Thursday, February 27, 2025

Lunch Buffet

At

Mary and Paul Von Goertz

 

Our program Thursday will be presented by Paul Von Goertz and how his adopted town of Knife River became more than a ZIP code.

 

Paul was a member of Rotary Club 25 for 36 years and held the classification of "Advertising Services."  He served as president for the 2001-2002 year, he and his wife, Mary, are both Paul Harris Fellows and they both served on a Rotary humanitarian mission to the Mexican Yucatan in 2000.

 

Paul and Mary were welcomed to the Knife River community in 1972 and have been giving back ever since.  Paul has been the only president of the Knife River Heritage and Cultural center since 2018 and in the role has witnessed how community building can be accomplished through building on a community's past.

 

 

Kitchi Gammi Club

May 8

5:00 p.m.

 

By Darlene Anderson

With a gentle ringing of the Rotary bell President Elizabeth Simonson drew the attention of Rotarians and guests to the front of the Great Hall of the Kitchi Gammi Club. Following the recitation of the “Pledge of Allegiance” and “Rotary 4-Way Test”.  Greg Hansen shared his Reflection on the word of the day: Passion. Our speaker's story is rooted in passion that drives him to help people navigate around the obstacles they face in life. Our passion as Rotarians includes our support for Polio Plus, international projects, and local projects, especially those working with the youth in our community. The passion of our club members is inspiring and as we work together, we are unstoppable!

 

President Elizabeth Simonson with Greg Hansen

 

One of the organizations that we assist each year is the Salvation Army. Each holiday season members ring bells at Red Kettle locations around Duluth.  Jerry Pelofske reported that $3341.09 was collected in the kettles this year! Thank you to each one who rang the bells.

 

Jerry Pelofske with the Red Kettle collection count

Kicking the Golden Can with a $5 work zone fine was Rob Hofmann whose ongoing film project “The 7^th” was featured in the Duluth News Tribune. Over the past 18 months they have actively secured equity investors and formed a non-profit to allow for “recoupable” charitable investments from Donor Advised Funds in their effort to raise $10 to 12 million for the film. He noted that Past-President Al Makynen was the first investor in this new venture.

 

 

Chair of the Day Allison Hanig-Landrus introduced Richard Howell who had been invited to tell us the story of his life and how he has been able to make a difference in the lives of others.

 

Chair of the Day Allison Hanig-Landrus

 

Our speaker, Richard Howell

 

It was in 1998 that Richard moved to Duluth from Chicago seeking to escape the problems he faced there of drugs, jail and broken relationships. However, those problems followed him, and he found himself repeating the same activities and ended up in Moose Lake Prison. But in 2009 when he was released, he met John DeSantos who taught him to look at life differently with honesty and commitment and he gained a new respect for life. Richard began looking for ways he could serve others and began working as a volunteer and then as janitor at the Damiano Center. He shared his story with those he met at the center and then to various groups. He told about the difficulties faced by newly released inmates: housing, employment, family connection and education. Knowing that housing was a huge barrier a few years ago he formed a non-profit organization called Vita Nova (Fresh Start) and purchased a duplex that he refurbished. Today it can house 6 men who he assists with finding employment, completing their education, reestablishing family relationships and having compassion for others. Richard himself gains great enjoyment from seeing formerly incarcerated homeless men succeed. Thank you, Richard, for your compassion and making a positive difference in our community and sharing your story with us.

 

I came across the program for the 2002 President's Night, which contained a page with headshots of 14 of the 16 charter members. It will be good to be able to put a face to the biographies of Rotary Club of Duluth's charter members. – Jerry Thoreson

 

 

George Harry Bate became a charter member of Club 25 in 1911 when he was 29 years old under the classification of Mercantile Agency. He was Superintendent of the Bradstreet Co., located on the 3^rd floor of the Fidelity Building.
 

He and his family, including his mother, Florence B. Bate, lived at 1428 ½ E. 3^rd Street. In 1921, Bate worked as Credit Manager for the Kelley-Duluth Co. By 1922 or 1923, when he was in his early 40's Bate died. His widow Maida moved closer downtown, eventually living at the Munger Terrace, and working as a saleswoman at the Glass Block