Kerwin Engelhart, an honorary member of The Rotary Club of Rochester and a person who dedicated much of his life to helping young people through student athletics, passed away Thursday, September 24 at the age of 97.
Kerwin came to Rochester in 1960 to work as a teacher at John Marshall High School and was named the school's athletic director in 1966. He was promoted to supervisor of athletics for both John Marshall and Mayo high schools in 1977 retiring in 1987.
Prior to his retirement, Kerwin partnered with Rochester Rotarians to create the Rotary Holiday Classic basketball tournament. With his help, the first Holiday Classic was held in December 1988. Because of his work with community youth and his instrumental assistance and knowledge in starting the Rotary Holiday Classic, members of The Rotary Club of Rochester honored Kerwin with a Paul Harris Fellow in 1995 and named him an honorary member of the club in August 1998.
After retiring from the Rochester School District in 1987, Kerwin served as the Region One AA secretary for the Minnesota State High School League retiring from the position in 2015 at age 85.
A memorial service will be held October 26 at Christ United Methodist Church in Rochester. Kerwin's obituary can be found here.
The Rotary Clubs of Rochester are once again volunteering at the 2026 Cradle 2 Career Annual Education Summit! They are lookVing for volunteers to help make this year’s Summit a great experience for attendees. Please review the available volunteer rolesand complete the Google Form to select the position and time that works best for you.
Volunteer positions are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Once all available spots for a position are filled, that role will no longer be available for selection. Please review the roles below before completing the volunteer sign-up form.
About the Summit: This year's theme is “Instruments of Change: How We All Play A Part.” The Summit brings together educators, families, students, business and community partners, and others who care about educational outcomes in Rochester. Register to attend the event.
If you choose to volunteer, you are asked to also register for the event so they have an accurate headcount, especially for lunch.
Two online Zoom volunteer training sessions will be offered on October 13 from 9:00–10:00 a.m. and 3:30–4:30 p.m.. Volunteers only need to attend one of the two sessions. If you’re unable to attend either training, C2C staff will follow-up with you individually to make sure you have everything you need before the Summit. Once you sign-up to volunteer, a confirmation of your volunteer assignment and any additional information you’ll need before the Summit will be sent to you.
Thank you for your willingness to lend a hand. Your support is appreciated!
The White Oaks Park clean-up season is winding down with one last clean-up scheduled for Wednesday, October 21 at 5:00 p.m. (NOTE the earlier start time). 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.
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 Clubs are looking for one or two additional families to host incoming Rotary Youth Exchange student Clara who has arrived in Rochester from France. Clara is 15 years old, plays basketball, enjoys drawing and playing chess, and loves the outdoors and animals. She is passionate about science and is interested in aerospace engineering. Rotary Exchange Students typically stay with their host family fro 3-6 months. Clara is attending Mayo High School.
Another successful Cook4Kids meal was donated and served by members of The Rotary Club of Rochester on Tuesday, September 15, for the moms and kids at Jeremiah Program Rochester.
Thank you to the following TRCR members and family members for either donating and/or serving food: Sara Gilliland, Lorie Luedke, Judy Johnson (wife of L.J.), Marilyn Dehling, Kristine Ihrke, Colin Aldis, Mel Trimble, Phil Karsell, Chris Colby, Sue Colby, Dave Moertel, Cheryl Moertel, and Celeste Hofer. A special thank you to Marilyn for leading the charge and organizing the event.
It was a beautiful day for the Quarry Hill Fall Festival held on Saturday, September 12. As is done every year, Rotarians and family members volunteered to serve in the food tent. Many thanks to Randy S., Phil K., and his wife Kay, Marilyn D., Colin A., Sara G., Karl J., Lorie L. and her husband, Todd, Mel T., Gail B., and Danielle K.
Community Economic Development Month is observed every October to highlight efforts that reduce poverty, support local entrepreneurs, and build sustainable economic well-being in underserved areas. Rotary International designates October as Economic and Community Development Month (one of our key areas of focus) to promote long-term economic solutions rather than immediate charity.
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