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Sauk Centre (Mike Traeger)
Golf & Raffle Event
Our Sauk Centre club is proud of kicking off a new fundraiser -- our first Rotary 9 hole Par 3 Shootout and 50/50 raffle. This was a big undertaking by our club. We netted about $6,000. Our 2018 Golf & Raffle event is June 29. It has been a revitalizing event for our club!
Shakopee (Barb Danielson)
Speakeasy Fundraiser
After losing our main moneymaker (pull tabs), we rallied and created an event at Canterbury named Little Chicago - Speakeasy because Shakopee was named Little Chicago during prohibition years. Over 350 people attended and our net profit was over $15,000.
South Metro Mpls Evening (Ashley Taylor)
Friends of Ngong Road
Our club took on its first global grant, partnering with Friends of Ngong Road to provide laptops and mentoring programs for children in Kenya. These are children whose parents either have AIDS or have died from AIDS. The total amount was raised from $35,000 to $55,000. We will put in sweat equity by going to Kenya in 2019 to spend time with the impacted students.
Springfield (Ramsey Beyer)
Tree Project
We planted 26 trees around a softball and football field at Sticker Field in Springfield. It will provide much needed shade and a backdrop for the park. Our entire membership helped in one way or another. It was a fun project and something that we can see/remember for a long time.
St. James (Jim Branstad)
Rotary District Grant
The St. James Rotary Club received a Rotary grant to be used at a new dog park for the St. James community. We will be assisting in putting up fencing, cleaning away brush and possibly planting some trees.
St. Louis Park (Mark Ihrke)
Global Grant Scholar
This year we are sponsoring Ms. Amal Gani, a Global Grant Scholar at Utrecht University in the Netherlands. Ms. Gani is earning a Master’s degree in International Law and hopes to become an international reconciliation specialist. She has already participated in several learning events at the International Criminal Court and the International Court of Justice in The Hague.
St Michael-Albertville (Christine Konz)
Cork and Keg 5K
In just the second year of our Cork and Keg 5K we doubled the number of participants and cleared almost $5,000 in profit. We were also able to get a grant that provided water fountains for our local parks. This will provide club recognition and a safer environment for kids playing outside.
St. Cloud (Troy Fritz)
Pathways 4 Youth
Officials estimate that up to 150 youth aged 16 to 23 are homeless in St. Cloud each day. The St. Cloud Rotary Club has partnered with other local Rotary clubs to open a 3,700 square foot daytime resource center. Pathways 4 Youth (P4Y) connects teens to social services, medical professionals, lockers, showers, laundry facilities, food, clothing and a mailing address. The Rotary Club of St. Cloud established P4Y as a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization and developed a business plan to ensure the project's sustainability. Operating expenses and administration costs will be funded by the Rotary Club of St. Cloud, the Granite Rotary Club, the Great River Rotary Club and the St. Cloud Rotaract Club. The center opened in March 2018 and will serve 20-25 youth on a daily basis.
Waconia West Carver (Darren Noble)
Rotary Duck Race
Our club’s fall fundraiser is Rotary Duck Races, held during Waconia’s Nickle Dickle Day. This annual event is such a fun time for children and families, as well as the many business sponsors who decorate ducks showcased in races throughout the day. We raised $17,000. We’re giving this money away, supplemented by profits from our Gourmet Wine Dinner and spring flower sale.
Willmar (Kelly Zuidema)
Rockin Robbins Summer Concert
Rockin’ Robbins is our summer concert series. We hold four concerts in July and August, drawing an incredible turnout from the community and raising around $30,000 to put back into our Robbin’s Island park. With some of the money that we have raised over the past two years, contributions from other clubs and a district grant, we are doing our first upgrade to the park this spring. We are overhauling the entrance to the park, installing a sign, and landscaping the entryway including planting trees as part of the district-wide tree planting project. The concert series has really gained traction over the past few years. Our concert lineup is at: www.rockinrobbins.com.