Our first February meeting -- did I mention it is a MORNING meeting? -- features a double-header student presentation. RFHS senior Sydney Johnson will share highlights of her exchange experience. RFHS senior Johan Valentine and junior Perry Kotz will describe their participation in Rotary Camp Enterprise. This will be a good opportunity for us as Rotary members to absorb some youthful energy and enthusiasm!
JOIN A PROJECT
From mentoring area youth to planting trees, highway cleanup and events, there's something for every volunteer spirit. Rotary People of Action make a difference in their communities and in the world.
PARTNER WITH US
Be a part of the "End Polio Now" effort. (more) You or your organization can make a difference in eradicating this devastating disease by contributing to Rotary International.
DISCOVER NEW CULTURES
Rotary sponsors youth exchange programs as well as member on-site volunteer projects. Discover and celebrate diverse perspectives with a global organization.
River Falls Rotary Burger Battle
We are excited to share that after a multiple-year hiatus, the River Falls Rotary Club is resurrecting the River Falls Rotary Burger Battle.
Last week's 5th Tuesday project was putting stickers with Rotary's name and a clever phrase onto seed packets that we'll hand out when EarthFest 2023 happens in a few months. As always, the work went quickly, and we were able to get in some early morning socializing and getting to know one another better as we worked. Beyond that, the pictures you can see by clicking "Read More" tell the story. Thanks to Karla for taking the lead on this, and thanks to those who braved the cold to come and do good.
UWRF Athletic Director Crystal Lanning gave an overview of the UWRF athletic department, some recent updates and success stories, and then provided some history on the women’s athletics program since this is the 50th anniversary of the Title IX legislation that opened up opportunities for women’s sports in higher education. At the conclusion of her presentation, Crystal introduced senior basketball player Morgan Seitz and junior hockey player Holly Eckers who told their stories and fielded a few questions.
UWRF is an NCAA Division III university which means no athletic scholarships; the school had 425+ student athletes in 17 varsity sports last year. The university will add e-sports this fall. e-sports, short for electronic sports, is a form of competition using video games. e-sports often takes the form of organized, multiplayer video game competitions, particularly between professional players, individually or as teams.
Matthew Bouthilet, Supervisor of Ambulance Operations for River Falls, spoke about the recent changes in ambulance operations for the River Falls and the surrounding area. He has been an Operations Supervisor for Allina Health EMS for five years and a paramedic with Allina Health EMS for 19 years and in EMS for 24 years. He provided an overview of the ambulance and EMS service, which is connected to Allina but is independent of the River Falls Area Hospital, serving it as well as the surrounding area.
Charlie Rader updated us on the the Kinnickinnic River Land Trust (KRLT), which has focused since 1993 on conservation and protection of the Kinnickinnic River and the watershed which feeds it. Charlie's talk covered what KRLT has done over this time and where they are planning to go in the future. He noted that this year is the 30th anniversary of the KRLT, a fact that will be celebrated (and should be!).
The mission of the Kinnickinnic River Land Trust is to work with the community to preserve and protect the beauty and health of the Kinnickinnic River and its watershed. The source of the Kinnickinnic is Casey Lake. The river covers 22 miles through Hammond, Roberts and River Falls. The estimated population of its 174 square mile watershed is 30,000 people. The Kinnickinnic River is a class one trout stream that has not been stocked since 1974 and has 2,000 to 8,000 trout per mile. The area along the river is home to a diverse plant and animal population.
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