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Alexandria (Sue Jung)
Corn & Pork Chop Feed
Last August we did a Corn & Pork Chop Feed at the fire station, serving about 2,400 people. This spring we are going to plant trees for the city and paint fire hydrants.
Apple Valley (Wayne Hibbert)
Spaghetti Dinner for PolioPlus
One great event this year was our Spaghetti Dinner for PolioPlus. Our goal was $20,000. With the money raised at the event, donations to support Polio Plus, and a match from The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, we met our goal. Our club thanks Karen Kirkman for creating a new PolioPlus fundraiser.
Bloomington (Deb Newman)
What Would Hazel Do?
Each month we rely on members’ wit and wisdom for a meeting we call “What Would Hazel Do?” We recognize Rotarians celebrating their membership anniversary that month with Emcee Jim McDonald relaying a little-known fact about each so we get to know each other better. Then Jim hands each of them a crisp $100 bill which they have one month to pay forward in honor of Hazel, my mom. The second part of the meeting is listening to the touching (or humorous!) stories of what previous recipients did with their money. It ties in with the 2017-18 theme, Make a Difference. We are trying to make a difference in someone’s life. What has been fun is that most everyone is matching the giving; some have even multiplied it further.
Brooklyn Center (Tom Agnes)
Meals on Wheels
My favorite project is one we have been doing for years -- Meals on Wheels. Every Friday we deliver hot meals to old folks. The appreciation they express when receiving lunch is always very fulfilling.
Brooklyn Park (Steve Liable)
KPMG & Rotary Reader Program
A $5,000 district grant was leveraged to $12,265.65 for an innovative reading program at Title I elementary schools in Brooklyn Park and Brooklyn Center. Our non-Rotary partner, KPMG, provided $6,265.65 that was used to procure and distribute over 2,500 age-appropriate books to 900 + children. District funds bought $2,000 of reading resources to motivate children reading below grade level to improve their reading skills. Another $2,000 was used for teaching aids for early childhood reading skill development. Rotarians and community volunteers also visited elementary schools and helped in the classroom, reading to children during their reading classes.
Buffalo (Jason Nelson)
Being the home club of the DG!
Actually, my favorite project this year was working with Phoenix Learning Center and their Walk for Water project, which will hopefully be tied in to the Guatemala project. They had initially hoped to raise $100. With a little coaxing, they moved that number to $1,000 though they emphatically said they would not reach it. At last count, they had raised over $3,500.
Burnsville Breakfast (Randy Sparling)
Gideon Pond Project
My favorite project was supporting the accessible playground at Gideon Pond Elementary School. This facility serves hearing-impaired children who often have additional challenges. Together with the Burnsville Rotary Club, the Burnsville Breakfast Rotary Club applied for and received a local grant from District 5950 to purchase two benches at the playground and plant trees. It was great fun digging deep holes for the trees; we also planted tulip bulbs.
Burnsville Noon (James Ball)
Food Shelf Support
Some food shelf clients are often not given canned goods because they do not own a can opener. Partnering with the Burnsville Breakfast Rotary Club we secured a district grant with the goal of making an impact in the community. We are now ordering can openers/blenders/smoothie recipe books. Organizations that we work with (e.g., MOMS, 360 Communities, Open Arms, Feeding the Homeless south of the river, LINK) will help distribute these and show the families how to make a healthy smoothie, salsa using the blender, etc. Burnsville High School’s Culinary class will help teach families kitchen basics and recipes.
Chanhassen (Janet Stanzak)
4th of July Fundraiser
Our 4th of July partnership with the City of Chanhassen is our biggest and most successful project in terms of serving the community and raising money. We netted $55,000 last year in activities like leading the parade, Taste of Chanhassen, Classic Car Show and, of course, the Beer Tent where we earn the “big bucks”! STRIVE is also highly successful because we do change lives. About one-third of our club is engaged in STRIVE.
Chanhassen Evening (Haley Pemrick)
Veteran's Day Holiday Dinner
Our annual Veteran's Day Holiday Dinner and gifts was our club's most fun and favorite project! Seventeen veterans and their families enjoyed dinner donated by Lunds & Byerly's and received tickets to local movie theaters and the Chanhassen Dinner Theatre. Crayola Experience also donated donated to help make their holiday season a little merrier.
Crystal-New Hope-Robbinsdale (Jim Benshoof)
Nicaragua Project Pilot Teacher Training Program
Jaime Belden and Elizabeth Dahl, through their non-profit organization called Future Roots, are providing vocational and educational training for at least 150 elementary and preschool teachers in low-income communities in Nicaragua. With improved skills and resources, classrooms are more conducive to learning, and attendance and retention rates increase. The $7,000 project purchased supplies for training, teachers’ educational materials, and financial support for the teachers. In addition to its own contribution, the Crystal-New Hope-Robbinsdale Club fulfilled the $7,000 project budget through contributions from three other District 5950 clubs and a club in Texas.