Mission Statement
The Rotary Club of Rochester is a service club of inspired individuals whose contributions improve lives in communities locally and worldwide.
About Our Club
TRCR

Service Above Self

We meet In Person
Thursdays at 12:00 PM
2775 43rd St. NW
Rochester, MN 55901
United States
Phone:
(507) 722-1717
Email:
romnrotary@gmail.com
Meetings are held in-person at the VFW, 2775 43rd St NW, Rochester, Minnesota, 55901 and virtually via Zoom. Check the online calendar for each week's meeting location.
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September 2026

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Club Goals
Create an environment that facilitates fellowship, mentorship, and fun
Support our community prioritizing education programs for local volunteer and investment opportunities
Support Rotary International initiatives that promote sustainability and health
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Rotary Club of Rochester Calendar
Weekly Meetings at VFW: arrive at 11:30 am to order lunch (view menu) and network. Meeting begins at noon.
 
August 27: Weekly Meeting 11:30 am-1:00 pm, VFW, The New Drug Talk | Denise Frey - REGISTER
September 3: No Weekly Meeting - enjoy the Minnesota State Fair and Labor Day Weekend!
September 10: Weekly Meeting 11:30 am-1:00 pm, VFW, Indoor Hazards Within the Home | Daniel Tranter, MN Dept. of Health - REGISTER
September 12: Quarry Hill Fall Festival 9:45 am-5:15 pm, SIGN-UP to volunteer for a shift in the food tent
September 15: Jeremiah Program Cook4Kids 4:00-6:00 pm - SIGN-UP to bring food / serve
September 17: Social Gathering - network with your fellow Rotarians, noon-1:00 pm, VFW
September 17: Rotary Scramble Golf Outing - 2:00 pm tee-time at Hadley Creek Golf Course - contact Frank Allen to REGISTER
September 23: TRCR Board Meeting noon-1:00 pm, Zoom
September 24: Weekly Meeting 11:30 am-1:00 pm, VFW, Serving Those Who Serve | Christine Beech, Salt and Light Partners - REGISTER
 
Greeter | Four-Way Test | Visitors Desk and Introductions | Reflection
Volunteer for the Jeremiah Program Cook 4 Kids on September 15
 

The Rotary Club of Rochester's next Cook 4 Kids at Jeremiah Program is Tuesday, September 15, and we're planning to serve Lasagna and Chicken Alfredo!

If you would like to donate to the meal, and/or help serve, please click this link to sign-up.

If you aren't able to get your items to Jeremiah Program by 4:00 p.m. on September 15, contact Marilyn Deling to make other arrangements! Thank you for your help with our club's community outreach.

Sign-up to serve food at Quarry Hill Fall Festival - September 12
The annual Quarry Hill Fall Festival is Saturday, September 12, from 11:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., and members of The Rotary Club of Rochester will once again be serving food for families attending the festival. There are three shifts available from which to choose to volunteer.  There is parking available near the main lot at Quarry Hill for volunteers. Make sure you should allow enough time to park and get checked-in before your shift as the food tent is always busy!
The Fall Festival is a carnival-style outdoor event at Quarry Hill Park and Nature Center. Hot dogs, popcorn and beverages are available (this is where you, as a Rotarian, are needed). All proceeds from the event benefit the Friends of Quarry Hill Nature Center and are used to help keep the nature center admission free year-round and provide educational programs for youth, families and adults.
Join the White Oaks Park clean-up crew on Wednesday, September 16

There are only two more opportunities to help clean-up the Rochester park that our club adopted many years ago. The next White Oaks Park clean-up season is Wednesday, September 16 at 6:00 p.m. Meet at the park and spend approximately an hour making sure the park is clean and safe for families to enjoy. Be sure to bring work gloves and plastic bags or a bucket for trash. 

If you can't make it in September, mark your calendar for the last clean-up on October 21 which has a 5:00 p.m. start time due to shorter days and daylight. White Oaks Park is located at 4597 55th St NW in Rochester.

Why do club members and family and friends of The Rotary Club of Rochester clean-up White Oaks Park every month? The answer is simple, the club adopted the park several years ago, and a group of dedicated volunteers have kept the clean-up tradition going.

Pictured is July's clean-up crew: John Woodruff, Frank Allen, Josef Chlachula, and Rick from the neighborhood.

Rochester Rotary Golf Outing - September 17
 
Rochester Rotary's Annual Golf Outing
Thursday, September 17
Tee times begin at 2:00 pm
Hadley Creek Golf Course
Four-person scramble, nine holes with cart.  All levels of golfers are welcome! This is meant for fun and fellowship! Sign-up as a team, or individually, and we will put you on a team.  All Rotarians and friends are invited.
 
If you are interested in joining your fellow Rotarians to golf, RSVP to Frank Allen.
Message from Guy Finne from PossAbilities

Dear Rotary Members,

First, THANK YOU!  What a delightful time presenting to the club membership and what a wonderful conversation.  Thank you for your engagement and interest in my presentation and the vision we call The Achievement Hub - PossAbilities.

Second, I send this note as a follow up.  Now you have my contact information.  If you would personally like to visit with me, or if you have a contact within your network that you think I should visit with (employment, capital campaign and/or life enrichment), I would love to take you up on that opportunity.  Information sharing and networking are key for our success. Again, thank you much.

Guy J. Finne, Director of Community and Strategic Partnerships


PossAbilities, Inc | 1808 3rd Ave SE | Rochester, MN
gfinne@possabilities.org | 507-990-2742 cell

You're invited to the Taste of the Hops and Vines Rotary Fundraiser

Looking for a fun evening with friends and family on a lovely summer's evening?  How about joining us at the Arden Hills/Shoreview Taste of the Hops and Vines fundraiser?  We have various beers, wines, and food to taste, a silent auction, 50-50 raffle, a tween's band, and a lot of fun and friendship.  We'd be so thrilled to have you share this time of community, while supporting programs to advance Rotary projects.  It's all happening on Thursday, August 27 from 5:00-8:00 pm at Snail Lake Regional Park in Shoreview, Minnesota. 

For additional details, view the flier. 

Congratulations, Randy Stocker!

Randy Stocker, member of The Rotary Club of Rochester, was recognized with a Paul Harris Fellow given by the club for his volunteerism within the community and Rotary. Not only is Randy an ambassador of Rotary but he is also the executive director of RochesterFest. Unbeknownst to Randy, the Paul Harris Fellow was presented to him at the July 23rd meeting by Past President Steve Sperling, President Frank Allen, and Past President Ashok Patel. 

Thank you, Dave Moertel!

In July 2025, a group of six TRCR members took it upon themselves to refurbish three Rotary park benches at the Silver Lake Skate Park that had fallen into disrepair. Unfortunately, since then, the benches were vandalized with spray painted graffiti. The vandalism came to the attention of Past President Dave Moertel who purchased blue spray paint and once again repainted the Rotary park benches. Thank you, Dave, for taking it upon yourself to make the Rotary benches shine once again!

September is Basic Education & Literacy Month

September is Basic Education and Literacy Month - one of Rotary’s seven areas of focus.  Reading and writing are critical for success in life – for gaining information, communicating, making agreements, and so forth. 

Enhancing Basic Education skills and Literacy are essential in reducing poverty, improving health, encouraging community and economic development, and promoting peace.  Improvements can reduce maternal death, improve childhood survivability, and reduce poverty.  They can also enable success in business or a profession. 

Projects undertaken by a Rotary Club can address low adult literacy, returning youth to school, enhancing student performance, or supplementing limited school resources.

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