Madison South Rotary meets Mondays for lunch 12:00 - 1:15 pm at Madison College Goodman South Campus, 2429 Perry Street, Madison, WI 53713 on the second floor.  We also offer attendance via Zoom.

We enjoy fellowship, networking, a delicious catered lunch ($15 per person), and informative, engaging presentations from location businesses and nonprofits.  

Up-coming Speakers
Rotary Friendship Exchange - Phillippines
Sep 23, 2024
Cyndi Fine
Sep 30, 2024
Emotional Intelligence - Silent Power in a Noisy World
Oscar Mireles
Oct 07, 2024
Omega School
View entire list...

Our Brat Stand

Our fall Brat Stand across from UW Madison's Camp Randall Stadium is our primary fundraiser. The club then returns much-needed financial assistance back to the community using a deliberate, thoughtful grant process each Spring.

Active Fellowship Groups

Social connections are the biggest reason our members enjoy our club. Unlike committees, fellowship groups are organized by club members to promote social interaction and fun.
 

About our Membership

As a medium-sized club of more than 60 active members, the Madison South Rotary club spans all ages and occupations.  
 
Meeting Recaps
2024 Madison South Rotary Foundation Grant Recipients Announced
2024 Madison South Rotary Foundation Grant Recipients Announced
 
We are proud to announce the selection of local nonprofits for our 2024 grant program. These grants, which support vital community services, will help organizations address critical needs in youth development, homelessness, mental health, and senior care.

The Foundation is committed to positively impacting the Greater Madison area by funding programs that directly benefit our community. We encourage local nonprofits to prepare for our next grant cycle in early Spring 2025, where they can apply for funding up to $2,500 to support their essential work.

For more information and application directions, please visit our GRANT PAGE >>

 
Habitat for Humanity Dane County Volunteer Day
Posted on Jun. 08, 2024
#PeopleOfAction - Shout out to our Habitat for Humanity of Dane County volunteers Rob Gooze, Mike & Lee Ann Dillis, John Deininger, Eric Fleming, Jordan Smith, and Dan Millmann! You guys are the best! 
 
    
Just Dane  Serves the Formerly Incarcerated and their Families
Posted on Sep. 17, 2024
One Amazing Organization Doing the Toughest Work Imaginable
 
Formerly known as the Madison Urban Ministry, Just Dane concentrates its efforts on running multiple programs that serve people and their families adjusting to the most difficult circumstances imaginable.
 
One of its main missions is to help integrate the formerly incarcerated back into the community, helping them get ready for work and finding that first job. Executive Director Linda Ketcham says 95% of incarcerated people eventually come out so Society needs to help them for everyone’s sake.
 
That help includes driving lessons, commercial baking experience, shelter when a medical tragedy strikes and other services. Just Dane is one of the many organizations Madison South Rotary supports.
 
The organization says Just Dane achieves a much lower recidivism rate compared to the state average. (“9-15% compared to the state average of 67%”)
 
 
 
Foundation Board Elected
Posted on Jun. 11, 2024
New Foundation Board Elected
 
The membership of Madison South Rotary elected members to the Foundation Board. They are Mike Dillis, Jordan Smith, David Anderman and Tara Ingalls. Congratulations!
 
Foundation President Mike True and Foundation member Firoz Khimani discussed the Annual Report, noting that our Foundation contributed more than $39,000 to various non-profit groups, in addition to $10,000 in scholarships.
 
A special emphasis now is to create a legacy fund to replace future Brat Stand revenue, should we lose the ability to operate that fundraiser at some point. Dean Rugotska announced his generous contribution to that Fund and other members are welcome to follow Dean's lead.
 
Mike is stepping down as president of the Foundation to serve as President-elect of Madison South Rotary. Thanks to Mike for his continued service to the Club!
 
Essential Products Donation Drive for Madison CollegeStudents
Posted on May 16, 2024
Madison South Rotarian LeeAnn Dillis recently organized a club project to collect and donate essential care products as part of a charitable drive for Madison College. Many students need basic supplies such as toilet paper, paper towels, toothpaste, laundry, dish, and hand soap, shampoo, body wash, and lotion. Thanks to everyone who donated goods for the Madison College Cupboard!
 
 
Scholarships Announced!
Posted on May 21, 2024
10 High School Scholars Awarded College Scholarship Awards from Madison South
 
 
Homelessness, dire financial status and other challenges will not stop our Scholarship Award Winners from pursuing higher education. Randy Sproule announced the Committee’s selection of 10 area high school students who will attend MATC in Fall. Each will receive $1,000 the first year and another $1,000 in the second year. Most of these scholars are the first in their families to attend college.
 
Here are the scholarship recipients:

 

 
  • Marian Vanessa Burgos Ortega. She will pursue computer science
  • Scott Castanega. He will pursue a STEM career.
  • Juan Ramos Grajales. He plans to attend dental school.
  • Barbara Chacin. She plans to become a neurologist.
  • Yoselin Torres. She wants to become a nurse.
  • Carlos Ruiz. He plans to become a cyber security specialist.
  • Anthony Castrol. He will pursue a business degree.
  • Laura Perez Montes. A nursing career is her goal.
  • Rodrigo Cortez Salto. He plans to become an automotive technician.
  • Hijba Ahmadi. She plans to pursue computer science.
Nine of these 10 scholarship winners also have earned other scholarships to help finance their educations.
 
Madison South had 20 applicants this year and we hope to increase that number in subsequent years. Randy Sproule created a scholarship fund in his parents’ name to provide the second-year awards.
 
Congratulations to all the scholars and to our Scholarship Committee for making these awards possible.

 

Outstanding Student Joan Meija Alcantara
Posted on May 13, 2024
This week's Outstanding Student is Joan Meija Alcantara, from LaFollette HS was introduced by Counselor Vanessa Hiavacka. He will attend UW Madison in the fall. studying Computer Engineering.  He was born in the U.S., moved to Mexico, moved back to the U.S. in 8th grade.  He learned English for the first time in 8th grade.  He took several AP classes, including language and literature.  He receive a $2500 scholarship from Women in Focus and an Art Scholarship, which will cover 5 years at UW.  He has worked through high school - 50 hours/week at FedEx.  His mom lives in Mexico with his siblings.  His father lives here.  He likes math, computer science, English, and soccer. 
Get to know your fellow Rotarians
23 of our club's current 64-member roster shared favorite moments and answered questions provided by President Adam this week at our club meeting. 
 
Pictured are some of the "coolest and kindest people you will ever meet," Past President Tara Ingalls commented
 
 
 
 
Saving Lives Through Education
Posted on Apr. 24, 2024
     Brett Weiss doesn’t believe in shooting small! He says, “Let’s end poverty. Why have little goals? Make it big.”
     In his presentation to Madison South Rotary, Weiss described how his charitable organization was raising scholarship money for boys and girls in Kenya who would have little hope of attending high school without financial help.
     He described a country so impoverished that these kids live in homes that lack electricity and plumbing, they sometimes go to bed hungry, they have little medical care and most have either 1 or no parents who are still alive.
     Enter the Weiss Scholarship, which brings hope for a better future. The effort began in 2012, when the first scholarship was awarded. By 2024, 228 scholarships have been awarded!
     The first recipient now builds GPS systems and is studying to become a CPA. Another student recently came to Elmhurst University in Illinois to study neurosurgery. Weiss describes her as brilliant.
     “Education is the answer to poverty,” says Weiss. So far, he’s made about 180 visits to Rotary Clubs, making the case for an investment in their futures.
      For $3,500, the Foundation can send one student to high school for 4 years.
      Visit weissscholarshipfoundation.org for more information or contact him at
630-248-5405.
Monroe Street Arts
Posted on Apr. 09, 2024
Monroe Street Arts Serves the Whole Community
 
Madison South's contribution to Monroe Street Arts is helping "neuro-diverse children" by giving them a backpack filled with special items, including headphones, weighted lap animals and timers. These items help kids on the spectrum who struggle with anxiety issues.
 
Center Director Carey Zawlocki says the organization's goal is to "engage a community of learners," be it for guitar lessons, voice instruction, art classes or various workshops.
 
Zawlocki says the Center serves about 2,000 students per year, with about half being grade school kids.
 
Funding for these efforts is always a challenge, as Zawlocki says Wisconsin ranks dead last for arts funding. The State provides 18 cents per capita compared to Minnesota, which spends $9.67 per capita.
 
For more information, visit monroestreetarts.org. 
  ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​
Basket Making in Kenya
Posted by Stephen Busalacchi
Basket-Making in Kenya Fuels Resources to Save Girls from Mutilating Surgery
 
When Leslie Sager visited Kenya in 2012, she learned of an unhealthy, dangerous practice known as female genital mutilation. Incredibly, almost every young girl in Kenya is subject to this unnecessary practice.
 
“In Kenya, the belief is that you’re not a woman until after female genital mutilation,” says Sager.
 
In subsequent trips to Kenya, Sager vowed to help inspire an alternative right of passage for these girls, but it would take education and resources. With her background that includes an undergraduate degree in social work and a Master’s in design, Sager helped develop a program to promote the sale of baskets made in Kenya. In 2016, she began marketing the baskets, providing a stream of revenue for these families that leads to better education and no unnecessary surgery!
 
The organization is known as Merry-Go-Strong via https://www.merrygostrong.org.
Madison South Rotary
P.O. Box 259672
Madison, WI 53725
 
2023-24 President: 
Adam Peck
(815) 540-1200
Email: Adam.Peck@ansay.com 
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