SEASONS GREETINGS! Yes, the Holiday Season is upon us. The days are shorter but our commitment to service as Rotarians is not dimmed! Thanks for all you do in your communities. Thanksgiving leftovers have been consumed and we are pondering our holiday gifts list. Some of us (well, not me, actually) are entertaining early thoughts of New Year’s resolutions.
The recently completed 2024-2025 District Conference was a great success. Over 100 attended, including club members, speakers and Rotary Youth Exchange students, parents and exhibitors. Rotary International President, Stephanie Urchick, sent PDG Bill Pritchard from District 6250 as her President’s Representative. The Friday Foundation Dinner speaker, hosted by Foundation Chair, Laura Kann, was Andrew Cary from the Foundation staff in Evanston.
At this year’s Zone Institute in San Antonio, Texas District 6420 was given four awards for Public Image and the Foundation. Those awards are as follows:
Rotary Public Image Award for submitting the Regional Rotary Roadmap for Public Image
Rotary Foundation Award for submitting the Regional Rotary Roadmap for District Foundation
End Polio Now Award for contributing 20% of our District Designated Funds to PolioPlus
Rotary Foundation Giving Recognition for a first place tie in the percent of Giving Clubs – 100%
On November 8 at the Foundation Dinner during District Conference we had the honor of bestowing banners to clubs in recognition of significant contributions to the Rotary Foundation during the 2023-2024 Rotary year. Four clubs were awarded 100% Foundation Giving Clubs and Every Rotarian Every Year Clubs.
For clubs who were awarded District Grant funding for the current Rotary year, the 2024-25 District Grant Final Report is available to download on the Rotary District 6420 website (https://rotary6420.org/) under Foundation -- > About Grants. This required report is not officially due until May 1, 2025, but some clubs have already completed this year's project. If that's the case for your club, you are encouraged to submit the report while it's fresh in your mind...and doesn't become an added task while working on next year's grant request. You'll thank yourself later!
On November 8 at the Foundation Dinner during District Conference Michael and Donna Steffenson of the Moline Rotary Club were honored as our District's second set of active Arch Klumph Society Members.
The Galena Rotary Club has purchased four new state-of-the-art exam tables and procedure chairs for Midwest Medical Center with a $1,200 grant received from Rotary District 6420 combined with $5,162 committed from the Galena chapter. The additional exam tables will allow current practicing physicians to expand their patient base and specialists to expand their level of diagnostics and surgical procedures.
It's the most RUNderful time of the year! Join us at the annual Rock Island Rotary Reindeer Ramble 5K Run/Walk on December 8 at 1:00 p.m.! The run is at Schwiebert Riverfront Park in downtown Rock Island! More info and register at www.GetMeRegistered.com/RotaryReindeerRamble.
Members of the District Youth Exchange Committee and several Club Youth Exchange Officers gathered in Utica on November 2nd to interview six applicants hoping to participate in Rotary’s Long Term Youth Exchange Program in 2025. The interviews are the next step in the process, following completion of paperwork and local Club interviews narrowing the field of those qualified for final consideration.
On Tuesday, Oct. 29th, the Princeton Rotary Club raised $2,800 for PolioPlus! This was our contribution toward World PolioPlus Day which was held on Oct. 24th as Rotary International's celebration of its efforts to eradicate Polio in the world.
The Interact Club at Princeton High School did a GREAT job planning and organizing their first-ever "Trunk or Treat." There were a total of 18 trunks with a variety of themes, great games, and loads of candy!
In response to the devastation caused by Hurricanes Helene and Milton, Riverdale High School Interact Club in cooperation with River Cities Rotary organized a service project during World Interact Week (November 4–8).
Interact and River Cities Rotary collected specific items to assemble: cleaning kits and personal hygiene kits for Midwest Mission. These kits have been requested by the Florida Catholic Conference through their partner, Food For The Poor. The students assembled the kits during their 8th hour study hall.
River Cities Rotary is hosting their annual Breakfast with Santa on Saturday, December 7th from 8am11am. This holiday tradition includes a real maple syrup breakfast with syrup from Brockmann Timbers, crafts, a visit with Santa and a free book for kids!
The Angel Ball is our annual largest fundraiser, supporting three non-profit organizations. Proceeds benefit The Village of Progress, a work and education center for developmentally disabled adults, Serenity Hospice and Home, which provides care for the terminally ill and their families, and the Rotary Club of Oregon Foundation.
Rotarians from the Rotary Club of Toluca have been working hard on their Monthly Reader program to promote literacy in our communities. Rotarians have read books at elementary schools, libraries, and reading programs in multiple towns around our area.
Walnut Rotary hosted its first annual chili supper, dessert auction and music bingo night on November 9th.. a great time was had by all who attended. The fundraiser is on track to be the biggest 1-day effort of the Club. All money raised will go to the numerous charitable efforts of the Club!
In support of Rotary’s “Operation Pollination,” Rotarians took to the garden located at Princeton Public Library on October26th. Plants were trimmed back and weeds were removed, and everything was done to prepare the pollinator garden for the upcoming winter.
River Cities Rotary is participating in Wreaths Across America on Saturday, December 14th at Noon. Wreaths Across America places a wreath on every Veteran's grave in cemeteries throughout the country. River Cities Rotary will be placing 35 wreaths at Pleasant Point Cemetery in Port Byron, IL and 250 wreaths at Cordova Township Cemetery in Cordova, IL.
Rotary member and astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti dreamed of space travel since she was a kid. Now, she’s sharing the cosmic awe with her fellow earthlings
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