Meeting Minutes

Guests

Amy Grace, co-founder, Pink Power Hour podcast and Pink Power Foundation.

Savannah Wilson, a Rotarian from Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, joined us. She and Chris are involved with Revolved, a nonprofit that supports a clinic, a hospital and programs for at-risk youth in Zimbabwe, and also assists people in eastern Ukraine. Michelle joined online through the club website.

Invocation

Mike S. - Opened with remarks on compassion and patience as the core virtues of caregiving. He noted that each of us is a caregiver at some point, and a recipient of care as well.

Pledge

Everyone.

4-Way Test

Everyone.

International Theme

Create Lasting Impact.

Paul Harris Awards

None this week.

Announcements

Service Projects
Polio Plus: Our polio chair pointed members to the current issue of Rotary magazine, which features polio stories. These include the challenges of vaccinating children in Afghanistan and Pakistan and the wider health benefits the campaign delivers.

Blood drives: Bob announced the next blood drive on Thursday, November 12. The Excelsior and Minnetonka clubs will combine for six blood drives in 2027. A shared Rotary code means a donation at any Memorial Blood Centers location counts toward both clubs. The goal is 500 donations in the coming year.

Free Bikes 4 Kids: Bike drop-off is this Saturday, October 3, from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at several locations, including Hopkins High School. Bike prep and the giveaway to kids is Saturday, November 14.

Highway 7 cleanup: The club's twice-yearly cleanup is Saturday, October 10, at 8:30 a.m. We meet at Famous Dave's and cover Highway 7 from Wooddale to Woodland. It usually takes about an hour.

Mentorship program: Beth reported by Zoom that 24 mentors answered the availability survey and about 15 students are enrolled. Students meet their mentors at the introduction session on Thursday, October 8.

Nature center cleanup: Thanks to Mike and Terry for finishing a cleanup at the nature center ahead of a visit by 700 children. Four Scouts plan to bring popcorn to next week's meeting.

Pizza party: Six spots remain for Mark Magny's pizza party next week, at $50 per person.

Sip and paint: Tracy is hosting a sip-and-paint evening at Carpet One on Thursday, October 22. Fifteen spots are available.

Hopkins Elks Oktoberfest: Leslie invited members to an Oktoberfest with a live and silent auction this Saturday, 4:00 to 8:00 p.m., at the Hopkins Elks. Proceeds benefit the local community. More than 85 items were donated, including a Marco Island beach house stay, Yeti coolers and a Blackstone grill.

Upcoming Dates

Sat, Oct 3    Free Bikes 4 Kids bike drop-off    9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m., several sites incl. Hopkins High School

Sat, Oct 3    Hopkins Elks Oktoberfest and auction    4:00 – 8:00 p.m., Hopkins Elks

Wed, Oct 7    Weekly meeting: Amy brings Love Stays; Scouts bring popcorn    7:30 a.m.

Next week    Mark Magny's pizza party (6 spots, $50 each)    Details from Mark

Thu, Oct 8    Mentorship program introduction session    Details from Beth

Sat, Oct 10    Highway 7 cleanup    8:30 a.m., meet at Famous Dave's

Thu, Oct 22    Sip and paint (15 spots)    Carpet One

Sat, Oct 24    Pink Power Foundation carnival fundraiser    Hopkins

Thu, Nov 12    Blood drive    Details from Bob

Sat, Nov 14    Free Bikes 4 Kids bike prep and giveaway    Details to come

New Members

Please welcome Jason and Susan, the club's 55th and 56th members.

Rotary Minute

None this week.

Raffle

[None noted.]

Foundation Award Checks or Thank Yous

The club foundation awarded a $1,500 grant to Heart and Hooves Sanctuary. Ann accepted the check and described the sanctuary's work with active older adults, youth aging out of foster care, and a mentorship program, all built around animals, art and time outdoors.

Happy Bucks

Members shared travel, family milestones and a few celebrations, led by Mary's 92nd birthday.

Mike leaves Monday for Malaysia with 16 other Rotarians to visit three clubs in Kuala Lumpur and take part in service projects.

Mary celebrated her 92nd birthday, and the club sang Happy Birthday. The member who shared it also noted that his brother, newly retired from forklift work, now packs containers with his sister every other day to ship to Ukraine.

A member welcomed his two sons, who are in town for the weekend.

A member celebrated his father's 88th birthday.

A member is taking his sister-in-law and three daughters to Italy for 10 days. He also enjoyed a tour of the Burwell House and dinner at Station Pizzeria with Nancy Davis.

A member returned from Europe and Morocco: a seven-day bike trip from Amsterdam to Bruges, three days in Barcelona with a former exchange student, and three days in Marrakesh. At the airport he saw the send-off tradition for a retiring pilot.

A member drove to Pittsburgh to visit his son, a college senior, made the final tuition payment and met the girlfriend's parents. He also spent time at Lake Michigan and celebrated his daughter's 27th birthday.

A member enjoyed a bluegrass double-header at the Hopkins Center for the Arts and shared proud updates on his seven-month-old grandson's first words and milestones.

Mike Silva was grateful his wife, Alissa, is on vacation in Cabo. He also reached a skydiving milestone: after 23 years of working toward it, he is now flying an 84-square-foot parachute.

Our pilot member picked up a brand-new A321neo at the factory in Toulouse, France, refueled in Iceland and flew seven hours to Atlanta, with views of Greenland's icebergs along the way. He also caught the Twins' final game of the season.

A member made the final payment on his Mustang, with a sad buck for closing the cabin for the season.

Amy Grace shared publicly, for the first time, that she has recently lost 100 pounds.
 

Program  

Program: Amy Grace and Pink Power

Amy Grace shared her breast cancer journey and the work of the Pink Power Foundation, which has given 20 grants of $1,000 each to Minnesota women in active treatment.

Amy's Story

In February 2022, Amy noticed a small divot in her left breast. A biopsy on Friday, September 30, 2022, confirmed stage one invasive lobular breast cancer. Over the next three years she went through six rounds of chemotherapy, 25 rounds of radiation and seven surgeries. These included a breast reconstruction that did not succeed; the expanders were removed in October 2023. A later surgery placed her into surgical menopause, with lasting side effects including hair loss and hot flashes.
To reduce stress after treatment, Amy sold her cupcake shop to Angel Food Bakery, effective June 1.

Pink Power Hour Podcast

Amy co-hosts the Pink Power Hour podcast with Jenna, who is living with stage four breast cancer. The first episode aired on November 12, and the show is now heard in more than 63 countries.

Pink Power Foundation

On March 5, Amy and Jenna launched the Pink Power Foundation to give $1,000 grants to women in active breast cancer treatment who live in Minnesota.

Grants to date: 20 grants of $1,000 each since March 5.

Funding: Sales of bracelets, hats and other merchandise.

Demand: After a recent Fox 9 appearance, the foundation received 18 grant requests within one hour.

October events: 14 events are planned for Breast Cancer Awareness Month, including a carnival fundraiser in Hopkins on Saturday, October 24.

Love Stays, a Children's Book

Amy and Jenna co-wrote Love Stays, a children's book about a mother living with metastatic breast cancer, with input from three of their children. Amy will bring a copy to next week's meeting along with details on where to buy it.
 

Adjournment

Submitted by Mike S.

Member Submissions

From Mark Marlin and the Grief Club:

From Frank B. -