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District Governor Tina Curtis Visits Moline Rotary, Highlights Lasting Impact

MOLINE, Ill. — Moline Rotary Club members were encouraged Monday to look beyond individual projects and consider how the work they do today can continue making a difference years into the future.

Rotary District 6420 Governor Tina Curtis visited the club for its Oct. 5 meeting, praising Moline Rotary for the breadth of its community involvement and challenging members to think about what the club should look like five years from now.

“What stood out to me wasn’t one particular project,” Curtis said. “It’s the breadth of what the club is doing in this community.”

Moline-Coal Valley Superintendent Outlines Gains, Growing Student Needs

MOLINE — Moline-Coal Valley School District Superintendent Dr. Rachel Savage told Moline Rotary members Monday that the district is seeing continued progress while also facing ongoing challenges tied to attendance, mental health, school safety and growing student needs.

Savage said the district serves about 7,300 students and employs just over 1,000 full- and part-time staff members. The district includes 15 schools: 10 elementary schools, an early childhood center, two middle schools, Moline High School and Aspire, the district’s alternative school.

Quad Cities Rotary Unites for World’s Largest Polio Walk

The Quad Cities edition of the World’s Largest Polio Walk will take place Saturday, Oct. 24, at Vibrant Arena in Moline, with the walk beginning at 10 a.m. Registration is free and available now at poliowalk.org. QC Polio Walk registration surv…

The event will bring together members of 12 Quad Cities Rotary clubs, along with their families, friends and community members. The local walk is part of a much larger effort involving nearly 40,000 Rotarians across 11 states and two countries in recognition of World Polio Day. QC Polio Walk registration surv…

Before the walk begins, organizers will hold a special ceremony at 9:30 a.m. to recognize area polio survivors. Quad Cities-area survivors who would like to participate are encouraged to contact Forrest Meyer at 319-530-1558 or ftmeyer@icloud.com by Oct. 20. QC Polio Walk registration surv…

Organizers hope the event will do more than bring people together for a morning walk. It is also designed to increase awareness of Rotary’s decades-long effort to create a polio-free world and raise funds to continue that work. Schools, businesses, community leaders and residents throughout the region are invited to participate. QC Polio Walk registration surv…

“This really is more than a walk—it is a united movement to raise awareness and demonstrate the power of Rotary in action,” said Amber Wood, president of the Rotary Club of Rock Island and one of the event’s organizers. QC Polio Walk registration surv…

The Quad Cities effort will also help support Rotary’s $1 million fundraising goal for the fight against polio. Donations can be made through poliowalk.org. QC Polio Walk registration surv… QC Polio Walk registration surv…

Rotary has been a leader in the worldwide campaign to eradicate polio for more than 35 years through its End Polio Now initiative. Rotary reports that global polio cases have declined by more than 99.9 percent, but the work continues until every child is protected. QC Polio Walk registration surv…

Event Details

World’s Largest Polio Walk — Quad Cities
Saturday, Oct. 24
Vibrant Arena, Moline
9:30 a.m. — Polio Survivor Recognition
10 a.m. — Walk Begins
Registration: FREE at poliowalk.org

Whether you are a Rotarian, a friend of Rotary or simply someone who wants to support a healthier future for children around the world, the Quad Cities Rotary community invites you to walk with us on Oct. 24.

Quad Cities Marathon Founder Shares the Heart Behind the Race

Quad Cities Marathon founder and race director Joe Moreno recently shared with Rotary members how a simple idea nearly 30 years ago grew into one of the region’s best-known community events.

Moreno, who retired from 3M in Cordova after 35 years, never expected to still be leading the marathon nearly three decades after helping launch it. What began as an effort to bring a full marathon to the Quad Cities has grown into an event supported by approximately 1,000 volunteers, a 60-member organizing committee and a nine-member board of directors.

Moreno likes to describe the event as “five races through four cities, over three bridges, in two states and through one island.”

Limmer Updates Rotarians On MetroLINK Services

Ben Limmer, Executive Director of the Rock Island County Metropolitan Mass Transit District, recently provided an update on MetroLINK services, major capital improvements and plans for the future of public transportation in the Quad Cities.

Exchange Student Introduces Family To Rotarians

Rotarian Gary Francque introduced the family of former MoRo exchange student Joao Miguel (2023-24), parents Alexandre and Daiane and brothers Joao and Davi, who are visiting Moline from Brazil, after visiting a year ago when Joao returned to Moline to attend Black Hawk College.

The Bix Is More Than a Race — It’s a Quad Cities Homecoming

Moline Rotary welcomed Michelle Burnett Juerhing, Race Director of the Quad-City Times Bix 7, as our featured speaker.

Michelle shared how the Bix has grown from a small race with just 84 participants in 1975 into one of the Quad Cities’ most recognizable traditions. More than five decades later, the event has expanded to include eight days, seven events, three cities and two states.

Whether someone runs, walks, volunteers or cheers from the course, everyone can be part of what Michelle calls the Quad Cities' largest homecoming.

Thank you, Michelle, for sharing the history, growth and community spirit behind one of our region’s most treasured traditions.

Moline Rotary Awards Grant To Moline High School Drama Boosters

Moline Rotary Supports Drama Boosters’ Monday Meal Program

Moline Rotary presented a $400 grant to the Moline High School Drama Boosters to support its Monday meal program during show week.

On the Monday before each production opens, students often rehearse from immediately after school until approximately 10 p.m. The Drama Boosters provide a catered meal, giving the cast and crew time to eat, recharge, and connect before the demanding week ahead.

Student representatives explained that the meal helps strengthen the friendships and sense of community that make the theater program so meaningful. They also shared how the Drama Boosters support students throughout the year through fundraising, volunteer service, recognition programs, and assistance with productions.

The students thanked Moline Rotary for its generous contribution, which will help continue this important tradition while supporting students’ creativity, confidence, leadership, and teamwork.