Home Page | Rotary Club of Olathe-Santa Fe Trail

November 2026

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Welcome to the SFTRC Website!

Service Above Self

We meet In Person

Thursdays at 8:00 AM

Club Meetings

2020 E Sheridan Street
Olathe, KS 66062
United States of America

Phone:

(913) 782-0078

Email:

Secretary@osftrotary.org

We meet Thursday mornings at College Church. Use the Garrett entrance (east side across parking lot from MNU baseball field). Garrett Chapel is located immediately inside the entrance; we meet in the adjacent dining room. All are welcome!

District Site

Bulletins

Venue Map

November 5 Speaker

Heather Schaller - Penwell-Gabel
This week we welcome Heather Schaller with Penwell-Gabel, who will speak to us about advance planning. Heather holds an Associate Degree from Kansas City Kansas Community College in Mortuary Science and a Bachelor's Degree from Emporia State University in Interdisciplinary Studies, Healthcare, and Business.

Motto of Rotary International

Principal Motto: "Service Above Self"
Secondary Motto: "One Profits Most Who Serves Best"

October 29 Social

5th Thursday Breakfast Social This Week
October 29th is a 5th Thursday of the month, so we will continue our tradition of a social gathering instead of a speaker/topic meeting. To that end we have reserved the back dining room of the Black Bear Diner (11981 S Strang Line Road) for a Club breakfast social on the 29th, beginning at 8:00 a.m.

This would be a great time to bring your spouse, special friend, or someone you know who would be a great future Rotarian! You won't go away hungry - especially if you order one of their biscuits! Bring you Happy $$$ or Venmo,

October 22 Speaker

This Week's Program - OPS Jim McMullen, Deputy Superintendent - Organizational Operations
Our thanks to Stacey Yurkovich for arranging a great update last week by Director of Athletics and Activities, Jay Novacek, with our Olathe Public Schools.

Stacey also connected us with OPS's Jim McMullen, Deputy Superintendent - Organizational Operations who will speak to us this Thursday.

October 15 Speaker

This Week's Program - OPS Athletic Programs Update
Our thanks to Stacey Yurkovich for arranging a great visit to the OPS Innovation Campus last week!

Stacey also connected us with Jay Novacek, Athletic Director for our Olathe Public Schools, who will speak to us this Thursday with an update on the District's athletic programs.

October 8 Program

Good morning, James,

This Week's Program - OPS Innovation Campus Onsite Visit (450 N Rogers Road)
Our thanks to Stacey Yurkovich for arranging for Scott Kreshel to provide us a tour of the Olathe Public Schools Innovation Campus this week.

As with any OPS facility it is a secure location and photo ID is required for entrance. Please arrive by 7:45 a.m. so there is adequate time to have everyone check-in appropriately. Attached to this email are further details you may need to make our visit successful.

October 1 Program

Olathe Fire Department
We are pleased to have Olathe Fire Chief, Jeff Degraffenreid, as our speaker/program. Jeff has been with us several times over the years and we look forward to receiving an update.

Our Fire Department is one of just over 100 agencies in the world who are both accredited by the Commission on Fire Accreditation International and designated as an Insurance Services Office Class 1 community.

September 24 Program

The University of Kansas Health System

Join us this Thursday, September 24, as we feature a program on The University of Kansas Health System. We are honored to host Mike Jensen, VP of Strategic Alignment, who served as an executive with Olathe Health for nearly 18 years before it joined the University of Kansas Health System in 2023. He will discuss his current role working with markets and service lines across the entire organization. We look forward to seeing you there!.

A Morning with Dr. Tony Miksa and Senator Jerry Moran

At our meeting on September 17, members of the Santa Fe Trail Rotary Club had the pleasure of hosting Dr. Tony Miksa, President of Johnson County Community College. Dr. Miksa shared valuable insights regarding current operations at JCCC, as well as the institution's strategic vision for future growth, student success, and regional workforce alignment,

The club was also privileged to welcome fellow Rotarian U.S. Senator Jerry Moran as a guest for the morning.

Meetings like this highlight the strength of our community partnerships and our shared commitment to education and service in Johnson County. Thank you to both Dr. Miksa and Senator Moran for spending time with our club!

September 17 Speaker

This Week's Program - Johnson County Community College
Dr. Tony Miksa became the seventh president of JCCC on July 1, 2025, following a unanimous vote of the Board of Trustees after a nationwide search. He came to JCCC from Walters State Community College in Morristown, Tennessee, where he had served as president since 2016, and before that was vice president of academic and student affairs at McHenry County College in Illinois. He holds a doctorate in community college leadership from National Louis University and began his career as a mathematics instructor. He and his wife, Deb, live in Overland Park.

September 10 Speaker

Olathe Conventions and Visitors Bureau (a division of the Olathe Chamber)

This week, Kelly Peetoom, will be presenting an overview of the recent World Cup's impact in Olathe along with updates on some other key topics. Kelly serves as Vice President for the Olathe CVB and has been with the Chamber for 10 years.

This Week's Sp[eaker

September 3rd Program - Johnson County Christmas Bureau

This week we are pleased to hear from the Johnson County Christmas Bureau, whose mission is to:

Provide warmth and support during the winter holiday season to low-income Johnson County, Kansas families.
Increase awareness and understanding of poverty in Johnson County, Kansas.
Give neighbors an outlet to help neighbors.

Upcoming Speakers

Sep 3 - Jo Co Christmas Bureau

10 - Olathe Chamber of Commerce

17 - JCCC President, Dr. Tony Miksa

24 - Ks Univ Medical Ctr of Olathe, Mike Jensen

Oct 1 - Olathe Fire Chief, Jeff DeGraffenreid

8 - Site visit to Olathe Public Schools Innovation Campus

15 - Olathe Public Schools Athletic Director, Jay Novacek

29 - 5th Thursday Social (tbd)

Nov 12 - Garmin - Krista Klaus

19 - Site visit to Olathe Police Dept - Chief Mike Butaud (OPD Community Room)

(provide future program/speaker leads to Wayne Janner)

Center of Grace Wednesday Night Community Dinners

Center of Grace August 12 Community Dinner Service Crew

On August 12, 12 members of the Santa Fe Trail Rotary Club gathered at Center of Grace to serve the weekly Community Dinner. Volunteers waited tables and cleaned up the dining room following the meal.

The Center of Grace Community Dinners are held weekly and are open to anyone in need of a hot meal, helping address food insecurity within our local community. The Santa Fe Trail Rotary Club supports these Wednesday and Thursday night dinners through both volunteer service and financial support.

Center of Grace Thursday Night Meal Distribution

Members at work distributing meals at Center of Grace on June 18

Howard Cripe, Steve Hougland, Wayne Janner and Jim Lammle distributing meals for the Thursday night Center of Grace Community Dinner program. This is another example of the ongoing community service of the Santa Fe Trail Rotary Club! The Center of Grace Community Dinner program is a vital lifeline in Olathe, and volunteers stepping up week after week make a direct difference for local families and individuals experiencing food insecurity.

Mahaffie Wickets Tournament

Santa Fe Trail Rotary Club Members in Action at the Mahaffie House Wickets Tournament

Steve Hougland and Wayne Janner represented our Club at the annual Mahaffie House Wickets Tournament. The Sunflower Wickets Croquet Tournament and the annual Omelet Fest are fantastic examples of community involvement! Supporting the Mahaffie Stagecoach Stop & Farm Historic Site directly helps preserve local history, enhance educational exhibits, and maintain public programming in Olathe. Having dedicated members step up for events like the croquet tournament and cooking for the fall breakfast showcase true service above self.

The Martin Family Education Scholarship

In ongoing honor of our dear friend and member, Dr. Earl Martin, our website features this entry which is dedicated to sharing Dr. Martin's life and legacy. As you read, consider a financial contribution to The Martin Family Education Scholarship. This scholarship supports future educators of America in their quest for higher education.

During the weekend of 01-10-2026 at Earl's Celebration of Life services, in honor of Earl's distinguished life and legacy, our Rotary club generously donated $500 to support this scholarship. Additional information is detailed and linked to the scholarship requirements.

Dr. Jon D. North visits The Santa Fe Trail Rotary Club

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Join us next Thursday 06-19 as we host Dr. Jon D. North who, in July, will be MidAmerica Nazarene University's 6th President. Each week, we meet in Garrett Chapen at College Church of The Nazarene from 8:00 - 9:00AM. As we look forward to June 19th, read more about Dr. North:

Spring & Summer 2025 | Guest Speakers

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Ready to level up your Thursday morning routine? 😀 Join us on Thursday mornings & learn how you can get involved. Our club meets from 8:00 - 9:00AM at College Church of the Nazarene just behind the baseball fields located at 143rd and Mur-Len. Several outstanding guest speakers are planning to visit with our club during the next few months so be sure to join us!

#OlatheClub #CommunityImpact #ThursdayInspiration