Thursday, November 14, 2024

At

 

Shaye Moris

President/CEO, Second Harvest Northland

 

Join fellow Rotarians for a hard hat tour of Second Harvest Northland at their new facility located at 2302 Commonwealth Avenue.  Shaye Moris, President/CEO will provide us with insights on hunger in our region and how we, as Rotarians, can play a role in their new facility and the fight to end hunger in NE Minnesota and NW Wisconsin.  Lunch will be provided on site prior to the tour.

 

 

By Al Makynen

 

It has been a long time since this Rotarian has come to lunch and could not find a place to sit.  The folks at the Kitchi Gammi Club had to set up an extra table to handle the overflow crowd.  Another reminder that Rotary is the place to be at noon on Thursday!   President Elizabeth Simonson called up Jerry Thoreson for the reflection, where he shared his personal story of when his six-week-old daughter spent six days of grave uncertainty in a Children’s Hospital. The Ronald McDonald Houses prove that when children are seriously ill, Ronald McDonald is not just a clown; he is an angel.

 

One of the many full tables at Rotary

 

Rob Hofmann began self-reports with a work-zone fine.  He is on the Board of the Lake Superior Maritime Museum Association, which had a full-page spread in the newspaper on the Gales of November.

 

 

Rob Hofmann with the Lifestyle article on the Gales of November

 

Past President Michelle Buria (husband Dave Lambert) announced the wedding of their daughter Briana on October 12 in Center City, Minnesota.  She is now back, having spent all of her energy and most of her money.

 

Michelle Buria with her last $10 bill for the Golden Can

There were a number of announcements, starting with Renee Burns, who gave a brief outline of a strategic planning initiative.  Input and ideas from every member will be critical to success.  To facilitate the process, The Club has retained the services of Ted Schick, a highly regarded local corporate trainer.  Ted is very familiar with Rotary and has been a past speaker to our Club.

 

Next up was Jim Schwartz, describing our volunteer opportunity to work at Second Harvest Food Bank.  With being post-pandemic, groups are again able to work inside the facility.  Our first opportunity is November 13.  Please see sign up details in the separate email from Dan Maki.

 

Jim Schwartz is excited to volunteer at Second Harvest Food Bank

 

As we approach the Holiday Season, one of the best ways we can help less fortunate fellow citizens is through the Salvation Army and its Red Kettle campaign. Jerry Pelofske is leading the effort to have Rotary Bell Ringers at the Super One Foods locations from 11:00 – 1:00 on Friday December 13 and 20.   

 

Jerry Pelofske looking for a few good Bell Ringers

 

The New Generations Committee has been working to reestablish our connections to the Rotary Foreign Exchange Student program.  Director Chair, Rob Hofmann announced that the Board has voted to support an outbound student from Duluth with a $200 stipend to assist with costs getting to and living in a foreign country.  The hope is that for the next academic year 2025-2026 our Club will be able to host a foreign exchange student.  For that to happen, consider being one of the host families.  This writer has been one and it was an experience of a lifetime.  We had a Finnish exchange student eight years ago and this spring we visited her and her family in Finland.

 

Jeff Fifield, Chair of the Junior Rotarian Committee (also a part of New Generations) brought forward the incoming (November) and outgoing (October) Junior Rotarians.  Should you sit at one of their tables in the next weeks and months, engage them in conversation and seek out their vocational interests.

 

Our Junior Rotarians for October and November.

 

The Holiday Weekend Getaway (which replaced the Coupon Book) was won by fellow Harbortown Rotarian, Greg Wegler who was present to accept his winnings.  He has been a friend to the Rose Sale for many years having purchased tickets in the past from none other than Arnold Nides and then later Earl Rogers.  The story goes that this year Jeff Fifield and Al Makynen talked him into buying roses at the Super One West Duluth distribution site.  (What were we thinking?)  His entry was selected by RandomPickers.com.  The Rose Sale is one way we brand our Club in the community.  According to Jerry Thoreson, the Facebook page for the sale with Destination Duluth received over 75,000 hits and online sales were up $2,100 over 2023.  And thank you to all the sponsors that contributed to the fantastic getaway weekend prize.

 

Greg Wegler of Harbortown Rotary accepting the Getaway Prize

 

Jack Seiler, Chair of the Grants Committee brought forward Mary Oliver and Amy Demmer, representatives of the Hartley Nature Center.  The Center is dedicated to creating lifelong connections to nature.  One way to do that is to bring youth into the 660 acre park.  Our $1,500 grant will go toward that effort.

 

Mary Oliver, Education Director and Amy Demmer, Executive Director

Hartley Nature Center

 

Chair of the Day Allison Hanig-Landrus introduced Paula Broschofsky, Program Manager for Ronald McDonald House Northland.  A Ronald McDonald house is designed for the family of patients to have a safe space to rest and decompress.  The concept began in Philadelphia in 1974 as a joint effort of the Philadelphia Eagles and the regional McDonalds.  The program came to Minnesota in 1979 and to Duluth in 2021.  Currently serving families in all 50 States and 62 Countries.  The program in Duluth is a partnership with Essentia Health serving families with patients at either Essentia or St. Lukes.  The families served are of patients that are being seen in a variety of hospital departments including NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit), PICU (Pediatric Intensive Care Unit), Pediatrics, Hematology & Oncology, and Outpatient.  The goal is to meet the needs of the family including meals, a place to sleep, an area to relax, and a variety of related services to make them feel at home away from home during a time of extreme stress.  Funding for programming comes primarily from hospital partnerships, some assistance form the McDonalds Corporation with additional help from community fundraising including the aluminum pop tabs campaign. 

 

Chair of the Day Allison Hanig-Landrus, speaker Paula Broschofsky, President Elizabeth Simonsen

 

 

The Lake Superior Rose Society offered to take extra roses from the 39th Rotary Rose Sale to senior living centers to spread kindness and connection to those who need it most!

 

Deb Carroll giving a dozen to her friend Isabell, who is 107 YEARS OLD!
 

Kathleen Wolleat and Nancy J Lindberg led the 5-hour effort, bringing Rotary Roses to FIFTEEN senior citizen homes!