Thea arrived in Rochester late Wednesday evening, August 16, after a long day of travel from her home in Denmark but became energized seeing the welcoming committee waiting for her. Her first and third host families, the Keillors and the Hatlevigs, along with Youth Exchange Committee members Deb Christianson and Melody Trimble. Thea will attend Century High School as a Junior this year. The Youth Exchange Committee is still looking for an additional host family to welcome Thea into their home from December to mid-March. If you or anyone you know is interested in being a host family, please contact Melody Trimble.
With summer winding down, there are only two months left of TRCR's commitment to clean-up White Oaks Park in northwest Rochester. The small but mighty and very dedicated clean-up crew is in need of assistance in September and October. Phet, a former Rotarian, and her son, Miles have been dedicated to this service, but they will no longer be able to participate this year due to her scheduling conflicts.
Please check your calendar and set aside 45 minutes to an hour to make sure this park our club committed to keeping clean remains clean.
Pictured: Rotarian Josef, and friends of Rotary Miles and Phet.
The three Rotary Clubs in Rochester, the Rotary club in White Bear Lake, and global Minnesota partnered in Spring 2023 to host a special program related to “Advanced Prosthetics” in support of wounded Ukrainian soldiers. Through the extraordinary hospitality and creative problem-solving, as well as, International diplomacy/security detail, the delegates from Europe and medical support exchanged solutions to help restore physical, physiological, and psychosocial resilience as most humanely possible. This intersection of medical science, socio-technological innovation, and Rotarian hospitality was truly appreciated by all involved as exemplary of Rotary’s motto “Service above self.” Furthermore, the Ukrainian team and Dr. Yakov Gradinar at Protez Foundation were most grateful for the financial support contributed alongside the hosting of our foreign diplomats/visitors to Minnesota. The teams at Protez Foundation and Century College are preparing to host more trainees in “Advanced Prosthetics” later this summer, as polytrauma and mental/behavioral impact from prolonged conflict takes its toll at many levels of societal and global operations.
Cradle 2 Career is in need of several volunteers to make their 2nd Annual Education Summit a success on Wednesday, October 4. This is a 3-Club volunteer effort for The Rotary Club of Rochester, Rochester Rotary Risers, and Greater Rochester Rotary. Learn more about the volunteer roles by reading the descriptions of each role. After deciding what role you would like to volunteer for, please sign-up for that role.
On the day of the Summit, you can choose to come only during the time you are volunteering, or you can choose to join the Summit for the day. If you choose to participate the entire day, you will also need to register on Eventbrite in order to receive your meal. This link will be coming out on August 15 and will be shared here. Thank you in advance for volunteering!
The Rotary International Convention in Melbourne, Australia, from May 27-31, 2023 was aptly themed “Imagine – What’s Next?”. More than 14,000 Rotarians from around the world, including eight from Minnesota (District 5960) enjoyed the warm hospitality of Southeast Australia. The details of the convention wrap-up, program, and keynote speakers can be found at this link. Please let Ashok Patel, Dave Moertel, or Chersten know if you’re interested or planning to attend the 2024 Rotary International Convention in Singapore (May 25-29, 2024).
LINK to TRCR President Ashok Patel's RI Convention recap highlights one of Rotary's core values - Fellowship (while serving and learning from others) and Fun.
The Jeremiah Program looks forward to having members of The Rotary Club of Rochester help bring families from poverty to prosperity two generations at a time. Cook 4 Kids is an integral part of Jeremiah families’ week – a chance for them to enjoy a meal they don’t have to prepare, witness the generosity of others firsthand, build relationships and comradery with other families, and gain more from the fifth pillar of the Jeremiah program – “Supportive Community.” Our club's next Cook 4 Kids meal is scheduled for Tuesday, September 19 from 4:15-6:30 p.m.
The Rotary Club of Rochester is delighted to welcome Chersten Keillor as our new Club administrator beginning officially on August 1, 2023.
Chersten is a very talented anthropologist and keen on psycho-social development in many ways. Some may already know of Chersten’s passion for Rotary Youth Exchange (RYE) and community-building, but here are a few additional vocational and personal highlights:
Eldercare Program Developer – grant writing, newletter, public engagement, and technical support for coordinating community partners
Independent Yoga Teacher via Heartwork Yoga Studio – training children, adults, and seniors in developing their skills at stress management, healthy living, and mindfulness
Career Counselor @ Workforce Development, Inc – provided orientation, career planning and educational support to over 100+ displaced persons as part of state & federal programming
Family engaged in near-time with Rotary Youth Exchange program and other community relations – son and daughter in RYE, master gardener (UMN extension)
Thirteen area youth-oriented non-profit organizations were recently awarded community grants from the proceeds of the final Rotary Clubs of Rochester Holiday Classic. Also receiving grants are the four Rochester high school athletic programs as well as the three Rochester Rotary Clubs to be used for their youth projects.
As Rochester Rotarians, we celebrate the many years of success of the Rotary Holiday Classic as the event provided an opportunity for our members to fulfill Rotary’s motto of “Service Above Self” by volunteering and generating more than $1,067,000 for youth-related organizations. The Holiday Classic’s success over the years is also a credit to the many sponsors and advertisers, participating teams and coaches, and the families and fans who attended and enjoyed watching great basketball. Click the "read more" button for the names of the organizations that received grants.
At the July 27th meeting of The Rotary Club of Rochester, District 5960 Governor Patricia McCleese recognized John Woodruff for his Rotary International achievement as a Major Donor Level 3 and 4 member because of he and his wife, Virginia's, dedication and generosity to the Rotary Foundation. Here are excerpts from Patricia's presentation:
"Because of John's dedication to the Rotary Foundation, we honor him with this Major Donor recognition on behalf of the Trustees of the Rotary Foundation. You give to others not knowing their stories, their faces, or even their names. But, in doing so, you demonstrate, through your generous act, that all fellow human beings are worthy of our compassion. Your act of kindness is a seed of peace that will yield returns for not only the communities served by your generosity but from Rotary as a premier Foundation and organization."
Past District 5960 Governor Tom Yuzer visited with John last winter to explain the new Triple Crown Donor recognition in the District and told him that since he was already a Major Donor and Paul Harris Society level donor that all he needed to become eligible was to become a Bequest Society member through his estate plan. After consideration, John said, "Why should the Rotary Foundation wait for the resources, I will make my gift now." John joins 39 other Rotarians in District 5960 as a Triple Crown Donor.
Rotary International President R. Gordon R. McInally, a member of the Rotary Club of South Queensferry, West Lothian, Scotland, calls for Rotary to create hope in the world by working for peace and mental wellbeing. He urges members to engage in tough conversations and earn the trust that’s necessary to realize these values.
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The Rotary Club of Rochester is delighted to welcome Chersten Keillor as our new Club administrator beginning officially on August 1, 2023.
At the July 27th meeting of The Rotary Club of Rochester, District 5960 Governor Patricia McCleese recognized John Woodruff for his Rotary International achievement as a Major Donor Level 3 and 4 member because of he and his wife, Virginia's, dedication and generosity to the Rotary Foundation. Here are excerpts from Patricia's presentation:
