Please send your Happy Buck and Polio Pitcher donations to Mac H. as follows:
Mac Hardin
Minnetonka Rotary Club
12926 Rutledge Circle
Minnetonka, MN 55305
Rotary International Foundation
Please send your end of year donations to Chris Rosenlund as follows:
Chris Rosenlund
8672 Meadowvale Drive Eden Prairie, MN 55347
Meeting Minutes
Started 7:30 a.m.
Guests
Dave from the Grief Club, Merna Gill Cuba garden project, Molly and Ben.
Invocation
Mac H. He needs a gentle reminder THIS IS NOT A SINGING CLUB!!!!!
Pledge
Everyone.
4-Way Test
Everyone.
International Theme
Unite for Good.
Paul Harris Awards
None this week.
Announcements
Terry J. – Gardening - Community Garden Opening 5/21 @ Valley View Park Community Gardens, 938 Westbrooke Way Hopkins from 6-8 PM
Alexa R. – Rotary shirts are in – see her if you ordered shirts.
Jennifer S. – Golf Tournament for HEF is coming up soon.
Tracy R. – We are looking at volunteering for Special Olympics Internation Games on June 20th, more info soon.
Alexa R. on behalf of Beth – Visioning Meeting on July 14th. All are welcome and encouraged to come.
New Member Induction
None this week.
Rotary Minute
None this week.
Raffle
Mike G. is the big winner and he drew the Joker. See him if you are in need of a loan.
Foundation Award Checks or Thank Yous
We had 2 award checks today:
1. Dave from The Grief Club - more info here: https://griefclubmn.org/ 2. Merna Gill – Rotary solar and gardening projects in Cuba
Happy Bucks
Frank B. – Happy for Memorial Weekend and a trip to Nebraska.
Anika M. – A great time at the Rotary Women’s Happy Hour.
Terry J. – Happy to be on the mend from a successful Hernia surgery.
Mike G. – Happy for the start of Summer (I think he is trying to “wash” money here)
Jennifer S. – Memorial Weekend in Chicago and the Happy Hour.
Scott N. – Backed into one car with his other car, however, he’s not worried as he knows the greatest collision repair shops in the world!
Mark Magney – Off to Italy then sailing in Croatia.
James W. – Looking forward to a nice, long weekend in Wisconsin.
Lenny N. – Happy to see Ben visiting again.
Alexa R. – Happy to celebrate 16 years with Nate and her reward was a new fridge and tires for the motorhome; romance is still alive!
Mike S. – First skydive of the season and Mustaches For Kids a huge success! Raising a ton of money for Gigi’s Playhouse! Jennifer nervously shaved off his stash in front of us.
Starfish Award
Cathy C. presented Cathy P. with a Starfish award for her outstanding fundraising and support to our Polar Plunge for Special Olympics. She was our highest raising participant of 2026!
Thanks Cathy P.!
Program
Our very own Amy S. from Kiddywampus.
Amy Spoke to us today about “the power of unstructured play”. Highlighting that the best learning occurs when we are just playing.
We learned how unstructured play develops social skills and how it supports emotional growth.
We can encourage unstructured play by:
1. Allowing time for free play everyday 2. Following the child’s lead rather than directing activities. 3. Encourage kids to get bored!
Adjournment
[Closing by Ron. ]
Submitted by Jerald S.
Member Submissions
From Mark Marlin:
Dear Friend,
Every day, children, teens, young adults, and their caregivers are learning how to carry the weight of grief while finding their way forward.
At The Grief Club of Minnesota, we witness their courage as they share their stories, support one another, and rediscover hope. As we reach more grieving kids and families, our community continues to come together in meaningful ways to surround them with care and support.
Because of the generosity of those who believe in our mission, all services are provided by skilled licensed counselors at no cost to the families we serve, helping remove barriers to high quality mental health care.
In this edition of The Club Connection, we’re sharing what’s coming up, including our summer grief camp, school staff trainings, upcoming golf event, community gatherings, and ways to get involved.
Whether you are a grieving family, community partner, supporter, or sponsor, we invite you to be part of the healing.
All Star Day Grief Camp
This popular camp for grieving youth blends counselor-led support with engaging, camp-style fun. The morning centers on reflection and connection, while the afternoon features “All-Star” outdoor activities and inspiring athlete stories. Campers build coping skills and form meaningful peer connections in a supportive environment.
Hit the course for a great cause! Gather colleagues, friends, or neighbors for a round of golf, lunch, fun games, and prizes while supporting grieving kids and families across Minnesota. Your participation helps create connection, and hope for families navigating the death of a loved one.
Sponsorships and Foursomes are available and selling fast!
The pizza truck is coming to our parking lot! Join us for a relaxed evening of fresh, wood fired pizza, games, connection, and community. Grief Club families are invited to bring loved ones, community members are welcome to join us, and learn more about how we support grieving kids and families.
In response to growing requests from school communities, The Grief Club of Minnesota will offer two trainings designed to help school staff strengthen their ability to support grieving students. Led by founders Cara Mearns-Thompson and Sarah Kroenke, who bring more than 50 years of combined experience, the sessions will share practical strategies for responding to student grief and fostering supportive school environments.
Mark your calendar for an inspiring evening celebrating hope, connection, and the power of community, all in support of vital grief resources for children and families. We will be accepting sponsorships along with live and silent auction donations to help make this meaningful event possible.
All are invited to an evening of reflection, love, and light as we gather to remember family and friends who have gone before us and honor those who have supported us along our grief journey.
The evening will feature a dedication program, outdoor tree lighting, music, mingling, warm beverages, sweet treats, and cookie decorating.
We are grateful to be a trusted resource for providers and partners throughout the state who support families navigating grief.
There are many ways to receive support and to offer it to others. Whether you attend an event, become a sponsor, share our mission, or make a gift, you help ensure that no one has to navigate grief alone.
Thank you for being part of a community that shows up with compassion when it matters most!
With hope, Sarah Kroenke Executive Director, Co-Founder, and Grief Counselor The Grief Club of Minnesota
From Alexa R. -
From Frank B. -
Frank, I wanted to follow up and say THANK YOU for the opportunity to present this morning. Shannon and I had a great time and we really appreciated the engaging questions afterwards. We can tell you have a thoughtful and passionate group which is what is needed to drive community impact! You inspired us to check out our own communities' local Rotary chapters.
I wanted to follow up with a few resources from our presentation today since members were requesting more information and we didn't have our business cards on hand. If you are open to it, do you mind sharing the following resources with your members so that they can reach out with their follow ups? A few members that we spoke to afterwards are so well connected in relevant statewide organizations, we would love to connect and get further information!
