Bulletin Feb 24, 2025 (Feb. 24, 2025)

The West St. Paul/Mendota Heights Rotary Club

Having fun while making a difference!

Chartered 1990

Last week's speaker

From Rotarian Jennifer's FB post on our club's FB page:

Met a wonderful man, also a Vietnam Veteran, on Wednesday who shared a little bit about his story about his time in Vietnam and his recovery from it!

J Michael Orange (gives lots of credit to wife Cynthia) has written some books about being a Marine and in combat in 1969-1970.

His writing is thoughtful, open and interesting!

Join us anytime at Rotary! You wont be disappointed and thank you Michael for sharing so much of yourself!

Super Easy Fundraising Event - Prior Lake Music Fest.

Put July 11th or 12th on your calendars. We have a chance to make quick club monies by working 4 hour shifts on the 11th or 12th. Plus, whoever works can get into the other night free! See headliners below. For more performing artists check out: https://www.lakefrontmusicfest.com/lineup.html. Please bring friends and family! Our club could earn up to $30.00 per hour worked. Let David Miller know if you can make it. (xcskier54@comcast.net)

February 2025 Board Meeting Highlights

Posted on Feb 18, 2025

Here are some highlights from our February 18, 2025 Board meeting:

1 - $6500 available for donations.

2 - Working with Jim Probst of SRSBA to donate $1200 of unused Ethic's Day money to ALMAS.

3 - Next Loaves & Fishes are April 3rd & 29th at St. Matt's. (3:30 to 6:30)

4 - Approved $500 purchase of food packing MatterBoxes to use when a speaker doesn't make it.

5 - Approved $250 Voluntary Optometry Services to Humanity for international Eye Project in Senegal. Bring used eye glasses to Susan Hommes.

5 - Recommending everyone try and attend the Prior Lake Music Festival on July 11 or 12th. It's good easy fundraiser!

6 - April 25-29 is Camp RYLA.

7 - Next board meeting is via zoom on Mar 18 at 7:30a.m. Notify Dave Hanson if you'd like to attend.

Share the love month!

February is the month we celebrate love! And we can’t think of a better way to do that than to “Share The Love” we have for the good work of Rotary by supporting our RI Foundation which funds most of that good work.

To encourage giving during February, matching point incentives will be offered toward receipt of a Paul Harris Fellow awards:

$100 - $364 = 1 to 1 recognition point match
$365 = 635 Points match to Paul Harris Fellow (PHF)
Sign up for Rotary Direct with a minimum donation of $30 per month and receive 500 points

Below is a link that will take you directly to the RI website’s donation page. If you have not already set up a “My Rotary” account, please do that first. Going through “My Rotary” ensures that you and your club will be properly credited for your contribution. Contributions of any size will help us reach our goal!

https://www.rotary.org/en/donate

5950-5060 Camp RYLA

Volunteers are needed for Camp RYLA April 25-29 2024. If you have a high school student who would like to go contact Dave Hanson.

Check it out at:

We contributed to a Forest Lake global project

Our club contributed to a global grant with the Rotary Club of Forest Lake. The project is in Mukuyuini, Kaimbu County, Kenya!

For more information, check out https://www.forestlakerotary.org/mukuyuini-flows-global-grant.html#/

Rotarian Fred writes:

The project is in the process of having funds sent from TRF to Kenya. The vendor has indicated that they plan to begin on February 25^th. If things go as expected, the people of Kalimoni will have an operating system by the end of April. The celebration will last a long time!

I will keep sending updates as things happen.

From Engineers Without Borders-USA, University of Minnesota Chapter

Our board gave $500 to this fine organization. In a letter from them to Susan: "On behalf of Engineers Without Borders-UMN, we want to express our deepest gratitude to you and the West St. Paul/Mendota Heights Rotary for your generous support of our Simajuleu project in Guatemala. Your contribution is helping us make meaningful strides toward improving access to clean drinking water for the 3,500 residents of this community" The group will keep us posted on progress at they go forward.

Minnesota DVS to issue Rotary plates

DVS will roll out new plates in honor of the Rotary Club in the next few weeks. It will be the only new plated to be offered this year!

Check out our new commercial

A couple of weeks ago, Rotarians Jennifer Giovinazzo, David Miller, and Dave Hanson went to Town Square TV and made a couple of commercials which Town Square will air. Check them out at https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/xnyfdjyjqoyl1sv7ezto2/AAHcVjMr25SupQ3TtuCbQtg?rlkey=9zn8p1ve6sehpbqsrwgodbi16&st=68cl9u5x&dl=0

We now have full access to our club's Facebook page!

We now have the ability to update our Facebook page. Please take pictures or videos and text them to Jennifer Giovinazzo at 651-249-4789.

Fundraising Committee needs ideas!

Prez Val Namen and David Miller are heading up our club's Fundraising Committee. Please let them know if you have any fundraising ideas and/or would like to join their committee!

Something new to meetings

The board would like to have local businesses present a 3 minute introduction to their company at each meeting.

Please let Dave Hanson know if you have someone and he'll add them to the meeting schedule.

One 3 minute presentation at each meeting would be the goal.

Thanks in advance.

New Members Wanted

Do you enjoy our weekly meetings? Share them with others. Be on the lookout for prospective members!

Club meetings

Posted on May 29, 2023

We meet at 7:30 Wednesday mornings at Saint Anne’s Episcopal Church located at 2035 Charlton Road, Sunfish Lake, MN 55118. Join us for a continental breakfast with good coffee followed by an engaging program. On even number months, we meet at 7:30a at the Copperfield restaurant in Mendota Heights. (e.g. first Wed in Aug)

Feb 26, 2025

Dave Winkler, Veteran

will be talking about his give back to the veterans in our community via Project Healing Waters

Mar 05, 2025

Margaret Stone, Director Dakota Count Library

Dakota County Library Update

Mar 12, 2025

Robbie Harrell, Founder of MN Ice

MN Ice Festival at TCF stadium. The world's largest ice maze.

Mar 19, 2025

Brenda Myron, with the Thompson Park Activity Ctr

TPAC and its programming for older adults.

Apr 09, 2025

Justa Heinen-Kay, Ph.D & co-director

BrightSide Produce

View entire list

Loaves & Fishes at St. Matt's
St. Matthews Catholic Church
Apr. 03, 2025 3:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.

View entire list

Dave Hanson
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