Held annually in more than 600 communities nationwide, the Alzheimer's Association Walk to End Alzheimer's® is the world's largest fundraiser for Alzheimer's care, support and research. This inspiring event calls on participants of all ages and abilities to join the fight against the disease. Learn more and connect to the ALZ website.
Since 1989, the Alzheimer’s Association mobilized millions of Americans in the Alzheimer's Association Memory Walk®; now the Alzheimer's Association is continuing to lead the way with Walk to End Alzheimer's.
MURC member Carol Skulstad and MURC support the Alzheimer Association in its quest to help patients and to end Alzheimers. On September 19, 2026 the yearly Walk to End Alzheimers will take place in the Twin Cities.
Leif Hagen grew up in Stevens Point and graduated from St. Olaf College in 1988 with a BA in German and French. His early career included teaching languages in Zug, Switzerland, and high school English in Gero, Japan. In 1992, he entered the financial services field as a financial planner with Lutheran Brotherhood, later joining LPL Financial in 2002. He now owns Achievement Financial in Eagan, Minnesota, offering financial planning and Medicare supplemental insurance services.
Leif has held multiple leadership roles within Rotary, including two terms as President of the Eagan Rotary Club and serving as the two-year charter president of the MN Pride Rotary Club. His Rotary involvement includes leading a GSE team to Bangalore, India, hosting GSE visitors from Finland and Brazil, serving as District Conference co-chair, Assistant Governor for Area 2, and on the District Foundation grant committee. He is a Paul Harris Society member, a Major Donor, and has attended Rotary International conventions in Birmingham, New Orleans, Bangkok, Hamburg, Calgary, and Taipei.
Leif lives in Eagan with his partner, Valdir Oliveira, and has three daughters — Kajsa, Svea, and Britta. He enjoys foreign languages, international travel, collecting art and attending art shows.
His District Governor's theme is “The Art of Rotary.”
Michael Rainville is a lifelong resident of Northeast Minneapolis. Michael has been married for 38 years to his wife Darcel, and they have one son, Michael Jr., who is a local historian and resident of Northeast Minneapolis.
Michael graduated from De La Salle High School. He holds a degree in Marketing from St. Thomas University and a certification in Non-Profit Management from Notre Dame University. Michael started his career in the hospitality industry as a dishwasher and bartender before joining the Minneapolis Convention & Visitors Association - now known as Meet Minneapolis - where he was part of the team that successfully built the hospitality industry in Minneapolis into a 36,000-job economic engine.
Even before he began his first term as Ward 3 Council Member in 2021, Michael was a force for civic good in his private life. In collaboration with friends, neighbors, and Northeast Minneapolis businesses, Michael helped save the Ritz Theater, restore the fountain outside Pierre Bottineau Library, and raise funds to build the Sheridan War Memorial at the river and the Memorial for Survivors of Sexual Violence in Boom Island Park. Michael was an early advocate of community-oriented policing and led the effort in the 1990s to raise funds to staff an East Hennepin 2nd Precinct Substation with beat officers.
Michael came to his first term as Ward 3 Council Member during a hard time in our City. Trust in law enforcement was low and crime was high. His previous professional experience had sharpened his listening skills and had shown him the necessity of prioritization and adaptation to effect change. Michael leveraged these skills to rebuild relationships between law enforcement and the community and to bring forward culturally-specific solutions such as the use of the Somali Mothers as additional patrol resources on weekend nights.
During his second term as Ward 3 Council Member, Michael continued his work on public safety improvements while also putting great effort into business development with a particular focus on woman and BIPOC-owned small businesses such as Diane’s Place, Oro by Nixta, and Vinai. He approved exclusive development rights on West Broadway to N.E.O.N. to build a commercial kitchen/food incubator enabling up to 400 small businesses - many BIPOC or women-owned - to have a base for healthy food startups.
Now in his third term as Ward 3 Council Member, Michael continues to focus on securing and improving public safety in all of its aspects and supporting small businesses. With our City facing a $28-33 million deficit in 2026-2027 due to the steep decline in downtown commercial property values, Michael is focused on understanding and educating constituents on how to best address the revenue gap. Michael is working to hold the line on additional property tax increases and is diligently engaged in determining where budget cuts can be made.
Michael’s reputation as an on-the-ground leader who drives results is hard won and well known.
Sept. 23, 2026 Speaker: Michael Rainville, Minneapolis Council Member
Markus Flynn is the Chief Executive Officer of Black Men Teach, a nonprofit committed to increasing the number of Black male elementary school educators in the Twin Cities. Under his leadership, the organization has grown into a vital coalition of school districts, teacher preparation programs, and community partners working together to recruit, prepare, place, and retain Black men in the classroom. Markus brings a bold vision for systemic change and a deep commitment to racial and educational equity, building strategic initiatives that not only support future Black male educators but also strengthen the communities where they teach.
Before stepping into his current role, Markus taught 5th and 6th grade science at Prodeo Academy, where his passion for culturally responsive instruction and relationship-driven leadership took root. A former public health researcher, he bridges data-informed strategy with lived experience to disrupt long-standing disparities in education.
Markus holds both a Master of Science and Bachelor of Science from Iowa State University. He is widely regarded as a mission-driven leader, educator, and advocate working to transform the educational experiences of Black boys by ensuring they see themselves reflected at the front of the classroom.
We are starting a series of TED Talks , interesting topics that deserve an ensuing discussion on the floor.
Our first topic will be “Where are all the Aliens,” brought to us by Astronomer Dr. Stephen Webb. Dr. Webb (born 1963,) a British physicist, writer and popular TED speaker, is best known for his work exploring the Fermi Paradox—the baffling discrepancy between the high probability of extraterrestrial life and the lack of evidence for it. Webb holds a PhD in theoretical particle physics and has taught at various UK universities. He has authored numerous popular science books.
He is widely recognized for this talk. In it and in written work, he suggests that a multitude of unlikely conditions—from the exact size of our moon to the rarity of complex abiogenesis—were necessary for complex life to arise on Earth. Instead of viewing a silent universe as a depressing thought, he argues that this silence might simply mean we successfully cleared an incredibly difficult gauntlet of evolutionary and astronomical barriers.
August 12, 2026 Program - a TED Talk by Dr. Stephen Webb “Where are all the Aloens?”
The Lighthouse Haiti is a beacon of hope for the people of Haiti.
With the support of Rotary clubs, Lighthouse feeds the displaced people of in Haiti. It organized its first distribution of hot meals to the displaced people from Gressier who were housed in the auditorium of Anacaona High School in Leogane. It purchased, prepared, and distributed food.
Lighthouse has recently opened a Maternity Center in the Port-au-Prince area. Approximately 70% of hospitals in the Port-au-Prince metropolitan area are closed; all maternity wards in Port-au-Prince have been looted, burned, or closed due to gang pressure, as recently stated by the Ministry of Public Health. Leogane is the only city near Port-au-Prince that currently provides medical care to pregnant women and survivors of sexual assault.
Mpls University Rotary Club Grant for My Very Own Bed
By Carol Skulstad and Jean Westberg
Our Club was first introduced to My Very Own Bed when Rich Berkley, one of our members, invited them to speak to our club. As a result, our club became active volunteering in the past year and a half. Founded in 2014 as a non-profit, My Very Own Bed had one goal: to provide new beds to children moving into stable housing. By 2024, we’ve provided more than 8,500 beds and Dream Kits to children ages 2 – 17 in the Twin Cities and surrounding suburbs.
This non-profit provides beds, a Dream Kit that includes beddingand 2 books for 2 to 17-year-old children who would otherwise be sleeping on the floor, air mattress, or sharing a bed with a parent or sibling. The younger children also receive stuffed animals. Many of the children also have recently experienced homelessness.
My Very Own Bed has committed to support book purchases from 2 local book stores, Strive and Planting People Growing Justice. These stores are Black Women Owned, who provide books that reflect diversity and, in some cases, diverse authors. Up to 80% of the children served are people of color.
The employees at Simpson Food Pantry are so thankful that the MURC Rotarians continue to volunteer at their location. This time we packed bags of apples and potatoes. We bag them into smaller bags for the families so it is easier for them to carry the food if they are walking to and from the pantry. The individuals are thankful for fresh food. We are scheduled to volunteer again at the end of the month.
MURC Rotarians have continued to support the Simpson Food Pantry throughout the year. Jeff and Cheryl are so appreciative of the support we have given. The people they serve appreciate that they are able to obtain fresh fruits and vegetables. The pantry receives donations from multiple organizations, including the Food Group in New Hope. We provided donations to the Food Group in the past. Members have donated in the past and I have encouraged my friends and family to donate as well.
MURC Rotarians volunteered at Simpson Food Pantry today packing onions, apples, yams, potatoes in bags. The bags are given out several times a week to families who are in need of food. This is a community service project MURC Rotarians have been doing monthly this spring.
Club President Beverly Carlson Gazda joined leaders of the five Minneapolis Rotary & Rotaract Clubs, who together with the Minneapolis University Rotary Club (MURC), to receive a special Club Collaboration Award at the District Conference. The award recognized the work of the clubs in organizing, promoting and staging the 2nd Annual Rotary Taste of Lake Street for Minneapolis Hunger Relief which raised $65,000 for inner city food shelves.
MURC threw its heart
and soul into supporting the event as its primary Community Service project for this
Rotary year. Every member contributed through
event and raffle ticket purchases but, most important, 80% of its members
devoted considerable time and talent to the event. Each and every participating member along with family and friends "walked the talk" of Service Above Self.
Club member Floriane Brown
received a Service Above Self Award at the Rotary District Conference recognizing her work in partnering with Rotary and engaging her fellow club members in helping her to attain an audacious goal to build
an orphanage in Rwanda that would provide education,
education and, most important, the stability of a home with a mother. She is focused like a laser on her
larger-than-life dream to provide loving homes to 30 foster mothers and 150
Rwandan orphans between the ages of 8-18 by forming a new community called the
Nibakure Children's Village.
Inspired by her
commitment, the members of the Minneapolis University Rotary Club agreed that our club's role would begin with development of a water system for the village
and contributed the initial seed money from the club's service foundation.
With her heart, her determination, her humor and her
spirit, Lou Burdick demonstrates "service above self" and those qualities were recognized when she received a Service Above Self award at the Rotary District 5950 Conference. Perhaps the most
crystal clear example of this commitment is Lou's leadership, for two
consecutive years, of the Rotary Taste of Lake Street project which raised dollars for inner city food shelves. Founded in 2008, this fundraiser sprung to life as a celebration of the diversity
among the restaurants along Lake Street. By inviting the public to come in and
taste the offerings of the neighborhood, the event accomplished so much more
than raising sorely needed revenue to help feed the hungry. It also brought together people who might
never have had the opportunity and good fortune to meet, to mingle, and to
share their personal stories and cultures.
A Rotary Group Study Exchange (GSE) team from Kenya and Uganda was welcomed to Minnesota by our Minneapolis University Rotary Club (MURC) on May 4 when they arrived ready to spend the next six weeks with District 5950 Rotarian host families and Rotarians from 12 Minnesota Rotary clubs. Group Study Exchange is a Rotary Foundation program offering a unique cultural and vocational exchange opportunity for businesspeople and professionals ages 25-40.
Community Services Chair Jean Westberg coordinated the visit for the first days with introductory vocational meetings/tours scheduled at Minneapolis City Hall, 3M Corporation, a Woodbury library, North High School, and the University of Minnesota. The cultural aspect of the program included getting to know their host families during their first week, eating pizza, presenting their countries and culture to Rotarians at the MURC Rotary meeting and an all-American backyard barbecue.
Minneapolis University Rotarians joined members of six city Rotary & Rotaract clubs to sponsor and produce the 2nd Annual Rotary Taste of Lake Street, a 66% increase over the prior year. Event Chair Lou Burdick, Mpls University Rotary Club, noted that the increased dollars are especially important in this recession year when so many in our community are struggling. The success of the event was due in no small part to the unwavering support of each and every member of our club who walked the talk of Rotary Service Above Self through their volunteer efforts.
The Minneapolis University Rotary Club has named Gloria Perez as this year's Citizen of the Year awarded annually to a Twin Cities leader who (1) has provided leadership resulting in "a profound benefit to residents of Minneapolis, (2) has taken risks to achieve beneficial
change, and (3) whose personal life expresses values that would serve as a model for current and future generations of citizens.
Gloria is
President and CEO of Jeremiah Program, a broad-based collaborative
community initiative aimed at assisting low-income single women and
their young children move to economic self-sufficiency. The goal is to
give wo men with high school diplomas or a GED the support they need to
pursue higher education, get a living wage job, get their kids school
ready and break the cycle of poverty.
This year we honor a club member who, due to shifting career and life priorities, is leaving us … at least for a time. We honor her for her years of enthusiastic commitment to our club and its mission. Recognizing Sue Spalding as Rotarian of the Year was unanimously and enthusiastically approved by the Board.
Sue first became a Rotarian in her hometown of Spirit Lake, Iowa,
population 3,500, though she is quick to point out that she is not a
farm girl! Sue was the executive director of a
small art museum, and being active in the local Rotary club was a nice
way to keep the museum in front of the community.
When Sue relocated to the Twin Cities in 2001, finding a club to join was a priority. She joined MURC because of the convenient Wednesday lunchtime meetings.She also was attracted to the size of our club, believing that she could easily get involved and make friends.
Collaboration with five Minneapolis Rotary Clubs, the enthusiastic participation by almost every member of our club and presenting to three Minneapolis food shelves some of the dollars earned from the successful 1st Annual Rotary Taste of Lake Street made this year's theme -- Making Dreams Real -- quite real indeed to our club. This collaboration earned a Club Leadership Award of Excellence at the District 5950 Annual Convention. In a year when many in the city are hungry, our club was generous in its financial and volunteer support of an event that Made Dreams Real at 11 different food shelves. Shown with Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak are the club's three individual awardees.
It's been quite a
while since I've updated you and the Club about the goings-on here with us in
Southaven, Mississippi. Karen and I are still alive, we still think of all of
you, and are doing well.
I have news: good and bad, depending upon
how you view the world, I suppose. I've been offered and have accepted an
overseas job with a government contractor. It is both a tremendous
challenge and opportunity for me professionally and personally. I'd also like to
especially thank two members who served as personal references for my
employment application with the contractor, MPRI, Inc.
The bad news
is that it is for 12-months in Kabul, Afghanistan, and I left for it on
Wednesday, November 12th, via Washington DC and Dubai UAE. I was hired
to be a Budget Development Mentor with the Afghan Ministry of Interior, and
will be working with the military's Combined Security Transition Command -
Afghanistan (CSTC-A)'s Office of the CJ-8 (Budget).
Karen remained in Southaven, MS to
oversee the house, dogs and cats while I am overseas, keeping law and
order over all.
I wish to continue to remain a
long(er)-distance member of the Mpls-Univ Rotary Club and will keep
you in my thoughts. My snail mail address here is:
Our Minneapolis University Rotary Club is contributing to Nibakure Children's Village, an International Service project in Rwanda led by member Floriane Robins-Brown with assistance from John Kremer of the River Falls, Wisconsin RotaryClub. When completed, the complex will provide a home for 150 Rwandan orphans. The Minneapolis University Rotary Club Service Foundation has donated dollars to begin the project with the construction of a water storage system for the village. Construction is expected to begin early in 2009. See photos of the children who eagerly await their new home in the Photo Journal below.
From: c-clin@umn.edu To: quiex001@umn.edu, mzaidi@umn.edu Sent: 11/14/2008 Subj: CONGRATULATIONS ARE IN ORDER!
Congratulations to you Paul and Mohmood!
I just read the UM Brief and noted that both of you have been named as recipients of the University's 2008 Award for Global Engagement. I am including below the description of the Award for Global Engagement and your contributions for receiving it.
Thank you both so much for all your service.
The University's 2008 Award for Global Engagement recipients are *Phillip Peterson* and *Paul Quie*, co-directors of the International Medical Education and Research (IMER) Program; *John Vreyens*, director of International Programs in Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences; and *Mahmood Zaidi*, professor emeritus of human resources and founding director emeritus of international programs, Carlson School of Management. The Global Engagement Award honors active or retired faculty and staff members for outstanding contributions to global education and international programs in their field or to the University. Peterson and Quie established a legacy of globalization in health care for the Medical School and founded its International Medical Education Program; as scientists, both have contributed greatly to health care worldwide. Vreyens has devoted much of his life to making the world a more equitable and better place, from his time in the Peace Corps to his work with international agricultural education and research. Zaidi founded the Carlson School's international programs and is a renowned scholar in the field of international human resource development. The recipients will receive their awards at a ceremony Nov. 19 during International Education Week.
Our Community Service committee volunteers did double duty in November when they cooked a meal for the young Moms and their children at the Jeremiah house AND dropped off some of the children's books donated by our club. Each week we express appreciation to our speakers by asking them to sign their name in the bookplate of a children's book so it can be donated in their name to Jeremiah. Minneapolis University Rotary has had a long-standing relationship with Jeremiah which assists single mothers and their children to break the cycle of poverty.
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Michael Rainville is a lifelong resident of Northeast Minneapolis. Michael has been married for 38 years to his wife Darcel, and they have one son, Michael Jr., who is a local historian and resident of Northeast Minneapolis.
The Lighthouse Haiti is a beacon of hope for the people of Haiti. 
