PLEASE NOTE: If you receive the Moccasin Flower via GMAIL, the message may be "clipped" due to its length. No worries, click the "View entire message" link at the bottom of the Moccasin Flower email to read the entire newsletter! Remember to visit the TRCR website for the most up-to-date news.
The Rotary Club of Rochester welcomed its newest member, Randy Stocker, to the club at its December 12 meeting. A former Rotarian with the Quincy, Illinois, Rotary club, Randy is a Paul Harris Fellow and headed up the club's International Exchange for three years.
Randy grew up in Central Illinois attending college at Eastern Illinois University majoring in Business. He and his wife, Char, have been married 42 years and had four children together. Randy and Char are now the proud grandparents of twin grandsons, age four.
A professional speaker on loss, grief, and resilience, Randy is the author of Hugs Help, the story of how he and Char survived the tragic death of his mother, and their daughters Jenelle (19) and Amy (9) when the three were killed by a distracted truck driver on July 22, 2003.
Randy is the executive director of Rochesterfest. He is active in Compassionate Friends, Sr. Softball, and Resurrection Church. He reads one book a week, collects baseball cards, and seldom says "no," but is trying to change that. Randy is pictured second from the left in the plaid shirt. Welcome, Randy! We are excited to get to know you.
At the club's December 12 meeting, three Paul Harris Fellowships were awarded to two members of the Rochester community and a Paul Harris+3 pin was awarded to club president-elect Steve Sperling.
In addition to Steve receiving his Paul Harris pin, he awarded community member Jan Vetter with a Paul Harris Fellowship for her work in social services. Jan has served as a conduit for people who had furniture and home furnishings to donate to people who had needs for those items. She became well known for her leadership in Olmsted County in the Adopt-a-Family Christmas program. Hundreds of people would not have received a Christmas gift if not for her efforts through the years. She has been recognized by United Way and KTTC as one of "10 People Who Make A Difference" for her volunteerism. She is active with her church's "Open Table" program which serves free meals to the underserved in our community and feeds upwards of 250 people each week. Steve capped his introduction of Jan referring to her as an "energizer bunny" and someone who personifies "Service Above Self."
Past club president Leigh Johnson presented a Paul Harris Fellowship to John Wade, president, RAEDI. After serving as RAEDI's interim president, he was hired as president of the organization in August 2021. Known throughout Southeast Minnesota, John shares his extensive background in communications, business development, and public-private partnership in the Rochester community both professionally and through his volunteerism.
Nearly 80 Rochester Rotarians braved the wintry conditions to celebrate the holidays at Somerby Golf Club. In addition to enjoying live music provided by Roch Bottom, Rochester Rotarians had a festive time socializing and dining together. Be sure to click the "read more" button to view more photos from the event.
Rotarians, along with family and friends, have been amazing answering the call to ring bells for the Salvation Army. Thank you for sharing your holiday spirit, your smile, and your time during this season of giving. Our club committed to providing volunteers each Saturday from November 16 to December 21, and you've answered the call to fill our volunteer spots.
The Jeremiah Program is grateful to have 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, January 21, 2025, from 4:15-6:30 p.m. Thank you for volunteering, TRCR members!
To sign-up to volunteer and/or bring items for the meal, please click here.
For your future planning, The Rotary Club of Rochester will also host Jeremiah Cook 4 Kids on Tuesday, May 20 and Tuesday, September 16, 2025.
May 15, 2025, promises to be a fantastic evening celebrating 100 years of The Rotary Club of Rochester at Rochester Golf and Country Club. If you haven't already, be sure to save the date and make plans to attend. Event details will be available in early 2025. Our club's history is rich and we look forward to sharing our amazing story with past and present club members, fellow Rotarians, community leaders, and honored guests. We anticipate 150-250 guests will be in attendance at our gala event. In order to make the most of this auspicious occasion and to keep the cost affordable, the celebration party committee is seeking your financial support as a sponsor.
Click the "Read More" button to view the sponsorship opportunities.
The Rotary International theme for December is Disease Prevention. There are thousands of great actions around the world led by Rotarians that contribute to preventing or reducing diseases. Our goal in the polio realm is to totally eliminate the virus from the face of the earth, a daunting but entirely likely outcome during the next few years. Our many projects to facilitate clean water, to deliver effective vaccines, to bring effective sanitation systems to communities, and to make other proven practices a reality should be a source of great pride.
.png)
The Rotary Club of Rochester welcomed its newest member, Randy Stocker, to the club at its December 12 meeting. A former Rotarian with the Quincy, Illinois, Rotary club, Randy is a Paul Harris Fellow and headed up the club's International Exchange for three years. 
In addition to Steve receiving his Paul Harris pin, he awarded community member Jan Vetter with a Paul Harris Fellowship for her work in social services. Jan has served as a conduit for people who had furniture and home furnishings to donate to people who had needs for those items. She became well known for her leadership in Olmsted County in the Adopt-a-Family Christmas program. Hundreds of people would not have received a Christmas gift if not for her efforts through the years. She has been recognized by United Way and KTTC as one of "10 People Who Make A Difference" for her volunteerism. She is active with her church's "Open Table" program which serves free meals to the underserved in our community and feeds upwards of 250 people each week. Steve capped his introduction of Jan referring to her as an "energizer bunny" and someone who personifies "Service Above Self."
