, the board will send out a SurveyMonkey for our members to vote on the preferred project.
Kegan Bakken, General Manager of SingleSpeed joined us to share the many exciting activities at SingleSpeed. He shared the exciting growth of the craft beer industry, how SingleSpeed compares to other craft beer company’s in Iowa and new opportunities for SingleSpeed.
We'll honor Paul Harris Fellows and collect ideas for a service project our club can facilitate this year. Bring your ideas for projects that will enhance the quality of life in the Cedar Valley and could use a boost from 100+ community leaders.
Since being announced in September, fellow Rotarians Heather Labonte and Megan Kugler have been profiled in the Courier's annual 20 Under 40 series. We are proud to have these community leaders in our club, and they join a long list of previous Rotarians honored over the past 17 years. Click the photos below to read each profile:
Clinical Medical Director Dr. Adam Roise and Dr. Jim Hoehns, a Clinical Pharmacist and Research Director joined us to discuss some of the services that Northeast Iowa Family Practice provides the community and some of the unique research projects that Northeast Iowa Family Practice participates in.
Dr. Hoehns earned his B.S.Ph and Pharm.D. degree from the University of Iowa in 1992 and 1994, respectively. He then completed a specialty pharmacy residency in Family Medicine in 1995 at the University of Iowa Family Practice Center. He has been a clinical pharmacy faculty member of the Northeast Iowa Family Medicine Residency Program since 1995. He also is the Division Head for Applied Clinical Sciences at the University of Iowa College of Pharmacy and is a Clinical Associate Professor. He is the Program Director for a PGY1 Pharmacy Residency Program at NEIMEF and has been the Research Director at NEIMEF since 2004.
Happy New Year to everyone! We’ve had some exciting things happening in District 5970 over the holidays, and we have lots of excitement coming up in the second half of our Rotary year:
Our annual District Conference in April 2019 at Clear Lake, Iowa
Thank you to each one of you for the service you’ve given to The Rotary Foundation in the first half of our year through your completion of grant projects, financial support of the Foundation, and promotion of the good work the Foundation is doing. Let’s keep it going in the second half!
December 17th - Jason Behrens (East High Director of Choirs) and Luke Overton (West High Director of Choirs) brought a mix of traditional and contemporary Holiday music to Rotary last Monday. The two directors showcased select choirs to sing during the Holiday luncheon and shared the many exciting things that are happening in both programs. Just a reminder, if you would like to support West High Choir, there is a can drive the second Saturday of each month in the West High Parking lot.
Keegan Birkicht shared a program that highlights the great things Retrieving Freedom is doing with assistance / service dogs for veterans, individuals with diabetes or children living with autism.
Ed Dams and fellow Rotarian Marty Stoakes presented information on Home-Start which is a coordinated program between Veteran Affairs and The Church Row Neighborhood to completely remodel a home in the neighborhood and make it available to a deserving, caring veteran family at an affordable price. Ed Dams is a community volunteer, and a retired Realtor/Developer. He is also a past president of the Northeast Iowa Board of Realtors.
Fave Movie- This time of year it is definitely “It’s a Wonderful Life”
Fave quote- Right now my favorite quote is this Chinese Proverb that reads: “If you want happiness for an hour, take a nap. If you want happiness for a day, go fishing. If you want happiness for a year, inherit a fortune. If you want happiness for a lifetime, help somebody.”
Fave thing about Rotary- I love all the people I am meeting and the passion they show for helping others.
Something unique about you- I enjoy reading, especially science fiction books.
Housed in the north end of Central Middle School, the Waterloo Career Center currently offers two career and technical education programs, but will be expanding to include ten additional career pathways over the next three years. Currently, high school students can take nursing or digital graphics at the center for part of their day. More pathways will be added: advanced manufacturing, early childhood education, and information technology. Ten more programs will follow and all pathways will be open to students by Fall 2020, as the district plans to permanently house the Waterloo Career Center at Central Middle School.
Jeff Frost is the executive director of professional education for Waterloo Community Schools and will oversee the expansion of the Waterloo Career Center. Frost, of Gilbertville, was director of teaching and learning at Linn-Mar Community Schools, and was an assistant principal and athletic director at West High School from 2001 to 2010.
Job – Grout Museum District Director of Development
Fave Food - Brownies
Fave Movie – Wizard of Oz
Fave quote – “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel”.Maya Angelou
Fave thing about Rotary – The People
Something unique about you – I have a sister who was born on my 3rd birthday.
You have many choices where you donate this Giving Tuesday, 27 November. Why should Rotary be your charity of choice?
Here are five reasons to give to Rotary.
1. Accountability
Our accountability and transparency have earned The Rotary Foundation 11 straight years of four-star ratings — the highest possible — from independent evaluator Charity Navigator. Ninety-one percent of Foundation funds are spent directly on programs. No high administrative costs dilute your gift.
2. Impact
We partner with other organizations to increase our impact and make your donations work even harder. When you give to PolioPlus, for example, you have the satisfaction of knowing that every $1 Rotary commits to polio eradication is matched by $2 from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Thanks to this partnership, all donations to end polio (up to $50 million per year) are tripled, providing critical funding toward creating a polio-free world.
3. A record of success
Rotary unites leaders who have the skills and resources to tackle some of the world’s most difficult problems and deliver sustainable, long-lasting results. For decades, Rotary has been a leader in the battle against polio and has caused cases to plummet from 350,000 in 1988 to only a handful this year. Rotary members have also achieved notable results in other areas, like eradicating Guinea worm disease in Ghana.
4. Global reach
Our 1.2 million members span the globe, uniting people who have a common desire to serve others. From teaching children to read in Ecuador to a microcredit program in Indonesia, Rotary members identify local problems and use Rotary’s vast network and the resources of The Rotary Foundation to take action in their communities.
5. Bringing about peace
Each year, the Rotary Peace Centers train some of the world’s most dedicated professionals to resolve conflicts and promote national and international cooperation. Rotary Peace Fellows study in a two-year master’s degree program or a three-month professional certificate program at Rotary’s partner universities. Rotary members themselves also address the underlying causes of conflict, including poverty, inequality, ethnic tension, lack of access to education, and unequal distribution of resources.
2018 Waterloo Rotary MVP Kate Shannon, Columbus High School
The MVP travelling trophy will be on display at Columbus until next November. Congratulations to all the seniors and thank you parents and administrators for supporting these athletes.
Our guest speaker was Olivia Schmitt, reporter for KWWL TV 7.
Two of our recent guests were elected this week to represent us. Dave Williams Joined us October 15th and on Tuesday, he was elected to represent District 60 in the Iowa House. Then, the day before the election, Abby Finkenauer shared a slice of her very busy day to join us and field questions on her views. She went on to win 50.9% of votes in Iowa's 1st district, which made her the second youngest woman ever elected to Congress.
Congratulations to both of these Iowans who have answered the call to serve their communities.
With a very busy November program schedule, we'll honor November birthdays and December birthdays together December 3rd. You will be allowed to have a double dessert.
Hovey Brom, Nov 05
Jay Crisp, Nov 06
David Allbaugh, Nov 08
Luke Jenson, Nov 08
Donna Miller, Nov 12
Tavis Hall, Nov 16
Steve Volz, Dec 01 Frank Seng, Dec 02 Jim Schaefer, Dec 6 Steve Thorpe, Dec 06 Jacob Wittmayer, Dec 12 Randy Johnson, Dec 19 John Dodge, Dec 20
The Trustees of The Rotary Foundation have allowed the use of additional District Designated Funds for District Grants in 2019-20. In addition to the formulated amount District 5970 will get for next year’s grants (approximately $75,000), we will have an additional $18,610 available.
That means our club should be thinking about, planning for, and submitting an application for a district grant for 2019-20. You have a terrific opportunity to be funded.
November is Rotary Foundation Month and we hope you’ve made plans in your club to promote the good work of the Foundation and to implement your fundraising plan to support that good work. We just celebrated World Polio Day. Our challenge is before us. Let’s keep our “Countdown To History” going and end polio now. Thank you for your gifts to the PolioPlus Fund. It remains the Foundation’s top priority!
Thank you also for your gifts to the Annual Fund of the Foundation. They promote peace, provide clean water, save mothers and children, support education, grow local economies, and fight disease. These gifts are transformed into service projects that change lives close to home and around the world.
College: Univ. of Northern Iowa; Univ. of Iowa College of Law
Job: Attorney at Swisher & Cohrt, PLC
Fave Food: Ziti al Forno from The Sopranos Family Cookbook
Fave Movie: The Godfather Part II
Fave Quote: “We shall not cease from exploration. And the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time.” T.S. Eliot, “Little Gidding.” Honorable mentions to the final sentence of the Gettysburg Address and Justice Robert Jackson’s first three sentences in his opening remarks at the Nuremburg Trials.
District Governor Neil Fell visited our club last Monday. As Governor makes his rounds to local clubs in District 5970 we were honored to receive a certificate that recognizes our club for our financial contributions and advocacy for Polio.
We're getting ready for the 6th annual World Polio Day event in Philadelphia, PA, USA. We will be streaming live from the College of Physicians at 18:30 Philadelphia time, and aim to bring together more than 100,000 viewers around the world. Watch the video above, featuring global health experts and celebrities sharing our progress on the road to polio eradication.
Years in Rotary: 17 Hometown: Rochester, New York College: Dickinson College BA, University of Maine MA and ISU PhD Job: Associate Dean - Executive Director GBPAC Fave Food: Lobster Fave Movie: Star Trek Fave quote: Inspirations never go for long engagements; they demand immediate marriage to action.
-Brendan Francis
Fave thing about Rotary: Fellowship - Like minded folks
Join us as these two neighbors square off in the second of their four debates planned during the election season. Please come early as we plan to start promptly at 12:00 to insure we have sufficient time to ask questions and allow candidate remarks. There is still time to submit questions to Mark and Katelyn to the below email addresses:
Chuck Long is coming so look forward to a great program with Chuck discussing the resurgence of Iowa Hawkeye Football. He will share some stories about his time as a player and coach in college and the NFL, finishing runner-up for the Heisman, taking snaps in a record five bowl games and being selected the No. 12 overall pick in the ’86 NFL Draft. He will have books for sale for those who would like one signed and autographed; he’ll also be pleased to join in for photos.
As District Governor, it is my duty, along with District Volunteers, to support clubs and help them grow. Growth may be increasing community support, recruiting new members, increasing donations to the Foundation or End Polio Now. Any time we become more engaged in Rotary and deepen our commitment, we grow. District Executive Secretary Suellen Kolbet is available to your club anytime you need information or have questions about Rotary. She can be reached at des@district5970.org. Another great resource is our district website www.District5970.org. On the site you will find contact information for your Assistant District Governor and Team Leaders. All of us are here to support you, so do not hesitate to reach out to any member of the team.
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Upcoming Events:
One Rotary Summit-October 9th Mason City, Iowa
One Rotary Summit-October 24th-Marion, Iowa
North Central President Elect Training (NCPETS)-March 14th-March 16th-Ames, Iowa.
District Conference-a guaranteed good time-Friday April 26 to April 27, 2019, Clear Lake, Iowa.
Rotary International Conference-Hamburg Germany. June 5-9, 2019
As the temperature drops and we quickly embrace this Fall weather please be thinking of our community and those kids who may need a warm coat this season.
Operation Warm coats need to be purchased by Friday, October 5 so if you could get in your donation this week it would be much appreciated. We can only order as many coats as dollars we have so please be generous.
Checks can be made out and sent to:
Community Foundation of Northeast Iowa
Memo: Operation Warm
3117 Greenhill Circle Cedar Falls, IA 50613
You may also bring the check or cash to the Rotary meeting on Monday. Steve will be there to collect the money so he can order the coats on Friday.
Thank you for your continued support in Operation Warm and your service to the Rotary Club of Waterloo!
For over 50 years SCORE has provided free, confidential, face-to-face mentoring to help entrepreneurs start, grow and fix their small business. Every year, SCORE East Central Iowa volunteers help thousands of entrepreneurs start small businesses and achieve new levels of success in their existing businesses. Volunteering at SCORE ECI is a way for you to give back to your community, connect with fellow business owners, and pass on your knowledge and expertise to the next generation of entrepreneurs in your community.
Rotary exchange student Anahi Rojas and her host family travelled to Chicago over Labor Day Weekend. The trip for the Ritter family included seeing son James, visiting Brookfield Zoo, Navy Pier, Millennial Park and other downtown sights in Chicago. Plans are to return at end of October. Lots of fun had by all.
Pictured are Anahi, Alayna Ritter- her host sister, her host dad Curt, host mom Mary Donegan-Ritter, and brother James Ritter
Steve had open heart surgery on Friday, September 21 at Mayo. His surgery went well and he is recovering nicely at home - Liz is surely taking good care of him!
This is the plant that was bought for Steve by our Rotary Club. We hope it will comfort Steve and remind him how much our club is grateful for his service to our community and beyond.
If you'd like to send your well wishes to Steve you may send it to his home directly at the address below:
We had a great program on Monday with a presentation on Collections and Exhibits by Nicholas Erickson, Erin Dawson and Catreva Manning. One of the new exhibits includes Sulkies to Speedways: The Need for Speed in the Cedar Valley. The exhibit explores some of the most popular racing styles and venues in the Cedar Valley from the past 125 years.
Anahi dearly loves and misses her family and friends, but has always wanted to be an exchange student from the time she started meeting them and learning about the process. She told how beautiful our country is, how like Paraguay Iowa is in many ways, and told of the differences between the cultural landscapes. For instance, she added how the students in Paraguay are not allowed cellphones and headphones at school, much less in class. She will be getting used to indoor heating in buildings. None is needed in Paraguay, although air-conditioning sure is needed.
Join us Monday, back at the 5 Sullivan Brothers Convention Center, to welcome UNI President Mark Nook.
He began serving as the 11th president of the University of Northern Iowa on February 1, 2017. Prior to this appointment, he served as chancellor of Montana State University Billings (MSUB). Originally from Holstein, Iowa, Nook has committed his Midwest education and values to higher education for many years and on many levels. He is dedicated to ensuring every member of the university community reaches their individual educational, professional and personal life goals. President Nook and his wife, Cheryl, reside in the UNI President's House. They have three adult children, two granddaughters and two grandsons.
It’s National Child Awareness Month, and Operation Warm is celebrating with this video submitted to the 2018 NCAM Challenge. The top ten most watched videos have the opportunity to win up to $50,000 in grants.
You can help Operation Warm keep more children warm this winter!
Please view the video here and challenge three friends to do the same. Together, we can make this happen—we can win up to $50,000 to help children in our communities get brand new coats.
With a heart as courageous as her love of life, Anahi is our new Downtown Rotary Club’s Exchange student from Paraguay.
She sat quietly beside me with her host mom Mary Donegan-Ritter and their family dog Sawyer on their beautiful outside porch. The rest of the family wasn’t home yet including host sister Alayna, a junior, out for cross country at West. Her host dad Curt wasn’t home yet either.
With a beautiful smile, Anahi focused right on me and answered questions clearly and completely as much as possible. Her caring host mom watched her carefully, listening and helping her only as needed as Anahi constructed her phrases and searched for ways to express deep feelings important to her.
This is an ALL-POINTS-BULLETIN: our shoebox commander is searching for shoeboxes that were checked out by Rotarians in our club but HAVE NOT BEEN RETURNED. Every shoebox is paired with an individual student in Nicaragua so if you are holding onto a shoebox, that child will be empty-handed when our team arrives to distribute in November. It is IMPERATIVE that you return the shoeboxes you checked out - preferably filled with all the age and gender-appropriate items on the list. Bring your shoeboxes to Monday's meeting as the trucks will be loaded and depart next week!
We will NOT meet at the Sullivan Brothers Convention Center Monday - our talents will be called to the old Food Bank location to help tie a ribbon on this year's shoebox project. Steve Thorpe reports volunteers have done amazing work the last several days and the project is on track to ship on time. A big final push from our club is scheduled for Monday beginning at 10am. Jimmy Johns will be delivered about noon (for those that RSVP'd with Mark earlier this week) and Rotarians are encouraged to come see the final stages of the packing process.
Congressman Rod Blum joined us for an update from Capitol Hill as well as discussion from the upcoming campaign. You can see his comments on our Facebook Live stream recorded at our meeting.
EVANSTON, Ill. (August 15, 2018) — Rotary International announced nearly $100 million in grants to support the global effort to end polio, a vaccine-preventable disease that once paralyzed hundreds of thousands of children each year.
The announcement comes as Nigeria marks two years without any reported cases of wild poliovirus, following four reported cases in 2016.
“The fact that no new cases of wild poliovirus have been detected in Nigeria points to the improved surveillance and rapid response protocols Rotary and its Global Polio Eradication Initiativepartners have established, particularly in insecure and inaccessible areas,” said Michael K. McGovern, chair of Rotary’s International PolioPlus Committee. “While this progress is promising, it’s time to redouble our efforts so we can continue to maintain the political and financial support necessary to end polio for good.”
Please continue supporting this excellent program that provides coats to children in the Waterloo Community School District. Last year we were able to provide 1,200 coats and this year our goal is 1,500 coats. To help in this goal and if you are a Cyclone fan, contact Steve about purchasing his 2 lower deck, 30 yard line tickets for the Akron game on Sept. 22nd , the Baylor game November 10th, or the Kansas State game on Nov. 24th. These tickets are great seats and the proceeds will go straight to Operation Warm. Each pair is offered for $200, but any additional donation would help us beat our goal of providing 1,500 coats this year!
You can help by sharing the post on our Facebook page with your friends who are Cyclone Football fans.
Let us know if you are attending Volunteer Day at the warehouse on 11th Street to pack boxes on September 10th from 11:30 to 1:30. A sign-up sheet will be at the check-in desk to enable us to order you a lunch from Jimmy Johns. Also, please help out packing boxes from 3:30 to 5:30 in the afternoons of September 4th – 6th and 11th – 13th. Email Steve Thorpe for details.
Rick will join us to speak about the upcoming college football season.
Rick Coleman was born in Waterloo and grew up watching KWWL-TV. He's always been a sports "junkie," and some of Rick's early idols were Dan Rather, Bryant Gumbel, Brent Musberger, Max Robinson and KWWL's Ron Steele.
Job – After 20 years of selling signs in the Cedar Valley, I started selling signs throughout the Midwest in a new position with Nagle Signs August 6th.
Fave Food - PastaTacosBarbequePizzaSushi
Fave Movie – The Big Lebowski
Fave quote – The time is always right to do what is right. MLK
Fave thing about Rotary – Bill Robert
Photo is from 2009, when Mason was president and Bill Robert became an Honorary Rotarian.
We enjoyed a great program at the newly refurbished Hartman Reserve Nature Center located at Hartman Reserve, a 340 acre wooded isle located in Waterloo / Cedar Falls. We also enjoyed Blue Barn BBQ as Connie Svoboda shared how the new Nature Center came to be and some of the new programming that is available. Connie has been with the Nature Center for 6 years and previously worked at the UNI Museums and Iowa State Extension. Connie’s responsibilities as Development Coordinator include marketing and fundraising. After her presentation, we toured the new facilities.
The short overview video and location maps of Hartman Reserve Nature Center can be found in the links below:
Fellow Rotarian Jim Madison shared details about the Winnebago Council in general, the areas they serve and the camp property, Ingawanis Adventure Base. He also highlighted the recent programmatic changes within the Boy Scouts of America.
Joining him was Whitney Jensen, one of Jim's staff members that covers the Cedar Valley. She is also an Assistant District Governor for Rotary District 5970.
One of our club's oldest traditions is the annual family picnic at the Rotary Reserve. The weather was amazing and over 100 people attended! If you have photos to share, please email them to Mason@theSignPeople.net
The Future Leaders training will be held in conjunction with the Celebration Zone Institute in Erie, PA on September 27‐30, 2018. We have an outstanding lineup of guest speakers, zone directors and even the Rotary International President Elect ready to connect, engage and inspire you! More information is available at the link Future Leaders 2018
District 5970 is offering 4 scholarships to attend the Future Leaders Program. If you meet any of the following criteria, please apply!
Executive Director and fellow Rotarian Barb Prather was joined by Volunteer Services Manager Jessica Haring (pictured) who shared volunteer opportunities to serve the needs of hungry Iowans. The Northeast Iowa Food Bank provides nutritious food to 5,800 different people weekly through a far-reaching network of over 200 food pantries, soup kitchens, schools, churches and nonprofit groups. In 2015 they distributed 7 million pounds of food to those who are hungry in northeast Iowa.
The Waterloo Community Playhouse will present "Grease" for two weekends in July, and we got a sneak peek at our meeting Monday! From "Summer Nights" to "Greased Lightning", the Pink Ladies and T-Birds will transport you back to the 50's for 7 big shows. Click this link for tickets!
(shows July 13 - 15 are SOLD OUT - seats remain for July 19 - 22 if you act fast!)
TORONTO (June 27, 2018) — In acknowledgment of his government’s efforts to achieve a polio-free world, Rotary today presented Prime Minister Justin Trudeau with its Polio Eradication Champion Award at its 109th annual international convention.
At our June 25th meeting, we celebrated another year full of service and we had some laughs while honoring two familiar faces.
President Phil Nash began his last meeting in charge with updates from John Berry on Hops & Grapes and Steve Thorpe on the Shoebox Project. John thanked Rotarians who attended the annual event June 14th and was appreciative of the volunteers who stepped up to coordinate and pull off another top-notch event. Final accounting will be completed in July, and proceeds from this year's event will benefit our club as well as Operation Threshold and Family & Children's Council. Steve reminded us of the origins and lasting impact of the Shoebox Project, which is in full box-filling mode right now. Email Steveto check out a few shoeboxes to fill for specific children in Nicaragua that desperately want to be lifted out of poverty.
Thursday evening at Mudd Advertising marked another warm evening of spirits and fundraising for local non-profits. Amazing catered food from Bryan's on 4th was paired with beer and wine for an evening of fellowship with our benefiting organizations. Family & Children's Council of Black Hawk County presented details on their infant car seat program, and Operation Threshold shared information about their program for distributing fans this summer. Special thanks to Mudd Advertising for hosting the event and to the committee and attendees!
Click the photo below to flip through the online album:
Enjoy the Holiday celebrating America's Independence. No Rotary that week, we will see you again on July 9!
Who do you know that would make a good Rotarian? Invite them to one of our upcoming meetings to experience the fellowship and service that Rotary is know for around the world. Potential members have their lunch covered by the club on their first two visits, so bringing recruits should be easy!
I remember it like it was yesterday! When Phil announced that I was the lucky winner of the 2017 March Madness bracket, I was elated! I never win ANYTHING!! During this same time (actually the first conversations began in November of 2015) I was seeking support for a Rotary Global Grant. I knew exactly where those winnings would be applied.
Fast forward to a couple weeks ago (yes 3 years later!), the Global Grant: Water for Life: Haiti, was approved by The Rotary Foundation! The full project is set to begin this month. The Host partner is the Champs de Mars Rotary Club in Port-Au-Prince, Haiti. The International Club co-hosts are the Cedar Rapids Downtown Club paired with the Iowa City Noon Club.
Many of you have been a part of this 3 year journey - whether you realized it or not. Special thanks to Dave Buck, Julie Hayes and Phil Nash for your financial contributions as well as to our club for matching my March Madness winnings! In total our club contributed $1,250.
As for the project, my organization: Community Health Initiative, Haiti along with the local Rotary Club will work in in partnership with Haiti Outreach, an expert in water infrastructure development in Haiti. A hydrogeologic study will be conducted over the next three months in 2 regions in Haiti. Once the study is complete, 4 communities will be selected (based on the study) as a 'good fit' for a well. Each of the communities will go through community development and water management training leading up to the well installation. In addition, two sustainable businesses will be developed: the first will focus on in-home-point-of-use water treatment systems, and the second is a latrine construction business.
A more formal description of the details and special thanks to the many other Rotary Clubs and individuals who made this possible will be forthcoming.
Until then, know that I am grateful for your questions and continued interest and support for this very personal and powerful project!
The John Deere Waterloo Works 100th Anniversary Celebration will be taking over the convention center June 15-16. Dave Guetterman from John Deere joined us for a preview of the events and an overview of the history of John Deere in Waterloo. Click this link for more information on the CVB website.
Fellow Rotarian Pam Delagardelle, CEO of UnityPoint - Allen Hospital, and developer Ben Stroh joined us to share details about changes underway at the former Logan Plaza, now North Crossing.
Fellow Rotarian Henry Edsil was recently given a couple Waterloo Rotary Club membership rosters printed in the 60's and brought them to our May 21 meeting to share. If you did not get a chance to see Henry's rosters, we have two sets of photo rosters available to flip through on our website, just follow this link.
Dr. John Berry needs a "little help from his friends" in supporting our annual fundraiser Hops & Grapes. Operation Threshold’s fan program and Family & Children’s Council’s infant car-seat safety program are the non-profits selected to share the proceeds. Barbara Grant, Executive Director of Operation Threshold; and Amanda Goodman, Executive Director of Family & Children’s Council, will make brief presentations about their respective programs.
Hops & Grapes, with the theme “Woodstock Forever,” will be Thursday, June 14, at the Mudd Advertising building in Cedar Falls, from 6 to 8 p.m. Individual tickets are $25 each. Gold sponsorship cost is $250 (includes four tickets, Sliver sponsorship is $150 (includes two tickets). For more information please contact: John Berry, 319.830.5727.
Click here to see details and RSVP on our Facebook page. Or click the image below to print a flyer for your office.
With a worldwide network of meetings, Rotarians have countless opportunities to make-up for missed regular meetings at our "home club". Just provide some form of written record of your attendance at another Rotary meeting and you'll "keep it 100" (as the kids say these days).
Martina Signore’s parents will be visiting her and attending graduation. Due to a scheduling conflict, we have moved the Food Bank presentation to June 4th and Martina will be presenting this Monday.
Martina arrived in Waterloo in August and will be departing on June 9th. In that time, she’s attended Waterloo West High School, lived at three host families, traveled throughout the Midwest and Hawaii and has interacted with many in our Rotary Club. She will be sharing her many experiences she’s had throughout the year and will be saying her goodbyes to our club. Come hear Martina and wish her well on her future endeavors.
Also, Meg Durbahn will be coming to give a description of where she will be going next fall as our sponsored outbound Rotary Youth Exchange Student. She will be living in Enkhuizen, Netherlands and has been in contact with her host families.
Today's presentation, “The Opioid Crisis and What You Can Do”, will provide an overview of the opioid crisis including national, state and local data, and the underlying contributors to the crisis. The cycle of opioid addiction and the drugs in this category will be discussed. Participants will be able to identify relevant actions in prevention, treatment, emergency response, and safety. Each person will be able to identify something they can do to help address the issue.
Former First Lady of the United States Laura Bush, an advocate for literacy, education, and women’s rights, will speak at the 2018 Rotary Convention in Toronto this June.
For decades Mrs. Bush has fought for key national and global issues including launching groundbreaking education and healthcare programs in the U.S. and abroad. She founded both the Texas Book Festival and the National Book Festival in Washington D.C. As chair of the Women’s Initiative at the George W. Bush Institute, Mrs. Bush continues her work on global healthcare innovations, empowering women in emerging democracies, education reform, and supporting men and women who have served in the U.S. military.
With the change in seasons, you might want to re-check your Radon levels in your house or business. Former Waterloo Rotarian Tom Arthur provided our club with a digital Radon detector/meter that we have been offering to members on a 2-week check-out program. This device will give you an approximate average reading over several days, and should used to determine if a more precise test is warranted. Charcoal test kits are available at hardware stores for $10-15, but thanks to Tom, Rotarians can run this electronic test at home for NO CHARGE. The "birthday machine" is so named as it will help provide MORE birthdays for your family by identifying the need for corrective measures to mitigate Radon in your home.
For more details on Radon, click here for the American Cancer Society's link.
If you would like to check out the birthday machine, email Mason - it will be available to pick up at our May 14th meeting.
Since we turned the corner on winter weather this week, our fellow Rotarians in the Cedar Valley club took full advantage and held their regular meeting outside the Hilton Garden Inn.
As Rotarians, we are welcome at over 32,000 Rotary clubs all over the world - Rotary.org has a "Club Finder" page where you can search for Rotary clubs that are meeting where you are travelling. Take advantage of your Rotary membership and connect with people across town or across the globe!
The people have spoken. With a majority of internet user votes, Rotary.org won the prestigious Webby People’s Voice Award for best association website. The International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences announced the winners on 24 April.
This year, internet users cast over 3 million votes worldwide. And with over 13,000 entries from nearly all 50 U.S. states and more than 70 countries, this year’s contest is the biggest Webby Awards ever. Winners will be recognized at the Webby Awards’ 22nd annual ceremony 14 May in New York, New York, USA.
We are excited to host Rodney Anderson and Dan Levi discussing their new development project including a grocery store and community center in the Walnut Neighborhood. Here's a link to the Courier story on the groundbreaking story a few weeks ago:
The Waterloo Rotary Club annually recognizes senior honor students of the Waterloo high schools and their principals. Through this recognition, the Waterloo Rotary Club congratulates its outstanding students and schools for their accomplishments, commitment to excellence, and dedication to developing leaders of the future. We are extremely proud of each participant and salute them for their achievements.
Many of our seasoned members will remember Arnold - he joined our club in 1967 and served for 44 years. Arnold's funeral will be Monday morning at 10:30 - just before our regular meeting. His obituary can be found on the Locke Funeral Home website.
State Auditor of Iowa Mary Mosiman is responsible for the audits of state agencies, counties, cities, and school districts. The office plays a major role in fraud investigations around the state. Mary will present "Fiscal Responsibility and State of Iowa Finances" and will highlight how audits and investigations impact Iowa taxpayers. She will also share an anti-fraud YouTube video for elected city officials.
President Phil had another big Paul Harris recognition to present this month, this time to Jeff Halverson who earned his 4th stone.
The Paul Harris Fellow recognition acknowledges individuals who contribute, or who have contributions made in their name, of US$1,000 to The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International.
It was established in 1957 to show appreciation for and encourage substantial contributions to what was then the Foundation’s only program, Rotary Foundation Fellowships for Advanced Study, the precursor to Ambassadorial Scholarships.
We welcomed Chris Kemp as an official member of our club April 2nd. She is the CEO of Peoples Community Health Clinic on Franklin Street near downtown Waterloo.
At our April 2nd meeting, Steve Thorpe was presented with his 7th Paul Harris pin which puts him in a very exclusive club.
Many Waterloo Rotarians have earned their Paul Harris Fellowship for a donation of at least $1,000, but Steve has continued to contribute for many years. Steve has seen first-hand the benefit of the Rotary Foundation's work and encourages all of our members to invest in the rotary foundation through sustaining contributions. To learn more, click the link below:
Chuck Rowe and Chelsea Szczyrbak are the dynamic duo for Boys & Girls Clubs of the Cedar Valley. Chuck has been with the Club for 8 years now, surrounding himself with a great board and staff . . . who are doing some really cool things . . . like starting new sites, creating new programs, and now . . . being part of a capital campaign. His wife Karin is also in the non profit world, and they have a set of twin boys who are very cute . . . but break everything they own.
Chelsea is the Development Director for the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Cedar Valley. Almost two months on the job after spending several years at UNI as an assistant swim coach and a coordinator on the Panther scholarship club. She is not a Cedar Valley native, but loves this community. Moved to Cedar Falls in 2008 and completed an undergraduate degree at UNI in Leisure, Youth and Human Services. She loves being part of her church and has also done a few triathlons (FYI – Chuck has not). She is also a new wife that is loving the beauty and challenges of marriage.
Roger White is a member of Cedar Trails Partnership Board and Chair of the Partnership’s Cedar Valley Nature Trail Committee. He is helping to organize the fund drive among trail users and supporters to replace the closed Wolf Creek Bridge on the Cedar Valley Nature Trail. Roger is also active with Cedar Valley Cyclists, Cedar Valley Bicycle Collective, Preserve Cedar Valley Nature Trail group, Chair of Cedar Falls Bicycle/ Pedestrian Advisory Committee, member of MPO Pedestrian Master Plan Committee, member of Black Hawk Water Trails Master Plan Steering Committee and Chair of Black Hawk County Resource and Enhancement Program (REAP) Committee. He is an active hiker, bicyclist, gardener, nature lover and volunteer.
Kathleen Wernimont was presented an honorary membership at Monday's meeting by President Phil Nash. Kathleen's original membership was proposed by Dave Buck in 1987 shortly after the US Supreme Court ruled in favor of allowing women to join Rotary clubs. A brief history of Women in Rotary was complied on our website a few years ago.
Today, almost a 1/3 of our membership is female, and we've elected 3 female presidents (with Katelyn Tungland set to assume the role this summer) . Our club is undeniably stronger with women members and all those in attendance Monday posed for a photo with Kathleen.
The joy of Spring is in the air and with it comes the thought of renewal. As we dust off our golf clubs and make plans for our gardens we should also think of ways in which we can renew our Rotary Clubs and our commitment of service to our respective communities.
In my speech to your Club this past Fall I emphasized that we benefit from Rotary only to the extent that we personally invest our energies in our local Clubs. I was reminded of this, in a very positive way, by my home Club this past week when I was made aware that we have inducted six new members within the last year. This reflects a commitment by a group of our local Rotarians, and in particular the women of our Club, to actively pursue our service projects, promote social activities, and improve Club administration including the development of a new and exciting Club website (check it out). These Charles City Rotarians, through the investment of their time and energy, have proven that a rural small town Iowa club can maintain a vibrant service organization that benefits its members and the community. I believe that you will experience this energy when you attend our District Conference on June 1st and 2nd.
So as you look ahead to the new Rotary Year under the leadership of District Governor-Elect Neil Fell think of how you can contribute to your local Club in a manner that allows you, your fellow Rotarians, and your community to benefit from the Rotary experience.
Steve and Liz Thorpe will present a wide-ranging presentation of our club's major projects: Polio eradication, Shoeboxes/Layettes for Nicaragua, and Operation Warm. The last 20 years have been very active for our club thanks to the hard work and dedication of our members.
Our featured speakers were from The American Cancer Society. Tammy Schoonover provided an overview of the American Cancer Society and their local community events and Kelly Angell presented information on a priority of ACS this year, HPV vaccination.
Kelly has been with the American Cancer Society for 7 years and works with the ACS Mission Programs of the Road To Recovery and Hotel Partners Programs for all of Iowa and South Dakota to help remove transportation or lodging as a barrier to a cancer patients treatment options. Kelly oversees all of the volunteers in these programs and works in various communities to share the impact of ACS programs and services. Kelly and her husband live here in waterloo with her husband and 2 children.
Tammy has been with the American Cancer Society for 6 years and serves as the community development manager for UNI, Black Hawk, Grundy and Tama Counties. Tammy is also responsible for the golf fundraising event and the daffodil sales. Tammy and her husband reside in Cedar Falls and she has two college age students attending UNI.
Thank you to Mindy Hendrickson at the Farmer’s State Bank location in downtown Waterloo. She and her co-workers have set up a table to Spotlight the Waterloo Rotary Club as their business customer of the month! There are photos from different projects, brochures, and even invitations to become members! Thank you Mindy!
David Welter recently retired from the Cedar Falls Community School District after serving forty years in education, thirty-seven of which were spent in Cedar Falls. During that time, he taught social studies, has been involved with baseball at the high school, college, and professional levels, while also serving as a Jr. High principal for the past sixteen years. Since retiring, Welter continues to scout for the Atlanta Braves, works as an education consultant, farms, and enjoys precious time with his children and granddaughters. Welter has been inducted into the Iowa High School Baseball Coaches Hall of Fame as well as being named Iowa’s Middle Level Principal of the Year in 2013. Dave shared stories from his book “Reflections From the Home Team…Go the Distance”
Last reminder – if people are interested in purchasing the book from David Welter, “Reflections from the Home Team, Go the Distance” you can do so here: www.reflectionsfromthehometeam.com/
Karen Showalter is a graduate of the University of Northern Iowa with a BA in Political Science and a MA in Nonprofit Management and currently resides in the Cedar Valley with her husband, Mark Showalter. Karen is currently the Black Hawk County Elections Manager where she oversees all election processes for school, city, county, state, and federal elections. Karen has more than a decade of experience in working elections and engaging the community in increased voter participation.
The 2017 State Legislature made several changes to Election Law and Karen is here today to speak to those changes.
This year's Duck Race will take place June 2 at the District 5970 Conference in Charles City. Here's how it works:
Each club and individuals in that club who purchase ducks will be represented by a single duck in the race.
The first three ducks to cross the finish line will be the winners. Once the three winning clubs have been determined, a computer pick at random will choose one winner of a Paul Harris Fellow designation for each of the three winning clubs.
Each club participating in the race will receive Foundation Paul Harris Fellow points for the full amount of dollars contributed by the club through the purchase of ducks.
Ducks cost $5. They can be purchased online (district5970.org) at $5.42 each, which covers the district's cost for credit card fees. To save the 42 cents, send a check to:
John Wasta Tallgrass Business Resources 1239 First Ave SE Cedar Rapids, IA 52402
Today is your last chance to contribute to a fundraiser for our inbound exchange student, Martina, and all money collected will go toward Marti's Rotary Spring Break excursion to Hawaii.
Our club welcomed US Senator Chuck Grassley, as he continued his annual tour across Iowa's 99 counties. You can watch his comments and questions from our members and guests on our Facebook page.
The only way our club can grow and continue serving our community is to bring new people to get hooked on Rotary. There are some amazing speakers lined up in the coming weeks - make it a goal to call AT LEAST ONE person and invite them to lunch. Our club provides two complimentary lunches for prospective members - who would say "no" to a free lunch!?!
May 14 – Northeast Iowa Food Bank
May 21 – Pam Delagardelle and Ben Stroh - North Crossing
May 28 – No Meeting – Memorial Day
Great Programs For Sharing With Prospective Members
We had a great turnout for our annual event, and made lots of connections. Special thanks to the Rural Urban Day committee: Rick Morris, Bob Regenwether, Chuck Paulsen, and Larry Steffens.
Our keynote speaker was Shane Wulf who works for the Black Hawk Soil and Water Conservation District serving as Miller Creek Water Quality Improvement Project Coordinator. Beginning in January 2014, the Miller Creek WQI Project began focusing on approximately 42,461 acres in Black Hawk and Tama Counties. Shane works with producers and landowners in the Miller Creek Watershed to implement agricultural best management practices. These BMPs are designed to help reach the Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy goals of a 45% reduction in nitrogen and phosphorus loading. Shane grew up in southeastern Wisconsin and received a BS in Geography with a minor in Environmental Studies from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.
This project has garnered State and National attention. Former National Secretary Tom Vilsack has visited the project and met with all stakeholders.
Mallory Petsche (center) is the program coordinator for EMBARC (Ethnic Minorities of Burma Advocacy and Resource Center) in Waterloo.
Over 6,000 refugees from Burma have made Iowa home in the past 5 years. Countless were forced to flee from their home because of who they are and what they believe. EMBARC is a grass-roots nonprofit organization founded by and for refugees from Burma living in Iowa. Since 2011, EMBARC and our volunteers have been providing refugees the resources they need to successfully settle in their new home. Click the logo to learn more.
For those of you who were interested in more information following the FIRST Robotics program on February 5th, here is a link to their presentation slides. Bruce added the local contacts for all participating teams in the Cedar Valley on the last slide. Please reach out to Bruce if you are interested in getting involved! Bruce Newendorp: bnewendorp@firstinspires.org
FIRST® is a non-profit organization whose goal is to get students excited about STEM and pursue education and career opportunities in this field. Inspiring young people since 1992, FIRST began with 28 teams in a New Hampshire high-school gym. Today, the four FIRST programs reach over 400,000 young people annually. The fun they have, the knowledge they gain, and the friendships they make along the way help build self-confidence, nurture creativity, and inspire them to solve the world’s greatest challenges, be strong citizens, and build a brighter future.
Jan and Bruce Newendorp have been mentors for the Cedar Falls FIRST Robotics Competition team for 15 and 18 years respectively. Jan was an elementary teacher for many years and Bruce was an engineer at John Deere for 39 years retiring in 2016. He then became the FIRST Regional Director for Iowa. In that role he and Jan work together to promote FIRST in Iowa and lead the planning committee for the FIRST Robotics Competition Iowa Regional.
Past president and past district governor (and all-around super-Rotarian) Steve Thorpe crunched some numbers and found the impact of our club's two major service projects are truly amazing. Click here for a detailed list of the supplies we've sent to Nicaragua and information on our latest Operation Warm campaign.
Luann Alemao is a 30 year veteran Family and Consumer Science professional, educator and national speaker. She is the recent recipient of the National Business Entrepreneur award for the American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences. Luann performs seminars across the country as well as private coaching for the individual. Luann is an author, created “Insightful Living” a one minute quality of life radio and blog show, writes a newspaper column for several business publications and a regular special guest on television. Luann is also the host and producer of “Get Fit” a news magazine cooking show for cable access. Luann develops and uses many healthy foods for the show, develops recipes and just has fun sharing the results.
she shares her philosophy “it isthe little things that you do and chew that make the bigger difference” encouraging audiences to embrace a healthier lifestyle.
Dear Rotarians, I am just finishing a book by a professor Patrick Deneen of Notre Dame University entitled “Why Liberalism Failed”. This is not an attack on progressive politics. In using the term “liberalism” Dr. Deneen is rather referring to a philosophy first articulated by Machiavelli during the Renaissance and later developed by John Locke during the enlightenment. Dr. Deneen’s thesis is that this cult of the individual born in the Renaissance, nurtured through the enlightenment, and coming to maturity in today’s Western culture is the source of present damage to our cultural institutions, inequitable divisions of wealth among our citizens, and significant destruction to our environment. He opines that the emphasis on individual freedom unconstrained by corresponding concern for a person’s place in and responsibilities to culture and society has been the source of the dysfunction which we are presently experiencing in our country.
Every week, The Reporter arrives in your inbox and is packed with information about our next meeting, photos from past events, and Rotary news from around the world. The newsletter is just one function that our nearly 10-year-old ClubRunner website provides to our club. We also use ClubRunner to organize member information and send invoices for member dues. If you would like to sponsor our website with a clickable graphic, email Mason for details!
A burst of winter weather prevented our originally scheduled guest speaker from travelling to our club Monday, so Chuck Rowe called in a favor from his friend Brady Gruhn to fill in. Brady runs the Cedar Falls office for Lighthouse Travel, and shared some insights on travelling abroad. Mexico is at the top of Brady's list for value and warmth this time of year. Thanks to Chuck and Brady for stepping in at the last minute to provide our program!
For many years our club was a leader in district 5970 in supporting The Rotary Foundation. As of June 30, 2017, members of our club had given over $300,000. But in recent years total gifts have plummeted to only $2,275. That works out to $47 per member, about one third of the average from all clubs in the district. There are several potential reasons for the drop in giving, including lack of understanding how the foundation works, how donations are spent and how highly it is regarded in the eyes of others.
Give the gift of Rotary today and be a part of the positive change Rotarians are making in your community and around the world. Every gift makes a difference.
Have you made a commitment to support our Rotary Foundation?
For nearly 40 years Rotarians and our partners have been working to rid the world of polio.
When we started in the mid 1980’s, public officials reported over 600,000 new cases every year. And there was wide belief that tens of thousands of new cases went unnoticed. We’ve adopted the tag line, “This close.”
final report for 2017 shows only 21 new cases of the wild polio virus (WPV) and another 74 circulating cases, defined as cases of person to person circulation within a community (i.e., family).
Rotarians can support our effort by making gifts to The Rotary Foundation and earmarking it for polio eradication.
Rotary members in Harvard, Illinois, USA, have teamed up with community groups to help alleviate hunger and bring the community together.
With the goals of alleviating hunger and educating the community, master gardeners from University of Illinois Extension planted the garden in 2001 on a half-acre parcel donated by the city and adjacent to the public library. Over the years, the master gardeners have enlisted the support of many businesses, organizations, and clubs, including the Rotary Club of Harvard, making the project a community-wide effort.
As many as 250 needy families benefit from the 10,000 pounds of vegetables that are grown and donated every year to the local food pantry. The fresh produce serves as a safety net for many families.
We WILL NOT MEET MONDAY, but we encourage you to venture out and serve the community in some meaningful way. Here are some suggestions for events honoring Dr. King through service:
The Volunteer Center of Cedar Valley is sponsoring a MLK Day Family Volunteer Day of Service on Monday, January 15 from 10:00 – 11:30 a.m. at the Cedar Falls Public Library, 504 Main Street in Cedar Falls. Families are invited to complete service projects that will support community agencies. Families are encouraged to volunteer together on this important day. For more information call (319) 272-2087 or email lauren_finke@vccv.org
Additionally, the Volunteer Center of Cedar Valley, in partnership with the Northeast Iowa Food Bank and the University of Northern Iowa, will be holding a food packaging event for the Backpack Program in Maucker Union on campus at UNI from 11:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. This opportunity is for ages 12 and above. For more information on this event, please sign up here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/mlk-day-of-service-tickets-39680137359
For more than 100 years, The Rotary Foundation has been supporting Rotarians' work to create sustainable solutions to our world's most pressing needs. But there is still much to do, and we need your help.
Rotary gives in countless ways, focusing our service efforts in six areas: promoting peace, fighting disease, providing clean water, saving mothers and children, supporting education, and growing local economies. We're also working hard to end polio once and for all.
Give the gift of Rotary today and be a part of the positive change Rotarians are making in your community and around the world. Every gift makes a difference.
We welcomed our Rotary District Foundation Chairperson Michelle Bell. She joined the Marion-East Cedar Rapids Rotary Club in 2009 and is a Past President. Currently Michelle serves as District Governor Nominee (2019-2020) and has previously served as District Service Project Chair in 2010-2011, District Governor Installation Chair 2012 and co-Chair of the 2013 District Conference. She has had the opportunity to attend four Rotary International Conventions in Bangkok Thailand, Sydney Australia, San Paulo Brazil, and Atlanta Georgia in 2016. Michelle is a member of the Bequest Society, Paul Harris Society and holds Multiple Paul Harris Fellows.
We had an interesting program brought to us by Lindy Lindberg. Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Nakhle Ghorr, Pastor of the Holy Family Maronite Catholic Church presented "The Conflict with Fundamentalist Islam in Iraq and Syria and its Consequence."
Fr. Emmanuel Nakhle was born in Baabda Lebanon, the region Capital of Mont Lebanon in 1960 (Majority Maronite Christian Catholic city). He became a monk in the religious Maronite Order of Saint Anthony the Great and pronounced his monastic vows of poverty, chastity and obedience on Christmas Day 1980. After five years of academic studies of Philosophy and Theology in the Pontifical University of Saint Thomas Aquinas in Rome between 1981 and 1986, he was ordained priest in the Antonine Maronite Order on September 1986 in Lebanon. In Rome also he got a diploma in music theory and piano Classical performance. He achieved two years of Architecture in the University of Rome "La Sapienza", Belle Arti Faculty of architecture, between 1988 and 1990. He got a BA degree in History in York University in Toronto in 1997. He became associate pastor in Toronto in 1991, and pastor of Our Lady Of Lebanon Maronite Roman Catholic Church of Toronto and GTA in 2003. He was graduated at Liberty University in Lynchburg Virginia with a Master Degree in Management and Leadership in August 2012. Between 2012 and 2014, he served in the Roman Catholic Mission of the Apostolic Vicariate of Southern Arabia, in Dubai in the Arab Emirates and in Muscat in the Sultanate of Oman. He was appointed Pastor of the Holy Family Maronite Church in Mendota Heights, Minnesota in September 2014. He speaks fluently Arabic, French, Italian and English, with good knowledge of the Aramaic Syriac language, the language spoken by the Lord Jesus, 20 centuries ago.
On the 99th anniversary of the end of World War I, more than 1,200 people gathered in Geneva, Switzerland, for Rotary Day at the United Nations.
Representing 87 countries, they convened on Saturday, 11 November, at the Palais des Nations, originally the home of the League of Nations, and dedicated themselves to the theme introduced by Rotary President Ian H. S. Riseley: “Peace: Making a Difference.”
During a Rotary Day highlight, Hewko introduced Rotary’s 2017 People of Action: Champions of Peace. He praised them as “an embodiment of the range and impact of our organization’s work,” and saluted them for providing “a roadmap for what more peaceful, resilient societies look like.”
Ann Frisch, of the Rotary Club of White Bear Lake, Minnesota, was one of 6 chosen to address the assembly. Frisch’s Civilian-Based Peace Process introduced the radical concept of “unarmed civilian protection” in war zones around the world. “Sustainable peace,” she said, “requires strong civilian engagement.”
Watch the opening session of Rotary UN Day including remarks by the 2017 People of Action: Champions of Peace.
The week before Thanksgiving, Operation Warm took place in Waterloo Elementary Schools where Rotarians and other community members handed out warm coats to local children. Brand new winter coats were provided to children in need, helping improve self-confidence, peer acceptance, school attendance and overall wellness. A special thank you to Steve and Liz Thorpe for their continued leadership with the Operation Warm initiative and Rotarians who helped by making a monetary donation to purchase the coats. Also to those who took time out of their day to hand outs coats.
Congratulations to East High's Alexis Wroe for being selected by all 6 coaches to be the 2017 Most Valuable Volleyball Player! Photos from the ceremony can be seen here:
Monday's meeting marked the 71st anniversary of this event and we awarded the Glen "Doc" Miller Award to Caleb Dodd from West High. More photos of the ceremony are available at the link below:
The Palais des Nations in Geneva, built as the headquarters for the League of Nations, remains an enduring emblem of humanity’s hope for global peace, making it an ideal setting for this year’s Rotary Day at the United Nations on 11 November.
Underscoring this year’s theme — Peace: Making a Difference — the event will include workshops devoted to sustainability and peace, as well as a workshop on education, science, and peace, designed by and for young leaders.
A variety of speakers will contribute to the discussion, including Rotary International President Ian H.S. Riseley; Rotary Foundation Trustee Chair Paul A. Netzel; Walter B Gyger and Claudine Wyssa, the representatives of Rotary International to UN/Geneva; and Dr. Mohanned Arabiat, president of Generations for Peace.
Andrew Garfield and Claire Foy star in the love story “Breathe,” now playing in select U.S. theaters and scheduled for wider release over the next month. The movie tells the story of British polio survivor Robin Cavendish, who contracted the disease in Kenya in 1958.
At the age of 28, he was paralyzed from the neck down, confined to a hospital bed with a respirator, and given just months to live.
However, with the encouragement and help of his wife, Diana, Robin was able to leave the hospital and spend the rest of his life advocating for people with disabilities and popularizing a new wheelchair with a built-in respirator.
District 5970 Governor Ralph Smith visited the Waterloo Rotary Club as part of his scheduled visits of all of the District clubs and shared his vision and ideas for our Rotary district. Governor Smith is a native of Charles City and holds degrees from Carlton College in Northfield, Minnesota and from the University of Iowa Law School. He and his spouse Ruth have two children, Karl and Rachel. His primary focus for the current Rotary year is on maximizing “participation” in the Rotary experience at the club level.
There's a string of high-profile meetings coming up, and rather than celebrating November birthdays in December, we celebrated them early on October 16th.
We'll host all 8 Waterloo City Council candidates and in order to hear from all of them, we ask Rotarians to arrive as early as 11:30 so we can begin the forum PROMPTLY at 12:05
Megan Yturriaga, Executive Director for Alternatives Pregnancy Center
Megan Yturriaga moved to Iowa a year ago from Hawaii. Her husband is the pastor at New Life Church in Reinbeck and they have two children (one is a sophomore in college and the other a senior in high school). She has been the executive director at Alternatives Pregnancy Center for 6 months and is really enjoying the center and the Cedar Valley! Alternatives Pregnancy Center is a non profit, pregnancy resource center in Waterloo serving more than 13,000 clients in the Cedar Valley since 1992.
Pakistan and Nigeria replace paper-based reporting with fast, accurate cellphone messaging
Mobile phones and simple text messaging may be the keys to victory in the world’s largest public health initiative: the eradication of polio.
As the disease retreats from the global stage, thriving in only a few remote areas in three countries, it’s up to health workers to deliver vaccines and share information with speed and accuracy.
City Forester Todd Derifield will join us Monday. Todd has been busy the last few years dealing with the spread of the Emerald Ash Borer and it's destructive effect on the local ash trees. Todd will have unique insight on managing thousands of trees on city property, as well as answer questions from our group.
Cedar Falls Public Safety Director/Police Chief Jeff Olson and Cedar Falls Fire Chief John Bostwick will join us Monday. 30 years ago, John was hired as a firefighter in Cedar Falls, and that same year Jeff was hired as a police officer.
We have some great programs coming up that many of your friends and associates would be interested in...reach out to them and make plans to offer a complimentary lunch and peek inside our club!
October 16: Megan Yturriaga, Executive Director - Alternatives Pregnancy
October 23: Waterloo Candidate Forum
October 30: District Governor Ralph Smith
November 6: Football Banquet
November 13: Volleyball Banquet
November 20: No Meeting – Happy Thanksgiving Week!
November 27: Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Nakhle Ghorr - The Conflict with Fundamentalist Islam in Iraq and Syria and its Consequence
Tim has been in the construction business for 35 years. He has worked on projects from highways to city streets, commercial building projects, and the entire process of residential home building. He started his own company in 1998 and has remained self-employed. He also partners in a Real Estate Investing business of buying, fixing and flipping single family housing.
Because of a yearning to do more for others, he founded Americans for Independent Living in 2015. He felt veterans deserved more support than what has been available. He will advocate in the community to make others aware of how important it is to recognize, celebrate and support our veterans.
Americans for Independent Living's impact in the community will be from public awareness of the need for more accessible living areas for disabled veterans and transitional housing for Veterans who are homeless or at risk of homelessness.
“Being an advocate for your community and volunteering are both key components in creating change within the community. We need to understand the social problem of homeless veterans, which many people face and are affected by daily. Everyday there are people in our community who are affected by the issues non-profit organizations battle for or against. Once communities realize how people oriented things like advocacy and outreach are, I believe people will realize their impact in their community and their potential to really affect change.” –Tim Combs
The road to eradicating polio has been a long and difficult one, with Rotary leading the fight since 1985. Going from nearly 350,000 cases in 1988 to just 10 so far this year has required time, money, dedication, and innovation from thousands of people who are working to end the disease.
1. Ice cream factories in Syria are helping by freezing the ice packs that health workers use to keep the polio vaccine cold during immunization campaigns.
2. Celebrities have become ambassadors in our fight to end the disease. They include WWE wrestling superstar John Cena, actress Kristen Bell, action-movie star Jackie Chan, golf legend Jack Nicklaus, Grammy Award-winning singers Angelique Kidjo and Ziggy Marley, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Desmond Tutu, anthropologist Dr. Jane Goodall, co-founder of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Bill Gates, and world-renowned violinist and polio survivor Itzhak Perlman.
3. Health workers and Rotary volunteers have climbed mountains, crossed deserts, and sailed to remote islands, risking their lives to vaccinate children against this disease. Rotary has funded more than 1,500 motorbikes and 6,700 other vehicles, as well as 17 boats, to make those journeys. Vaccinators have even traveled on the backs of elephants, donkeys, and camels to immunize children in remote areas.
4. In Pakistan, the polio program emphasizes hiring local female vaccinators and monitors. More than 21,000 vaccinators, 83 percent of whom are women, are achieving the highest immunization coverage rates in the country’s history.
5. Thanks to the efforts of Rotary and its partners, more than 16 million people who otherwise might have been paralyzed are walking today. In all, more than 2.5 billion children have been vaccinated since 1988.
Get ready for the 5th annual World Polio Day event, co-hosted with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Streaming live from Gates Foundation headquarters in Seattle, the event will bring together more than 50,000 viewers around the world. Join global health experts and celebrities sharing the progress on the road to polio eradication.
Monday, Sept. 18: We will award three local students with the Fred Adams Scholarships and hear about their plans for the future. Meg Durbahn will share her experience at RYLA, the Rotary Youth Leadership Academy.
We will also hear from Martina our Inbound Exchange Student from Italy and her experiences at West High. Juke Jensen has organized a potluck event September 27th in Martina's honor. Everyone in our club, and their families is invited, and we especially hope those members who are interested in being host families for Martina can make it out to this event. Click the link below to register through our website.
Yes, our foundation is a big deal—starting with $26.50 in 1913, it now has total assets of nearly $600 million. Several years ago its board of trustees decided to focus grants in six areas:
--Maternal and child health
--Water and sanitation
--Disease prevention and treatment
--Basic education and literacy
--Economic/community development, and
--Peace and conflict resolution.
If those goals sound familiar, they are very similar to those of the United Nations.
Our club's Rotary Youth Exchange student Holly Harris is keeping a blog of her adventure in Brazil. After graduating from Columbus in May, Holly left for Brazil in July and has posted a few updates to her blog so far. Use the link below to connect with her.
"This event is unprecedented & all impacts are unknown & beyond anything experienced."
~ Tweet from the National Weather Service
A ShelterBox Response Team is on the ground in Texas to assess the need for emergency shelter in Houston and other impacted areas.
ShelterBox is positioning tents, school kits, blankets, groundsheets and solar lights near the hurricane-devastated region as it communicates with the Federal Emergency Management Agency and state agencies to determine urgent shelter and aid needs.
Tropical Storm Harvey strengthened into a hurricane over the Gulf of Mexico last week and made landfall northeast of Corpus Christi, Texas on Friday. It was a Category 4 hurricane with winds of 130 miles per hour. It then moved offshore before making landfall again, this time as a Category 3 hurricane.
Harvey brought sustained rain to some of Texas’ most populated areas. At least five people have been killed and more than a dozen injured. Houston, the fourth-largest city in the United States, has seen widespread destruction and devastation. The downpour has been torrential and relentless. Roads in Houston and elsewhere have been turned into raging rivers. The storm continues to saturate the region, dropping more than 50 inches of rain some areas.
ShelterBox Response Team in Texas
The Response Team includes: Bruce Heller of Allen, TX, the treasurer of the ShelterBox USA Board of Directors and a Rotary Club member; and Tim Osburn, based in Lakeway, TX, also a Rotarian and former member of the Board of Directors.
Since 2011, Heller has deployed as a Response Team member of disasters in Kenya, Peru, Iraq, Kurdistan, and the Philippines. Osburn has deployed to disaster sites in Ethiopia and Nepal and participated in the domestic deployment following the 2011 tornadoes in Arkansas.
A businessman, Heller said he’s devastated to see so much of Texas underwater. “As a Rotarian and a ShelterBox Response Team Member, I am proud to be able to respond in my home state of Texas, where so may are suffering as a result of this storm. As people of action, the best thing Rotarians can do to help in moments like these is to lend support to trusted partners, like ShelterBox, who are experienced in disaster response and who can make sure aid is being allocated appropriately, where need is greatest.”
Upon being deployed, Osburn said, “Texas is a proud state and as a native Texan it is a humble privilege to serve my fellow Texans and the countless others in 9 other countries that Shelterbox is currently conducting relief operations.”
Steve Dust joined us to talk about about trends in our area economy, in Talent, Technologies and Transformations, along with brief updates on area projects of interest.
Steve Dust is a certified economic developer who leads a team of professionals at Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber who work every day to expand and strengthen the economy of the Cedar Valley of Iowa. That team works to recruit and retain talented people in the Cedar Valley, recruit and encourage expansion of Cedar Valley businesses of all sizes, advocate for infrastructure and amenities improvements in economic area, and promote the Cedar Valley. The Alliance & Chamber also includes TechWorks Campus and Leader Valley Foundation.
With no meeting Labor Day, a service meeting September 11th and a jam-packed meeting agenda September 18th, we'll celebrate September birthdays a little early. Join us for dessert and and birthday trivia!
Hawkeye Community College launched their I-BEST Program in 2015. Community colleges in Washington State first developed the I-BEST model and now it is in use across the country. I-BEST stands for Integrated Basic Education and Skills Training. I-BEST students learn basic skills such as reading, math, and English language acquisition in an integrated manner while they complete college coursework in an identified area of local employer need. This integration increases student motivation, decreases barriers to learning, and addresses the dual needs of adult learners to obtain workplace skills and basic skills. This compresses the time traditionally needed for this instruction, which allows Hawkeye to provide better assistance in filling the region’s skilled worker shortage.
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