With a backdrop of the American flag and the Annie Young painting depicting the American Flag, Veterans Annie Young (left), Don Coffin (bottom right) and Mike Ferber (top right) were honored by the Rotary Club of Eagan (Noon Club) and the Eagan Kick-Start Club for Veterans Day 2021. A $200 certificate was given to the following charities as designated by each veteran, Salvation Army (Coffin), Silent Warrior Project Burnsville (Young) and Can Do Canines (Ferber). Community organizations supporting Veterans were recognized, Commons on Marice, Eagan Men’s Chorus and the Rotary Club of Minnesota Veterans.

 

 

 

Three Outstanding Veterans Recognized

by Eagan Rotary Clubs

 

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The Rotary Club of Eagan and Kick-Start Rotary Club jointly sponsored a luncheon to celebrate three specific Eagan Veterans, Don Coffin, Michael Ferber, and Annie Young. Each Veteran reflected on their military experience and announced a designated non-profit to receive the $200 certificate from Rotary.

Close to 100 guests enjoyed the classic military ceremony with a color guard presenting the American flag, reciting the Pledge of Allegiance, invocations from a military chaplain, chorus of traditional military songs and the concluding “Taps” by Rotarian John Curlee. This formal setting set the mood for emcee Bryan Frandrup to showcase the featured Veterans. “Today we honor three special Eagan Veterans, and all Veterans everywhere,” said Frandrup.

Don Coffin was a country boy from North Dakota who had never seen the ocean or been on a ship but signed up for the Navy anyway. “It was an education about life,” and he considered it an honor. His tour took him into the Mediterranean and mid-Atlantic. He reflected on three incidents he witnessed where over 300 personnel lost their lives. Coffin considered those soldiers his heroes. The Salvation Army was his designated charity.

Coming from the sheltered life of a small town, Mike Ferber followed his father to serve in the Navy. He valued traveling to new parts of the county and working with new personalities and cultures at a California air force base. He considered it a time of building character and attitude from life experiences. Can Do Canines was his designated charity.

Annie Young served in North America and Europe as a technical sergeant in the Air Force and Minnesota Air National Guard. Young is an artist and inspirational speaker who created a painting depicting the American flag for the Veterans ceremony. She chose the Silent Warrior Project in Burnsville for her charity contribution.

A Veterans Day commemorative plaque, engraved with the preamble to the U.S. Constitution and updated with a 2021 medallion, was given to each sponsoring group, Eagan Men’s Chorus, Commons on Marice, Eagan Rotary Club, Eagan Kick-Start Rotary and Rotary Club of Minnesota Veterans. Seven Rotarians were recognized for their service: Don DeGenaro (Navy), John Diedrich (Navy), Tom Egan (Army Reserve); Michael Ferber (Navy), Jim Hobday (Army), Glenn Perkins (Naval Dental Corps) and John Rhody(Army). In remembrance of past Rotarians, Billy Cunningham (U.S. Coast Guard), Fred Iglesia (Army), Wendahl Hahn (Navy), Cal Christensen (Navy), and Joe Connolly (Navy) were noted in the program.

The full organizing committee included Dan Burns, Jennifer Conoryea, Bryan Frandrup, Bob Holton, Jason Madson, John Rhody and Jo Weyrick.

 

Rotary Club of Eagan Donates $500
to Local Interact Club

 

The Interact Club of Eagan recently received a $500 donation from the Rotary Club of Eagan. Receiving the check (from left) is school advisor Bill Wirsbinski and students, Hannah Maccarone (past president), Donald Thai and Anna Schuller, current co-president.
 

Club activities of the past year have included:

 

• Construction of a Community Giving Garden to benefit The Open Door
• Organizing a coat drive, jeans drive, and blood drive
• Christmas caroling
• Making dog toys for a local pet shelter
• Sewing face masks and baby blankets
• Highway clean-up
• Lawn raking
• Writing 2,000 letters to US soldiers that were included in 52 care packages filled with candy 

Wirsbinski has been with the club since its inception and credits it for keeping him positively involved with the students during the Covid shutdown. Thanking the Rotarians for the donation, he added, “Interact does not exist without Rotary.” Started 10 years ago, Interact is a Rotary club for teens to encourage volunteerism. Current the club has 200 members. 
 

 

 

Solving real problems takes real commitment and vision. For more than 110 years, Rotary's people of action have used their passion, energy, and intelligence to take action on sustainable projects. From literacy and peace to water and health, we are always working to better our world, and we stay committed to the end.

If you’d like to learn more about how you can make a difference by joining the Eagan Rotary Club, please contact our Club President Erica Hollom by clicking here.

 

 

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Human Trafficking Becomes Rotary's Priority Project

 

 

Human slavery has been identified as such a global issue that Rotary International has identified this as one of the next global initiatives to solve as we get close to celebrating the end of polio.

 

Many of us have the image of human slavery taking place in other parts of the world. However, it is happening in our own country AND is a significant industry right here in Minnesota. As leaders in our communities, District 5950 has joined with District 5960 to end human trafficking in Minnesota. We are designing a three-year strategy and want your involvement.  To learn more about this important initiative, please click here.