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.
Abby Turpin is the new evening anchor at KWWL, co-anchoring the 5, 6, and 10 p.m. broadcasts with Ron Steele.
A Columbus, Ohio, native, Abby is a graduate of Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee. Prior to KWWL, Abby was the main anchor of RFD-TV, a cable network in Nashville, Tennessee. She came to the network with experience from three local news stations in Nebraska, Ohio and Texas. She served as an anchor and producer at all three stations.
Abby's awards include anchoring awards from the Ohio Associated Press and CableFax, and being a part of the news team that received an Emmy nomination for coverage she solely produced and co-anchored of a devastating tornado in Nebraska.
Rotarian Jim Kite from Brenham, TX wrote this story for his Rotary district newsletter. It details programs in Nicaragua which our club has been supporting since 2002. Jim and another Texan, Frank Huezo, have invested major parts of their lives to what we refer to as “The shoe box project.”
Barry Rassin, of the Rotary Club of East Nassau, New Providence, Bahamas, is the selection of the Nominating Committee for President of Rotary International for 2018-19. He will be declared the president-elect on 1 September if no challenging candidates have been suggested.
Rassin’s nomination follows Sam F. Owori’s death in July, just two weeks into his term as Rotary International president-elect.
Cedar Valley Hospice was founded four years after the first hospice in the United States was established. Since then, Cedar Valley Hospice has been offering care and services to individuals in our communities.
As a mission-driven, not-for-profit organization; Cedar Valley Hospice puts their patients and families at the forefront of every decision they make. The experienced and professional staff provide the highest quality, compassionate care while focusing on making each moment matter for the patient and family.
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. Chris is now responsible for Outreach and Communication with Cedar Valley Hospice.
Beautiful weather greeted 160 people including Rotarians from three clubs at the Annual Rotary Reserve Family Picnic. A small army of volunteers made sure the night went off without a hitch for the families in attendance.
Shout out to Larry Steffens, John Beecher, Dave Buck, Steve Finegan, Henry Edsil, Craig Ritland, and the cooking crew for starting at 11am to fry chicken!
Thanks to Steve Carignan and Laura Kann(CF Pres Elect) for helping set up!
Thank you Lori Bellinger & Ravenwood for donating the watermelons!!!
And of course Marcella Ericson for cooking her beans!
Laura Hoy is a connector and catalyst for holistic neighborhood development based out of the Walnut Neighborhood in Waterloo. She has been instrumental in the founding of Link Christian Community Development, a faith-based nonprofit that acts as a hub for a growing network of friends and organizations dedicated to cultivating a community of flourishing for all involved. Link CCD aims at being a witness to Christ's hope and healing through youth development, jobs, and neighborhood strengthening. Youth Art Team (www.youthartteam.org) and Try Pie (www.trypie.org) are two initiatives that spawned out of Link CCD. Link CCD is currently working within a Walnut Housing Coalition to create a model of mixed income housing and increased affordable home ownership to the neighborhood. You can learn more at www.linkccd.org .
Cybersecurity and fraud prevention starts with YOU! This program will provide you with basic information on how to protect your personal as well as business information and devices online and on-the-go. It will also walk you through the importance of working with your financial institution when taking a “byte” out of crime.
Renee Smith-LaBarge is a treasury management sales director and producer for the state of Iowa at MidWestOne Bank. She continuously evaluates new concepts and technologies ensuring that treasury management products and services are firmly grounded to meet a business customer’s needs.
Get ready for a wacky, zany musical that’s wholly hilarious. Several of our nuns will pay a visit to Rotary on Monday, July 10 to sing a few of the songs from the show - be sure to be on time and sit up straight!
This week there is light at the end of the tunnel for President Lauren and other members of her team. Lauren turns the gavel over to President-Elect Phil Nash.
Kayla Toale and Audrey Dodd from Eagle View Properties and Mill Race co-working space will join us to present details about the downtown Cedar Falls co-working space, and the State Street developments underway.
For the 16th year our club is leading a multi-state effort to help children in Nicaragua by providing boxes of gifts which we will be delivering next December.
Gwenne Berry is Assistant to the President of UNI and Chief Diversity Officer. She shared what her office plans to do for UNI and the community at large.
Jenni Stevenson talked about what fun and exciting things are going on at Hick's Place, awarded Tourist Attraction of the year in May 2016. What a great program to kick off the summer!!
Rotary and The Rotary Foundation (TRF) have been fighting for 35 years to eradicate polio and despite many setbacks, it appears we might meet the goal in the next Rotary year.
Next year’s RI President is John Germ. Maybe we should have elected him years ago.
For the 12th time in 13 years our club won the District Governor’s Excellence Award, given at the district conference last month
The award is given to clubs which meet specific goals in the 2016-2017 Rotary year, including membership, club and international service and donations to the Rotary Foundation.
Congratulations to President Lauren and all the members who made it happen.
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.
There will be a few more opportunities for members to mingle with Rotarians from other clubs this month. Hops & Grapes (May 18th) is our biggest social event of the year and we've invited other clubs to join us. To keep the party going, there are two more planned events this month where Rotarians from the Cedar Valley clubs are encouraged to convene and converse:
May 24 – After business networking and social, 515 PM – whenever, site TBD
May 31 – Rotary night at the Bucs, presented by the Cedar Valley Rotary club, party deck space available
Carrie Gleason and Jaclyne Heller have agreed to keep tabs on the events and keep our members up to date - watch the Reporter for details!
Leslie Wilson is the dean of UNIBusiness, the College of Business Administration at the University of Northern Iowa. UNIBusiness is recognized by Princeton Review as one of the best business schools in the world and has been for nine consecutive years. The College maintains accreditation from AACSB International, a status achieved by only the top 5% of business schools in the world.
Fellow Rotarian and Executive Director of Allen Foundation Mike Lind will bring our members up to date on several upgrades at UnityPoint Health. From the new facility at Prairie Parkway, to Allen College, to changes at Allen Hospital, the Cedar Valley's busiest hospital has hundreds of people working behind the scenes to provide the best health care.
Hops & Grapes will be held on Thursday, May 18, from 6-9 PM at the Isle Casino Waterloo. We are featuring wine and beer selections from Iowa Producers, along with heavy appetizers from our Friends at the Isle. We will not have much of an auction this year, we will be requesting tax deductible donations directly to Operation Warm, the rest of the night belongs to you to network, mingle, and enjoy Rotarian fellowship! Cost is only $20 per person, so invite friends, family, prospective Rotarians, anybody that might have fun!
A Big thank you to the Waterloo Downtown Rotary Club for packing 1296 backpack bags or 9 pallets last Monday. This will help us feed 1296 kids on weekends. Special shout out to Adam Schaefer and his daughters for packing until after 2pm that day! You all rocked it! Thanks for being and Ingredient in the recipe to Close the Meal Gap.
For six years the Waterloo Rotary Club has contributed to VGM’s Heartland Conference as room ambassadors. According to VGM: “Rotarians not only enhanced the Midwestern friendliness of our event, but these volunteers also helped thousands of attendees navigate our conference and city.”
Iowa Senator Joni Ernst joined us for lunch and remarks Monday, April 10th - and she was treated to a custom re-working of the lyrics to "Daisy, Daisy" from our own Hovey Brom:
Today we heard from Rotary Exchange student Gabriel after a special presentation on agriculture from Union High School FFA students.
Keep the following Rotary dates in your head or in your planners:
April 10 – Senator Joni Ernst will join us for our regular April 10 meeting. Please let Phil or Katelyn Pedersen know if you plan to bring a guest as we would like to have an accurate head-count.
April 17 – Food Bank Volunteer Day – Phil will be sending an event registration, please register if you plan to attend as we will be ordering catering from Chick-Fil-A.
April 28 & 29 – Rotary District Conference, Hilton Garden Inn, Cedar Falls. Please register at http://www.rotaryseminars.org/
May 18 – Hops & Grapes, 6-9 PM at the Isle Casino Waterloo. More details to come!!!
Look at all these Rotarians celebrating another year on Spaceship Earth!
Linda Allen April 4 Steve Finegan April 25 Bonnie Humble April 6 Megan Kugler April 14 Jane Lindaman April 25 Jeremy Kauten April 30 Duane "Lindy" Lindberg April 16 Jack Locke April 24 Barbara Prather April 2 Bill Robert April 4 Bette Wubbena April 4
Fellow Rotarian Dr. John Berry shared details about the Tri County Head Start program, which for 50 years has served families by ensuring a successful foundation to education. They have new STEM initiatives and provide social and health services to families.
“The only brown water anyone should have to drink is coffee!” ~ Marcy Pease
In Haiti one in five children under the age of 5 will die due to lack of access to clean water. A very preventable problem!
Haiti is working to address this issue by implementing a nationwide water infrastructure development project and the Rotary Foundation is being asked to help. Through a grant application to the Rotary Global Fund, at least four additional clean water wells will be installed in the Arcahaie/Cabaret region - an area where more than 86 percent of women give birth at home and 35 percent of babies die primarily due to diarrhea or fever.
Our 2015-2016 Outbound Rotary Youth Exchange student Sephora Thompson shared her experience from living and learning in Italy. You can read and see more about her trip on her blog.
Any current Sophomore or Junior in High School who is interested in attending the Rotary Youth Leadership Award (RYLA) Conference in Grinnell from July 16-21 should contact Luke Jenson at ljenson@mrs-lawfirm.comby April 14. The Waterloo Rotary Club sponsors two students at RYLA, a conference focused on providing foundational leadership skills for teenagers, by paying for the cost of the conference. Contact Luke if you have any questions or visit www.iowaryla.org.
The City of Waterloo is sponsoring a city-wide Waterloo Spring Clean-up Month throughout April. Citizens are encouraged to organize teams of co-workers, club or church members, classmates, friends and family to collect litter and beautify areas of their choosing or a designated area assigned by the City.
Susan Backes joined us from The Job Foundation which works to ensure financial success for all children. Over the course of 10+ years, they've empowered low-income youth toward their goals of financial success. Through the program, students gain key financial tools such as savings and a positive credit rating so they can buy (as adults) a reliable car, maintain employment, further build financial assets and experience financial freedom.
Fellow Rotarian and Job Foundation volunteer Dave Allbaugh shared his insights on the middle school program, a weekly gathering of youth that includes a nutritious meal and 30+ minutes of life skills training or financial literacy development.
You can follow the Job Foundation on their Facebook page.
The 2016-17 Nominating Committee for President of Rotary International has unanimously nominated Samuel Frobisher Owori, of the Rotary Club of Kampala, Uganda, to be the president of Rotary International in 2018-19. Owori says he sees in Rotary "an incredible passion to make a difference." As president, he plans to "harness that enthusiasm and pride so that every project becomes the engine of peace and prosperity."
Today is Rural/Urban Day! Please help us welcome area Agriculture Producers and make them feel welcome. Brad Kinsinger will be our featured Speaker. Be sure to arrive 10-15 minutes early to meet your guest producer and have time to chat with them before the program.
One of our largest annual events, Rural Urban Day brings area farmers and producers downtown to enjoy lunch and a presentation of shared interest. This year, we'll welcome Brad Kinsinger who will speak about highlighting global agriculture; it’s importance, and what we can learn from farmers and agriculture professionals around the world.
Iowa RYLA (Rotary Youth Leadership Awards) is holding its annual 6-day leadership conference in Grinnell, Iowa from Sunday, July 16 through Friday, July 21. The objectives of RYLA are:
To encourage and assist youth leaders and potential leaders in methods of responsible and effective leadership by providing them with a training experience;
To encourage continued and stronger leadership of youth by youth; and
To publicly recognize the outstanding qualities of many young people who are rendering service to their schools and communities as leaders.
Waterloo Rotary Club is sponsoring two attendees to RYLA, one of them being our 2017-2018 outbound exchange student, Holly Harris. We are currently accepting applications and recommendations for another student. High school sophomores or juniors (classes of 2019 and 2018, respectively) may apply. Our Club pays for the entire fee for the student. To learn more information, and to obtain an application form, visit www.iowaryla.org.
Last week, our club’s foreign exchange student Gabe Voldoire moved-in with Rotarian Bonnie Smith-Davis and her husband Roger. Gabe wrestled for West High this winter and now has his sights set on a trip to Hawaii in next month. Gabe had been living with Rotarian Mark Durbahn and his wife Brenda. They were excellent hosts to Gabe and did a great job of acclimating him to our country, state, and community.
Without the generosity of our volunteer hosts like Bonnie, Roger, Mark, and Brenda, our student exchange program would not be sustainable. They are great representatives of our Rotary club! Thank you! Anyone interested in assisting with the student exchange program can contact Luke Jenson (ljenson@mrs-lawfirm.com) for more information.
Engage Iowa is a conservative, freedom-focused think tank and policy incubator. Created by Iowans for Iowa, Engage Iowa is bringing together the brightest minds and leaders from across our state.
Engage Iowa is led by former speaker of the Iowa house Ron Corbett, an innovative entrepreneur and business leader who, as mayor, led Cedar Rapids’ recovery from one of the worst natural disasters in Iowa’s history.
Plan now to enjoy an evening of great samples of wine and beer, delicious food, and friendship at the 10th Annual Hops & Grapes event on Thursday, May 18 from 6:00 – 9:00 p.m. This event, to be held at the Isle Casino Hotel Waterloo, will continue to support the great work of the Waterloo Rotary Club. Questions about how to get involved in the planning process? Contact Jacob Wittmayer (jacobwittmayer@gmail.com)
I have the privilege of writing to you to share news of a significant campaign for Iowa Rotarians to benefit children born with clubfoot worldwide. As you know, our district has partnered with District 6000 to help sponsor the Rotarian Action Group for the treatment of clubfoot (RAG4Clubfoot). The late Dr. Ignacio Ponseti adopted Iowa as his home and treated children with clubfoot all his career The Ponseti Clinic at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics continues his legacy, offering the Ponseti Method treatment to children not only from our state, but across our nation and the world. Because of his work the UIHC clinic serves as a Ponseti Method training center for physicians worldwide. What is special about the Ponseti Method is that it uses gentle manipulation and casts—NO surgery. . When applied properly, the Ponseti Method is successful 95% of the time. This low-cost, low-tech treatment is especially important in low-resource countries
Associate Professor or Political Science Chris Larimer joined us to provide a recap and context for our 2016 election. He also discussed his research into the connection our long-serving governor has with Iowa residents.
Christopher W. Larimer is an Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Northern Iowa where his research focuses on the psychology of voting behavior and state politics. He is the author of Gubernatorial Stability in Iowa and the co-author of The Public Policy Theory Primer. Chris is also a past president of the Iowa Association of Political Scientists and a regular guest on KWWL news and Iowa Public Radio.
Fellow Rotarian Tavis Hall delivered 6 boxes of never-worn tshirts to our club's Nicaragua stash this week. Hall is the executive director for Main Street Waterloo and the tshirts were leftover from a cancelled My Waterloo Days event last summer. The fresh fabric will be cut up and sewn into cloth diapers for the new mothers in Chinandega. Our team recently returned from another successful trip south to deliver shoeboxes and layettes, and we'll hear stories and see photos from their trip at an upcoming meeting.
EVANSTON, Ill. (January, 17 2017) — Rotary has announced $35 million in grants to support the global effort to end polio, bringing the humanitarian service organization’s contribution to $140 million since January 2016.
Nearly half of the funds ($16.15 million) will support the emergency response campaigns in Nigeria and the Lake Chad Basin (Chad, northern Cameroon, southern Niger and Central African Republic). Four cases of polio were detected in Nigeria in 2016, which had previously not seen a case since July 2014.
At our January 9th meeting, Mason floated the idea of sharing a Radon detector to help our members identify if they have poison sneaking into their houses. Since Radon is the leading cause of lung cancer in non-smokers, detecting the problem is the first step to ensure at least a few extra birthdays will be celebrated in our houses. Tom Arthur procured a brand new detector and it is being shipped to Mason early next week. A Google Calendar has been created to start collecting names of members interested in using the detector for 2 weeks. If you would like to help offset the cost of the device, or to add your name to the calendar, email Mason.
After a few weeks off, we looked inside Medicare fraud and how to protect yourself or loved ones. The Northeast Iowa Area Agency on Aging told us about the Senior Medicare Patrol and how it has saved millions of dollars from scammers and criminals.
Can you imagine the fear, anger, confusion, and pure shock of having your child diagnosed with cancer? Children’s Cancer Connection exists to provide support, education, and recreation for the entire family throughout the entire journey. Many great organizations are working to find cures for the more than 13,500 children diagnosed each year in the United States. Children’s Cancer Connection strives to provide the care of a cancer diagnosis.
At our December 5th meeting, two Rotarians were honored for their continued support of the Rotary Foundation. Todd Rohlfsen was presented his second Paul Harris pin and Jeff Halverson was presented his his fourth pin. Each new pin indicates another $1,000 contribution, and the number of sapphires or rubies on each pin shows the lifetime contribution total.
ReShonda Young joined us to talk about her successful (and delicious) business - Popcorn Heaven. Here is a link to her 20 Under 40 feature in the Courier last year.
I joined Rotary as an engineer. There are almost as many classifications in the profession of engineering as there are in Rotary, but I happen to be a mechanical engineer. A mechanical engineer calculates the heating and cooling loads for a new building, makes sure the right lights are in the right places, and plans the plumbing so your hot water pipe doesn’t end in a drinking fountain.
Congratulations to 2016 Waterloo Rotary MVP Lauren McManus, senior at Columbus High School! Click the image below to see photos from the ceremony and list of MVPs from each area school.
The award honors organizations that show philanthropic commitment and leadership through financial support, innovation, encouragement of others, and involvement in public affairs. Some of the boldest names in American giving — Kellogg, Komen, and MacArthur, among others —are past honorees.
Our Club's Outbound Rotary student Molly McLaughlin is enjoying her time in Argentina. She's updated her blog with some fun, new adventures: mollyrye.weebly.com
Our Club is still finalizing future placements for our exchange student, Gabriel Voldoire. Families who are willing to host Gabe, whether it be for a semester or for a shorter time, should contact Luke Jenson (ljenson@mrs-lawfirm.com) or President Lauren Finke (lauren_finke@vccv.org) to discuss living arrangements and Rotary approvals. Our club’s participation in Rotary Youth Exchange depends on the willingness of volunteers to open their homes and make a difference in a student’s life. Thank you!
President Lauren paid a visit to Rotarian Ken Allbaugh this week at his home in Friendship Village to present his third Paul Harris pin. Ken's son, fellow Rotarian Dave, was present to capture the fun moment when Lauren presented the pin. Just this month Ken has decided to step away from his membership with the Rotary Club, but still plans to provide support through his Foundation gifts.
Ken has set a fine example for all of us - more details on sustained donations can be found here:
Fellow Rotarian and Vietnam Veteran Bob Miecznikowski joined a select few honorees at Columbus High Thursday evening for a memorable and much-deserved ceremony highlighting those who have served America. Click this link to read the Courier's story.
Steve and Liz Thorpe were honored Thursday at the Association of Fundraising Professionals' National Philanthropy Day luncheon with the Gift of the Heart: Philanthropy award for their work with the Waterloo Rotary Club's Shoebox Project and Operation Warm.
Steve and Liz Thorpe have served on numerous boards and councils improving life for many in the Cedar Valley. They’ve spent countless hours and much of their own money building service projects from the ground up through the Waterloo Rotary Club including the Shoebox Project, Operation Warm, and the Uganda Project.
At our meeting Oct 24th, we used Facebook to broadcast LIVE Senator Grassley's remarks and Q&A. The video is automatically archived on our Facebook page which enables sharing after the broadcast has concluded. In the 4 days after that meeting, our Facebook page enjoyed a 1,200% increase in page views and reached over 1,500 people. With that kind of potential impact and visibility for our club's good works, we'll plan more live broadcasts. Please be sure to "Like" our page and share our posts on your timeline...you never know if one of your connections might see a need they can help with!
Just a day after Hovey led us in song to welcome Senator Grassley, his wife of 62 years passed away. Marge had a long history in Waterloo as a public school and Sunday school teacher, served on several boards including Red Cross, Girl Scouts, and Junior League, and was an amazing fundraiser for several major local projects. Anyone that could keep up with Hovey's energy had to be a truly gifted person!
Marge was honored in 2013 with the Courier's 8 Over 80 award, here is a link to her feature. Visitation is today, Friday Oct. 28th 4:00-7:00 at Locke Funeral Home and services are tomorrow, Saturday Oct 29th 11am at Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church.
Marge & Hovey had lots of fun at the 2012 Rotary Family Picnic
As Rotarians, we enjoy a wide variety of weekly program topics, and this being an election year, we've offered our lectern to several citizens hoping to serve in public office. The Waterloo Rotary Club does not support or endorse any individual candidate, but as a group of community-involved leaders, we have a unique opportunity to hear from some of the highest levels of government. We invited Patty Judge to join us, but her schedule did not allow it.
We heard from Iowa House Representatives candidates on their vision for progress in 2017 and beyond. Incumbents Bob Kressig and Timi Powers-Brown joined us, as well as hopefuls Nick Taiber, Gary Kroeger, and Todd Obadal. The Cedar Falls Rotary Club hosted a similar legislative forum a week prior and you can read about some of the issues discussed in this Courier article.
Join us in a fight to the finish to eradicate polio, a crippling and completely preventable disease.
As a long-time member of Rotary, I'm happy to report good news in celebration of World Polio Day 2016 on October 24: If we can vaccinate children in the remote areas of Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Nigeria, we can end polio and protect all of the world's children.
Our own Annie Vander Werff is going to tell us about her trip to Israel. Annie took a disciples' journey involving religious history, leadership and mentoring. Invite a guest to hear Annie's story Monday - we'll be back at the Five Sullivan Brothers Convention Center.
Today's cold snap is a stark reminder that many school children are lacking basic essentials for cold Iowa winters. Our Club, with the great leadership of Steve Thorpe, has been assisting youth in our community by providing coats through Operation Warm.
Our club is still needs host families for our inbound exchange student, Gabriel. The Rotary Youth Exchange program recommends exchange students have a variety of great experiences in their time studying in America, and to that end, more than one host family for a student is preferred.
Gabriel attended his first Iowa State Fair in August
Every month we introduce club members whose birthday falls in that month. It helps us get to know other members, we ask members to contribute $1 for each year of their life.
Jerry Nelson, District Manager of our local Social Security Office, will be here to talk about the Social Security programs and answer questions or concerns about Social Security.
Alex Hildman from Waterloo Leisure Services joined us Monday to describe the impact our club has on almost 1,000 kids each year. The birthday table contributions are added to the Fred Adams Youth Activity Fund, managed by the Community Foundation of Northeast Iowa. Preschool through 1st grade-aged kids are introduced to the basics of baseball each summer and our support is critical to keeping kids active and engaged while school is out. Remember to submit $1 for each year of your age when your birthday month rolls around!
Kristina is a native of Marion and a recent U of Iowa grad with degrees in political science and economics
District Scholarship Chair Harrison Cass and his committee interviewed Kristina this spring and nominated her for the scholarship. She is not related to Molly McLaughlin from Waterloo who is a youth exchange student this school year in Argentina.
Kristina will be studying for a masters degree in public history and cultural heritage at Dublin University. You can read her blog at www.petitederive.com
Kristina McLaughlin starts her year as a global scholar in Ireland
Have you seen good things happening at Rotary meetings, events, and projects lately? If so, capture an image and submit to the Community Foundation of Northeast Iowa’s Good Things Happening photo contest. The CFNEIA will be awarding ten $100 microgrants each week of the six-week contest, with individuals designating grants to organizations in Black Hawk County. Grand prizes of $2,000 and $5,000 will also be awarded in November. This would be an excellent addition to the Shoebox Project or Operation Warm.
Program chair Phil Nash has arranged some very interesting programs between now and election day. That should make it easier to invite a guest to join us.
Chris Cox, Dean & Professor of Library and Information Services, gathered our input for their 5 year Strategic Plan. Our club provided great responses and we look forward to an update in a few months.
In October 2016, North American Rotarians will travel to Port Harcourt, Nigeria, for a life changing experience. Have you ever heard a Rotarian speak about their personal experience participating in a polio eradication exercise, a cleft lip/cleft palate mission, or work on a humanitarian grant? These trips have a profound effect upon the individual. For those of you who have gone on one of these trips you know, and for those of you who have yet to enjoy this experience, you should.
Inbound Rotary youth exchange student Gabriel Voldoire, 15, will arrive Sunday from his home in Clermont Ferrand, France. He will live with Mark Durbahn and family. Gabriel will attend West High and plans to try out for its football team on his first full day here.
Waterloo Roatrians will have a very small summer break this week, and will meet again August 8. Invite a guest to hear our program: outgoing Rotary Youth Exchange scholarship recipient, Molly McLaughlin.
Perfect weather, great food, and amazing attendance. It was great to see so many kids enjoy the inflatables, balloon artist, and body tattoos! These cooks fed over 150 guests Thursday night- -the largest family picnic in over ten years.
President Lauren and Family Picnic chair Katelyn Pedersen extend a big thank you to Larry Steffens who led the cooks and servers, and Marcella Erickson who coordinated set up and clean up. Marcella's Rotary Beans were amazing as always! Their leadership and recruitment of Club volunteers made it a fun-filled event with good food, lively activities for kids, and wonderful conversation.
The Club has undergone some big changes in the recent months and as highlighted by club president Lauren Finke during last Monday’s meeting, volunteers are needed to assist with some roles to make the Club and the weekly meetings run smoothly. Here’s a rundown on the needs:
Congratulations to Rotarian Sue Armbrecht for her recent election to lead the Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber board of directors. Sue joined our club in 2010 and is the market president for MidWest One Bank. You can read the full Courier article here.
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