Thursday, June 4, 2026

Lunch Buffet

Judy’s Delicious Cookies

Doors Open 11:30AM

At

 

Natalie Junk

 

Outside of her day job with Senior Source Solutions, Rotary Club 25’s own Natalie Junk is a talented singer who specifically loves performing soul, funk, and R&B (along with passions for painting and gardening). It's easy to see how her vocal talents in soul and funk might give off main-stage performer energy, but she uses those gifts for local community and personal joy rather than the cruise liner circuit!

 

Annual Adopt-A-Highway Spring Clean-Up

Wednesday, June 3 from 4:00pm-5:30pm

Safety vest and collection bags are provided.  Come dressed to walk outside.

Following the clean-up Past President Michelle Buria will host a social at her home.

To volunteer contact President Elect Dan Maki:  dmaki@ascentialwealth.com or

call/text 218-590-3593

 

Join your fellow Rotarians in celebration of President Zach Walters!

A barbecue themed President’s Night will take place on Thursday, June 18 at the Mont du Lac Trophy Lodge at 5:30pm.  Cost is $40 per person. 

Come to enjoy fellowship and a send-off worthy of a CHAMPION!

Please RSVP to Past President Elizabeth Simonson at Esimonso@umn.edu by June 7.

 

By Renee Burns

 

The May 28 meeting was called to order by President Zach Walters amid a full room of Rotarians and quite a few guests.

President Zach Walters

 

Everyone enjoyed the Reflection by Jerry Thoreson, which touched on the amazing speed at which we are all now able to travel, the instant communications we enjoy (or are annoyed by) and the general efficiency at which we are able to operate.  Contrasted by the adventure of simply walking and slowing down, as in Dean and Patra’s recent pilgrimage.  The act of walking enabling one to experience the world differently, and more deeply.  As he closed with this thought, “Modern transportation helps us move farther and faster, walking still has the power to move us more deeply.”  Well said.

 

President Zach Walters welcomed our guests, many from Past President Dean Casperson’s family, one of our past Rotarians LuAnne Anderson, and a prospective new member brought by President Elect Dan Maki, Lori Spilde.

Guests from Past President Dean Casperson’s family, with former Rotarian LuAnne Anderson

 

Prospective new member, Lori Spilde

 

Announcements included Jerry Pelofske calling out Tom Young for enjoying a beer on a pontoon and appearing in a photo in the newspaper with said beer!  Tom was called to the front to explain!  The explanation didn’t disappoint, and in fact was quite touching.  Tom and a friend have built a portable loon nest on Chubb Lake.  He told the group how the loons anxiously look for that nest to be towed into place each spring so they can lay their eggs in relative safety.  They’ve even followed the pontoon towing the nest, so they certainly have expectations of using it.

 

Tom Young, with President Zach Walters, relating the entertaining story of the portable loon nest.

 

Greg Hansen stepped up to announce this weekend is the annual ALS Fishing Tournament on Island Lake.  Greg participates in honor of one of his employees who sadly passed away from ALS.  He made a nice contribution to the Golden Can in her honor.

 

Greg Hansen letting everyone know about the weekend’s ALS Fishing Tournament.

 

The always creative and energetic Rob Hofmann bounced up to the podium to let us know that he’d had in inquiry from a woman about joining Rotary, and she was unable to find good information on the website about why she should join.  Rob’s creative idea was to have Rotarians send her an email with insight about why they joined and why it’s such a great organization to belong to.  The idea has been revised a little bit to keep her email inbox from filling up, because we KNOW Rotarians are passionate about sharing why they think Rotary is Great!  Please DO email Rob at DunbarHofmannProductions@gmail.com with your ideas.  He will then compile them into one document and follow up with her.  As well, everything that is submitted will find its way to our website in the Membership area so others can learn more about why joining is awesome.

Email Rob Hofmann with your reason for joining and staying active in Rotary!  He’ll pass the responses along.

 

Past President Chana Stocke had some nice thank you notes from recent grantees to share with the club.

 

 

With thanks, from the Denfeld Robotics Team

 

Chair of the Day Renee Burns made the introduction for a program that she had long anticipated, Walking the Camino De Santiago.  She noted the pilgrimage, the Way of St. James, is undertaken by thousands, 499,239 to be exact in 2024.

 

Past President Dean Casperson arrived at the podium without Patra Sevastiades who he said was in the Twin Cities helping her son who had a medical emergency but was doing ok now.

 

How did this LONG journey start?  With a date night 15 years ago watching the movie The Way.  The Way stars Martin Sheen and is about his character’s pilgrimage on the Camino De Santiago to complete the journey his son started, but who perished along the walk.  Patra mentioned that would be a wonderful adventure.  Dean was non-committal, after watching the movie two more times over the years they decided it was time, and so they went to purchase hiking shoes the next day and off they eventually went in the fall of 2025, along with Patra’s brother and sister and brother-in-law.

 

They began in St. Jean Pied-a-Port in France, taking everything, they would need for the expedition in backpacks, and for 40 days they walked an average of 15 miles a day, only taking off five days during the journey.  Early on in the adventure they walked up, and then down the rocky Pyrenees mountains, the walk down came with a treacherous path and winds of 50-60mph!  Having survived that, they also survived staying in “albergues” or what we would refer to as hostels.  Hostels are no frills, literally!  They also stayed in lovely apartments and nicer accommodations and met interesting folks making the same pilgrimage and, as Dean described it, spent several days walking across what could only be described as - Iowa.

 

Along the way they encountered a lovey monastery with a tap out of which wine poured!  While there was also good water to be found all across the route, the wine is certainly an interesting amenity.  They also had an amazing Hungarian meal at a restaurant they convinced to stay open to feed them, to stave off going hungry that day.

 

They came to the end of their journey in Santiago on October 11, 2025, just one day after Dean’s 75^th birthday!

 

After arriving home, Dean decided there was more to explore, and so he made arrangements to surprise Patra with another walk along a different path to the Camino De Santiago, two weeks along the Portuguese route along the ocean.  Sounds like we have another fascinating program coming our way!