No Empty Backpacks Benefiting Milwaukee School District Students
Members of the Rotary Club of Cedarburg-Grafton came together to stuff backpacks with needed supplies for students attending the Milwaukee Public Schools.
Welcome! Our Rotary Club serves the Cedarburg and Grafton communities, located in central Ozaukee County.
We meet on Thursdays at 12:00 noon
Please check our calendar to verify meeting locations and times.
June - August
Summer Schedule - Meeting locations rotate weekly.
September through May
American Legion - Peter Wollner Post 288
W57N481 Hilbert Ave, Cedarburg, WI 53012
Visiting Rotarians are welcome to join in at our meetings by emailing our Secretary, Maggie Dobson.
Click here for more Club information
Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra
Rotary Holiday Concert
Thursday, December 7, 2023
Cedarburg Performing Art Center
The Rotary Club of Cedarburg-Grafton is proud to announce tickets are on sale for our Holiday Concert featuring the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra (MSO). Annually, the MSO is held at the Cedarburg Performing Arts Center in December.
This event sells out quickly so get your tickets today!
The MSO is one of the premier orchestras in the country and we are proud to present them during the holidays to perform in front of a sold-out audience every year.
Invest in your community through the Rotary Club of Cedarburg-Grafton.
Through donations or sponsorships, giving to the Rotary Club of Cedarburg-Grafton supports deserving students with scholarships to technical and vocational schools and improves our community's quality of life through the grants we give and the projects we're involved in. To donate, click the image or make your check payable to Cedarburg-Grafton Rotary Foundation and mail to PO Box 194 Cedarburg, WI 53012. As a Wisconsin 501(c)(3) non-profit, the Cedarburg-Grafton Rotary Foundation is the philanthropic arm of the Rotary Club of Cedarburg-Grafton. Donations are 100% tax-deductible to the extent of the law. Ref EIN 39-1446118. Grafton Superintendent and fellow Rotarian Jeff Nelson introduced our Student of the Month, Grace Viesselmann, a senior from Grafton High School.
Grace’s impressive resume includes: Class treasurer, VP of Student Council, President of National Honor Society, Black Hawk Crew Member, Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA) member, and is an active athlete, playing volleyball, basketball, and track & field. Grace is currently enrolled in AP Calculus, AP Biology, and AP Economics and is planning on a major in biology/pre-pharmacy at either UW-Eau Claire or UW-Madison.
Grace has coordinated events supporting Family Sharing of Ozaukee County through her work at school and will donate her $50 to them. Congratulations Grace!
Pictured are GHS Principal Scott Mathei, Grace Viesselmann, & Jeff Nelson.
Photo credit: Maggie Dobson
As our April 2023 Student of the Month, Henry Cain was introduced by CHS Principal Casey Bowe:
It is my honor to introduce you all to Mr. Henry Cain. Henry is currently a senior at Cedarburg High School. He has given back to the community through various service engagements with more than 120 documented hours. He is a leader amongst his peers, serving as a captain of his swimming and soccer teams. Henry was recognized for excellence in swimming as an All-American Honorable Mention and for his excellence in Service, Character, Scholarships, and Citizenship by the National Honor Society.Henry Cain has sought a rigorous course load during his tenure at CHS, taking seven Advanced Placement courses and earning a remarkable 4.10 cumulative GPA in the process. Henry has deep ties to the community, and to our club as the son of fellow Rotarian Steve Cain and with three years of employment with the Olsen’s at the Piggly Wiggly in Cedarburg.
Henry consistently exemplifies what it means to be a Bulldog. Please welcome the Cedarburg High School Rotary Student of the Month, Mr. Henry Cain.
Pictured here are CHS Principal and fellow Rotarian Casey Bowe, Rotary Club President-Elect Mike Herbrand, Henry Cain, and Henry's proud Papa and fellow Rotarian, Steve Cain.
Photo credit: Gail Ostermann
Mark Z. reported that we have 15 bowlers signed up for the red pin bowling event to benefit Big Brothers Big Sisters of Ozaukee County for tomorrow, March 17. Our Club raised a total of $2915.00... Well Done!
As for teams... Drum roll … Mike Herbrand’s team donated the most!
<<< In our club, this is what winning looks like! Congratulations to Mike's team for raising the most funds.
Jeff Nelson, Rotarian and GSD Superintendent, introduced Kayla Dembiec as our March Student of the Month from Grafton High School. Kayla is the captain of the varsity dance team, vice president of the National Honor Society, coach of the middle school dance team, and a lifeguard. She is a student in AP Research and was the third-place state finisher of the American Legion Oratorical Contest. She said she had to write an eight to 10-minute speech on the United States Constitution, and then give that speech in front of an audience and panel of judges, completely memorized. Amazing! She plans to major in broadcast journalism. Kayla designated her $50 charitable donation from our club to Franciscan Peacemakers, which connects women survivors of sex trafficking to safe housing, meaningful work, and a healing network of support.
Photo Caption: L-R: Grafton School Superintendent Jeff Nelson, Student of the Month Katie Dembiec, and Grafton High School Principal Scott Mantei. Taken by Gail Ostermann.
Rotary International District 6270 is pleased to announce that Nicole McNevin of Neenah, Wisc., has received a prized Rotary Peace Fellowship (RPF) for 2023-2025. She has been accepted into the Master’s Course in Peace Studies, Public Policy and Public Research Program, at International Christian University (ICU), Tokyo, Japan.
The daughter of Mary & Richard McNevin of Neenah, Wisc., Nicole is a graduate of Neenah High School and Wheaton College, Ill. (2017) She speaks Japanese and is currently in the 4th year of the Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Program where she teaches English and culture to students in low-income areas. Read the full story here.
Unitarian Church North's Social Justice Committee invites you to learn more about this historic event that is not found in many history books or taught in most schools. This "free" in-person-only event is open to the public. Please consider this opportunity to watch "Descended From the Promised Land" The Legacy of Black Wall Street.
The short 22-minute film will be followed by a talkback discussion with two panelists, LaToya Bates (UCN's DRE) and Jeannie Carr. Please consider registering with this Eventbrite link.
Saturday, February 25, 2023
11:00 AM - 12:30 PM
Unitarian Church North
13800 North Port Washington Road Mequon, WI 53097
Free and open to the public
For more information or questions please feel free to contact Brian Monroe, past RID6270 Dist Governer; 414-881-6901 or monroe.earthbound@gmail.com
In 1921, North Tulsa’s Greenwood District, the most prosperous Black community in America, was set ablaze, bombed, and looted during a racially motivated violent attack against the thriving Black community. Businesses, homes, and lives were lost, and Black Wall Street, as it was known, has never reclaimed its former glory. The Tulsa Race Massacre was only the first in a line of repeated targeted attacks on the progress of the Greenwood District and its residents.
Supporting Ukraine
Dear Friends,
We are writing with another update on our collective efforts to provide generators, power, and warmth to Ukrainian humanitarian facilities. Generous Rotarians, individuals, and Rotary Clubs across Wisconsin, the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, and beyond have raised over $130,000, surpassing our initial goal of $75,000. Our partner, Friends of Be an Angel, has arranged to purchase more generators than originally planned. 1,700 generators have been acquired and two shipments containing 1,192 generators have arrived in Ukraine, with the remaining generators arriving within the next week. The total cost of the generators is $1,013,760 and, to date, commitments have been received for just under $828,630. Donations are still being accepted, so please feel free to share our efforts with friends and neighbors.
The generators that have already arrived in Ukraine are being gratefully received, as shown in this video from a grateful teacher.
To stay up to date on this project and view more videos, please visit our webpage.
Thank you for your generosity and partnership in supporting Ukraine.
Melissa Marschka
Cedarburg-Grafton Rotary Donates $20,000 for CHS Turf Project
The Rotary Club of Cedarburg-Grafton, represented by Grants Committee Chair Pat Thome, right, presented a $20,000 check to the Cedarburg High School Athletics Department as part of a fundraising campaign to install turf at the high school baseball and softball fields. Accepting the donation were (from left) Superintendent Jeridon Clark, High School Principal Casey Bowe, and Athletics Director Jon Hannam. The turf project, which is expected to be completed in time for the 2024 spring season, will allow high school and youth programs additional access to practice time and greater assurance of completing a full season. According to Hannam, the current infield surface is susceptible to unpredictable climate conditions, which limits play time. The project is being privately funded.
Cedarburg High School Principal, Casey Bowe, introduced this month’s Student of the Month Zakira Masslich. Zakira Masslich is a senior and one of Cedarburg High School’s most accomplished students. She is an active member of our Tennis Team, Math Team, AFS Club, Spanish Club, and FCA. She is currently at the very top of her class per GPA despite nearly exhausting our most difficult offerings. Her current schedule of six AP courses is arguably the most challenging course load we can offer a student at our school. Her teachers report that her drive to learn and understand all aspects of each class challenges them to be even better teachers. Not only does she seek out challenges, but she is persistently committed to overcoming them. Zakira represents the best of what it means to be a Cedarburg Bulldog and I am honored to introduce Zakira Masslich as the CHS Rotary Student of the month.
Zakira picked Family Sharing for her $50 donation and she also receives $50 in Cedarburg Chamber Bucks for herself. Congrats!
Click here to view Zakira's acceptance speech.
Pictured are Rotary Club President Melissa Wraalstad, Zakira Masslich, Cedarburg High School Principal Casey Bowe, and CSD Superintendent Jeridon Clark.
Jeff Nelson introduced the Rotary Club of Cedarburg-Grafton's January Student of the Month, Amanda Hoenecke, a Senior from Grafton High School.
Amanda’s passion and preparation were on display as she had her acceptance speech ready. Here are some of her
Concert enthusiasts from near and far joined together for another sold-out holiday concert on December 15, 2022 at the Cedarburg Performing Arts Center. This year, the program included a sing-along!
Annually, the Rotary Club of Cedarburg-Grafton is proud to present the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra (MSO) performing a classic holiday concert right here in our community. The MSO is among the finest orchestras in the nation and the largest cultural institution in Wisconsin.
All proceeds are used locally for student scholarships and grants to non-profit organizations.
As a service project, the Rotary Club of Cedarburg-Grafton held a hat & mitten drive at its annual holiday concert by the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra on Dec. 15, 2022. The club collected 100 hats, 40 sets of gloves,100 pairs of warm socks, a blanket, and some scarves to make the season a bit warmer for friends of Mr. Bob’s Under the Bridge, a local charity that supports the homeless community in Milwaukee. Rotarians Carol Alexander Coutts, left, and Cindy Petted helped gather items that were deposited into festive containers in the lobby of the Cedarburg Performing Arts Center. Photo credit, Mark Ziebell.
Casey Bowe, C-G Rotarian and CHS Principal, introduced Cedarburg High School’s Student of the Month for December 2022, senior Evan Weber.
Evan has been involved with many different service clubs and sports teams, including National Honor Society, three years on the Student Council, being a key member of
Get your tickets today for this sell-out event!
Tickets for the 23rd annual Rotary Music Festival are now on sale. The drum and bugle corps show will be held Monday, July 3, 2023, at the Cedarburg High School Alumni Field starting at 7 p.m. The event is hosted by the Rotary Club of Cedarburg-Grafton.
The event will feature performances by six drum and bugle corps including the
- Madison Scouts of Madison, WI
- Phantom Regiment of Rockford, IL
- Cavaliers of Rosemont, IL
- Blue Stars of La Crosse, WI
- Troopers of Casper, WY
- Colt Cadets of Dubuque, IA
Four of the corps were ranked among the top 12 in the world competition last year.
All seats are reserved so advanced tickets are encouraged to get the best seats in the stadium.
Photo >>> The Madison Scouts will be one of the drum and bugle corps that will perform in the 23rd annual Rotary Music Festival Drum and Bugle Corps Show on July 3. Tickets can be purchased at dcitickets.showare.com .
Click here for more details
Jordan Guerra, a senior at Grafton High School, is the first Grafton recipient of the Student of the Month program recently launched by the Cedarburg-Grafton Rotary. He was honored during today club luncheon meeting at the Peter Wollner American Legion Post in Cedarburg.
Katie O’Connor, a senior at Cedarburg High School, is the first recipient of the Student of the Month program recently launched by the Cedarburg-Grafton Rotary. She was honored at the club’s weekly lunch meeting on Nov. 3 at the Peter Wollner American Legion Post in Cedarburg.
The Rotary Club of Cedarburg-Grafton presented a check for $1,000 to Julie Hoover, Executive Directory at Family Sharing of Ozaukee County, during their Empty Bowls event on Friday October 28, 2022.
Founded in 1978, Family Sharing is the longest-standing Food Pantry in Ozaukee County. They provide food, at no cost, to Ozaukee County residents in need. The proceeds from their upscale resale store sale and events go directly to supporting the Food Pantry.
As its first service project of the year, club members formed an assembly line at its Aug. 18 meeting to fill backpacks with school supplies for the “No Empty Backpacks” program. The backpacks were delivered to the Milwaukee Public School System in time for the start of the new school year. Past President Mark Ziebell (3rd from left) and his wife Judy shopped for the supplies and made sure that each backpack was filled to the brim with notebooks, pencils, rulers and much more.
The new board of directors for the Cedarburg-Grafton Rotary Club officially began its duties in July for the 2022-2023 year. They include (seated l-r): Mark Ziebell, past president; Minal Hahm, vice president; Melissa Wraalstad, president; Mike Herbrand, president-elect; Dave Stern, secretary; and Dick Dieffenbach, treasurer; (standing l-r): Pat Thome, Rotary International and grants chair; Layton Olsen, fundraising chair; Cindy Petted, operations & technology chair; Carol Alexander Coutts, executive secretary; Gail Ostermann, marketing & public relations chair, and Ron Knaus, finance chair. Not pictured: Brian Collins, membership chair, and Paul Radtke, youth exchange chair.
The Cedarburg-Grafton Rotary Club is a service organization with nearly 60 members. Its three major fund-raising events — the Rotary Bike Ride in May, the Rotary Music Festival in July and the Milwaukee Symphony Holiday Concert in December — raise nearly $100,000 annually to support community projects, local non-profit organizations and student scholarships.
Photo by Mark Justesen, News Graphic
John Hanson introduced three of this year’s scholarship recipients: Connor Sobczak, who will be attending MATC to pursue a career as an electrician, Lauren Rathke, who will be attending MATC to pursue a degree in photography, and Ella Day, who received the Lowell K. Levy Hard Work Scholarship and will be attending Creighton University with a double major in biology & Spanish. John noted that this year the club awarded five technical scholarships for $6,000 each, five renewal scholarships for $1,000 each, and the annual Lowell K. Levy Hard Work Scholarship for $6,000.
Pictured, left to right, are Ella Day, Lauren Rathke, and Connor Sobczak. Not pictured are Clayton Kleckner, Nathan Skebba, and Shane Wissing.
The 22st annual Rotary Music Festival returns to Cedarburg this summer on Sunday, July 3rd. Four (4) amazing Midwestern drum and bugle corps will perform at the Cedarburg High School Alumni Field that evening. Performances by Madison Scouts, Blue Stars, River City Rhythm, and the Colt Cadets. Pre-show appearances by Wisconsin SoundSport Teams including the Green Beret and Sound of Sun Prairie. The event is hosted by the Cedarburg-Grafton Rotary Club. All seats are reserved so advanced tickets are encouraged to get the best seats in the stadium.
In February 2022, the Cedarburg-Grafton Rotary board of directors approved a $500 donation toward the Guatemalan Service Project, allowing the on-site volunteers to provide 5 families with filtered water.
The Mukwonago club announced in January, along with others they will deliver a minimum of #50 TivaWater filters to families in Chichicastenango, Guatemala March 5th - March 12th, 2022. The Mukwonago club along with the Oconomowoc club have successfully done prior projects with the Guatemalan Service Projects, Inc a 501c3 non profit.
To follow is a short 1:30 minute video clip that covers our specific Water project. https://www.canva.com/design/
Rotary Gives $75,000 to All Children’s Playground
The Cedarburg-Grafton Rotary, represented by club president Mark Ziebell, far right, and grants chair Pat Thome, second from right, presented a check for $75,000 to members of the Friends of the Cedarburg Parks and Recreation including (from left) board members Steve Bicek and Krisie Mansell as well as Danny Friess, director of Cedarburg Parks, Recreation and Forestry.
The Rotary Club of Cedarburg-Grafton gave $1000 to Family Sharing of Ozaukee County during their Empty Bowls event on Friday October 29, 2021.
Club vice president Mike Herbrand, seated left, presented a check for $1,000 to Julie Hoover, Director - Family Sharing (seated right). Other club members taking part in today's Empty Bowl fundraiser are (standing l-r) David Stern, Jeff Nelson, Jack Henke, secretary Minal Hahn, Carol Alexander Coutts, Cindy Petted, Dick Dieffenbach, Jim Pape, Chad Curran, Layton Olsen, past-president Linda Pierschalla, and Todd Bugnacki. (seated l-r) Kim & Brad Babcock, and Bob (Chimmy) Chmielewski.
The Paul Harris Fellow recognition acknowledges individuals who contribute, or who have had contributions made in their name, of $1,000 to The Rotary Foundation. Through the “Every Rotarian, Every Year” campaign, collectively our Club members contribute between $5,000 and $6,000 to Rotary International annually.
Paul Harris Awards were presented by Club President Mark Ziebell to the following:
First-time Paul Harris Awardees: Dean Fitting, Julie Hoover, and Stephanie Hayes.
Second-time Paul Harris Awardees: Ben Levy, Jim Dhein, Richard Dieffenbach, Nial Peterson, Terry Skebba, and Mal Hepburn.
Fourth-time Paul Harris Awardee: John Hammes
On December 31, 2020, the Rotary Club of Cedarburg Grafton placed an ad in the News Graphic recapping the year and thanked the organizations who invested in us this past year. It read...
The Rotary Club of Cedarburg Grafton is not looking back,
We are looking forward!
In 2020, we were forced to cancel our two signature fundraising events: the Rotary Music Festival on July 3 and the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra holiday concert on December 10. In 2021, we will be back better than ever. Our club will be introducing a new event - our inaugural Rotary Ride, a bicycling event on May 22 to benefit our technical scholarship program.
Thank You For Your Support We want to give a shout out to those who responded to our 2020 Fall Fundraising Campaign so that our club may continue to do good work in the community. Your support means the world to us! Click here for the list of individuals and organizations).
In Memoriam This year our club lost a dear friend, Jim Coutts. Jim was one of a kind. A former Cedarburg mayor, Jim's impact ran deep. He was a beloved former high school teacher and coach, a community leader in so many ways, and a huge cheerleader for our club. Words can't begin to say how much he will be missed.
Next December, when the country is healthy once again, we plan to bring back the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra for our popular annual holiday concert at the Cedarburg Performing Arts Center.
2020-2021 Rotary Board of Directory Conducted Meeting on Zoom
Things may have looked a bit different this year, but we are still thankful for our Rotary family and the opportunity to serve our community. So,
from our family to yours, we would like to take this opportunity to wish you a Happy and Healthy New Year.
Jerry Aussprung, Brad Babcock, Bud Beverung, Dan Bodart, David (Bones) Boyles, Todd Bugnacki, Steve Cain, Vince Cameranesi, Bob Chmielewski, Brian Collins, Carol Alexander Coutts, Chad Curran, Dan Davis, Jim Dhein, Dick Dieffenback, Jerry Edquist, Dean Fitting, Tom Frank, Adam Gerol, Blaine Gibson, Brandon Goldbeck, Mike Groth, Minal Hahm, John Hammes, Mike Hansen, Patty Hansen, John Hanson, Stephanie Hayes, Jack Henke, Mal Hepburn, Mike Herbrand, Blaine Hilgendorf, Julie Hoover, Dick Janssen, Pat Kennedy, Ron Knaus, Jeff Knorr, Chad Koehler, Mike LaRosa, Ben Levy, Don Levy, Courtney Lutz, Dale Lythjohan, Jeff Nelson, Gary Newman, Layton Olsen, Ryan Olsen, Gail Ostermann, Jim Pape, Nial Peterson, Cindy Petted, Linda Pierschalla, Paul Radtke, James Schowalter, Terry Skebba, Chris Smith, Dave Stern, Bob Thierfelder, Pat Thome, Bill Wernecke Sr,. Melissa Wraalstad, Mark Ziebell.
As a founding member of our Cedarburg-Grafton Rotary Club, Don Levy shares the humble beginnings with us during his Member Minute.
The new board of directors for the Cedarburg-Grafton Rotary Club officially began its duties in July for the 2021-2022 year. They include (seated l-r): Linda Pierschalla, past president; Minal Hahm. secretary: Mark Ziebell, president; Melissa Wraalstad, president-elect, and Mike Herbrand, vice president. (standing l-r): Cindy Petted, operations chair; Layton Olsen, fundraising chair; Ron Knaus, finance chair; Pat Thome, Rotary International and grants chair; Gail Ostermann, publicity chair, and Carol Alexander Coutts, executive secretary.
Not pictured: Dick Dieffenbach, treasurer; Brian Collins, membership chair, and Paul Radtke, youth exchange chair. The Cedarburg-Grafton Rotary Club is a service organization with nearly 60 members. Its three major fund-raising events — the Rotary Bike Ride in May, the Rotary Music Festival in July and the Milwaukee Symphony Holiday Concert in December — raise nearly $100,000 annually to support community projects, local non-profit organizations, and student scholarships.
Photo by Mark Justesen, News Graphic
Cedarburg-Grafton Rotary Club's 2020/2021 Board of Directors
Top row: Linda Pierschalla, President; Paul Radtke, Operations; Mike Herbrand, Secretary; Brian Collins, Membership Chair.
Middle row: Layton Olsen, Fundraising; Gail Ostermann, Public Relations, Mark Ziebell, President-Elect, Courtney Lutz, Past-President.
Bottom row: Patricia Thome, ; Ron Knaus, Finance Chair, Dick Dieffenbach, Treasurer, Melissa Wraalstad, Vice President.
Not shown: Carol Alexander Coutts, Executive Secretary; and Dan Davis, Youth Services.