Welcome to Topeka South Rotary
Kurtis Grothoff - Catholic Charities

This Friday, Topeka South Rotary welcomes Kurtis Grothoff, Chief Development Officer for Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas.

Since joining Catholic Charities in 2022, Kurtis has led the organization’s fundraising and marketing initiatives, advancing its core mission to serve those in need with help, hope, and hospitality.

His diverse professional background includes serving as Development and Marketing Director for the Boy Scouts of America, as well as working as a language and culture consultant for the St. Louis Cardinals. Kurtis holds both a Bachelor’s in Global Studies and a Master’s in English from Missouri State University.

Kurtis lives in Olathe with his wife, Marcela, and their seven-year-old daughter, Sofia. Active members of Prince of Peace Parish, the Grothoff family enjoys traveling, connecting with new people, and living out their faith together.

Join us this Friday morning to hear Kurtis share insights on community development, philanthropy, and the impactful work happening across Northeast Kansas!

For anyone interested in attending CCNEK's open house October 23rd, click here.

This week's meeting will be held in person at the Brewster Place Cultural Arts Building, located at 1205 SW 29th Terrace, Topeka, KS 66611.  Click here for Google Map directions.

2026 Pumpkin Run

This year's Pumpkin Run will be held Sunday, October 25th. Here's how you can help make this year's event successful:

If you are willing and able to help this year, contact Kyle Lear.

Preparing for World Polio Day

Posted by Doug Anstaett
 

As we all know, the eradication of polio has been the No. 1 goal of Rotary International since 1988.

Each year we join with our Rotary partners around the world by observing Oct. 24 as World Polio Day, which coincides with the birthday of Dr. Jonas Salk, who developed the first polio vaccine. The day serves to raise global awareness about the importance of polio vaccination and the ongoing efforts to eliminate the disease worldwide.

Our efforts have been wildly successful, yet wild polio remains endemic in Pakistan and Afghanistan, and variant polio outbreaks threaten the progress we have made against the disease. Rotary has helped immunize over 3 billion children against polio in 122 countries since 1988 and polio cases have been slashed by 99.9 percent.

What has made the difference is comprehensive immunization efforts that have spread to every country around the world.

The efforts of Rotary Clubs, the Gates Foundation and national and international health organizations have been extraordinarily effective, but high levels of vaccination must continue now and into the future to stop polio transmission.

We hope you will join Rotary Club members in observing World Polio Day. The support of all of us will guarantee that this awful disease is kept in check for future generations. If you haven’t already, consider becoming a PolioPlus member, which requires just a $100 commitment per year to RI.

Anyone can be a part of the fight to end polio and have their donation to Rotary International matched 2-to-1 by the Gates Foundation. Visit endpolio.org to learn more and donate.

And there is still time to join a Rotary International trip to India in late October to vaccinate children. For more information, click the link below or contact Maria Wilson, D 5710 PolioPlus Chair, at (785) 224-6745 or Maria4PolioPlus@gmail.com.

https://worldpolioday.agratajmahalrotary.org/default.aspx for trip details

https://rotary5710.org/50021/Page/ShowSitePage?ClassCode=SitePage&Slug=polio-plus for scholarship details

Let's make this the year we end polio. 

Rotary District 5710 Grant Awards

Home Page | Rotary Club of South San FranciscoGreat news for Topeka South Rotary! Both of our 2026–27 District 5710 grant requests have been fully funded, bringing $3,303 in District grant dollars back to our community. TSR will contribute $0.50 for every $1 provided by the District, for a combined $4,954 investment in service.


These District funds come back to our club based in part on our members’ gifts to The Rotary Foundation three years ago, during 2023–24. Because TSR was also a Star Club, giving at least $100 per capita that year, our club qualified for an additional $560 from the District. Your Foundation giving truly comes back home to make an impact!


On October 2nd at 10am, we’ll hold a student measuring event at Highland Park central Elementary to size children for new shoes through Sole Mates. Sign up here! In November, we’ll return to Highland Park Central to deliver the shoes and help students try them on. The grant anticipates providing shoes and socks to approximately 70 students.


And don’t forget Lunch Bunch every second Wednesday of the month at Highland Park Central, another great opportunity to spend time with students and put Service Above Self into action.

After Hours
Join us for our upcoming After Hours to socialize and connect with fellow members. Whether you're a regular attendee or haven’t been able to join us lately, this is a great opportunity to share your ideas for service projects through open dialogue and catch up with the club’s activities. The agenda begins at 5:30 and is very brief. 

Meetings are the 2nd and 4th Wednesday of the month at a rotating location. Next meeting is October 14th at Topeka Area Building Association (1112 SW 6th Ave).

 

New Member Spotlight - Caleb Rice

Get to know one of Topeka South Rotary's newest members - Caleb Rice.

Caleb Rice manages UNITS of NE Kansas, helping homeowners and businesses with portable storage for decluttering, moving, or remodeling projects. He enjoys building relationships throughout the Topeka area and finding ways to support local businesses and community events. Outside of work, Caleb enjoys baseball, KU sports, and spending time with his family and friends.

Welcome to TSR!

ClubRunner and Billing Updates

We will be transitioning from ClubRunner Classic to ClubRunner Nova starting June 1. All login information should remain the same. If you do not know your login information, please reach out as it will become critical starting July 1 to pay your dues.

 

We will be rolling out a new dues payment system through ClubRunner Nova, starting July 1. Invoices will be coming from Club Runner. Please make sure your logins and billing emails are current!
Upcoming Speakers
Bob Ross
Oct 09, 2026
President, Topeka Chamber of Commerce, Greater Topeka Partnership
Joe Caldwell
Oct 16, 2026
Bartlett and West Viaduct Project
View entire list...

Upcoming Events

About Topeka South Rotary
Rotary International Links
 
Club Executives & Directors
President
Adrienne Olejnik
President Elect
Michael Wilson
Vice President/Program Chair
Lori Rowe
Immediate Past President
Cassandra Taylor
Treasurer
Angela Dailey
Secretary
Tina Dreitzler Anderson
Sergeant-at-Arms
Benjamin Coultis
Membership
Sandy Warren
Public Image
Kyle Lear
Club Service
Jamie Stafford
Social/Club Administration
Katy Nelson
At Large Director
Lauren Barr
Rotary Foundation
Tanya Dorf Brunner
At Large Director
Candy Williams
Club Service Projects Chair
Jamie Stafford
District Link
 
Motto: "Service Above Self"
We meet In Person
Fridays at 7:45 a.m.
Brewster Place Cultural Arts Center
1205 SW 29thTerrace
Topeka, KS 66611
United States
Mailing Address
Topeka South Rotary Club
PO Box 194
Topeka, KS 66601
Check us out on Facebook
 
Missed a Meeting?
Do an easy, 30-minute makeup online at eRotary.org.

Your Attendance Matters!

Posted 
on Dec 17, 2014
 
Missed a meeting? Do a makeup! As a participatory organization, Rotary highly values regular attendance at the weekly club meetings. In fact, attending the meetings is one of the basic obligations that a member accepts upon joining Rotary.
 
If you must occasionally miss a weekly meeting, however, you can easily do a “makeup” if you:
 
  • Complete a 30-minute online session at Rotary eClub One watching videos or reading articles on everything from personal growth and community service to international literacy projects.
  • Participate in a TSR service project, such as serving a meal at Let’s Help or helping a child choose new sneakers at a Sole Mates event.
  • Attend a regular meeting of another Rotary club, a District Conference, or other approved District or RI meeting.
Please do your part to keep our attendance numbers up – and help our club stay strong and active!
 
For questions about membership, contact Jeff Sorensen. To report a meeting makeup, contact Club Secretary Angela Dailey.
- See more at: http://portal.clubrunner.ca/4261/Stories/your-attendance-matters-1#sthash.yyncKehA.dpuf

Your Attendance Matters!

Posted 
on Dec 17, 2014
 
Missed a meeting? Do a makeup! As a participatory organization, Rotary highly values regular attendance at the weekly club meetings. In fact, attending the meetings is one of the basic obligations that a member accepts upon joining Rotary.
 
If you must occasionally miss a weekly meeting, however, you can easily do a “makeup” if you:
 
  • Complete a 30-minute online session at Rotary eClub One watching videos or reading articles on everything from personal growth and community service to international literacy projects.
  • Participate in a TSR service project, such as serving a meal at Let’s Help or helping a child choose new sneakers at a Sole Mates event.
  • Attend a regular meeting of another Rotary club, a District Conference, or other approved District or RI meeting.
Please do your part to keep our attendance numbers up – and help our club stay strong and active!
 
For questions about membership, contact Jeff Sorensen. To report a meeting makeup, contact Club Secretary Angela Dailey.
- See more at: http://portal.clubrunner.ca/4261/Stories/your-attendance-matters-1#sthash.yyncKehA.dpuf
Legacies of Topeka South Rotary
Rotary News