Dr. Kris Rolfhus is a Chemistry & Biochemistry Professor at UW-La Crosse where he leads a team of student researchers focused on collecting vital data about the safety of play surfaces and the possibility of children ingesting trace metals such as lead while at play.
They collaborate with community members through SPACE and Thriving Earth Exchange and conducted Citizen Science during Earth Fair which allowed for community participation in the sampling process.
The group's goal is to provide valuable insights that promote safer playgrounds and protect the well-being of children in our communities.
Last Week: Special Olympics Wisconsin,
Chad Hershner
Chad Hershner, President & CEO, Special Olympics Wisconsin, will give us an overview of Special Olympics Wisconsin (SOWI)
Chad and Sara Schumacher (Athlete Leadership Council) provided an overview of programs offered in our area and the state. The organization provides year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for children and adults with intellectual disabilities, giving them continuing opportunities to develop physical fitness, demonstrate courage and experience joy while participating in a sharing of gifts, skills and friendship with their families, Special Olympics athletes and the community.
You can join in SOWI in a variety of ways - volunteer, become a coach, attended regional or state games, host a fundraiser, partner with their mission, or....take the plunge!
Lunch this week: Cubano on ciabatta: sliced ham, salami, shredded pork, Swiss, mustard, dill pickles, served with chips.
Coffee, water, ice tea, and milk provided.
Guests are ALWAYS welcome! RSVP in advance to Niki Pohnl if know you are bringing guests but last minute invites are also welcome!
Rotary Club of La Crosse Apparel
Order through this link by Friday, December 8th
(to hopefully receive before Christmas)
https://gppsports.chipply.com/rotaryclublacrosse/
Fruit Box Reminders for This Weekend
THANK YOU all for helping to make this club fundraiser a success! Reminders:
If you are not volunteering Saturday morning, fruit box pick up time is 10am-1pm at the Rotary Lights Building at 27 Market Street.
Deliveries will be picked up between 10am-1pm Saturday and 8:30am-12pm Monday and delivered from there.
If you have not paid for your fruit or your buy-out, expect to see those invoices by Tuesday, December 5th.
WE NEED ONE MORE DELIVERY DRIVER FORM SATURDAY. Contact Niki Pohnl if you are able to help with this.
RSVP for Winder Wonderland Showcase
We are now taking RSVP's for our December 14th meeting, The Winter Wonderland Showcase. This tends to be a highly attended meeting with many guests, so the Cargill Room is looking for an approximate number for that day. Please RSVP HERE by Dec. 11.
Club Nominations
If you are interested in being on our Board of Directors, please contact Rob Palmberg (Nomination Chair) by December 10th. At this time we have three vacancies. The Board meets in person the second Monday of each month from 11:30am-1:00pm.
Dean's Marbles History
After the votes were tallied, our club marble game name remains as "Dean's Marbles". We wanted to provide you with the history of this game: Dean joined the Club in 1973 after returning from the service. At the time, he was one of the youngest Rotarians at age 27 (I believe John Wettstein was the youngest when he joined at age 23). Dean brought the concept of the raffle tickets and the marbles from the San Diego Club where he does make-ups in the winter (they have a home there). It was Dean's mother-in-law that sewed the bag and it was implemented during Dean's presidency of the Club in 2004-2005. Dean's intent was to support the Club and the Club's pledge toward the Foundation. So, we have a history of doing this for almost 20 years in the Club.
Rotary Lights Bears Available
Just a reminder that you have two weeks left to purchase this year's Rotary Lights signature bear at our club meetings. $20/bear - all proceeds this year go to meal costs at the Boys and Girls Club of La Crosse.
RSVP for Guests at Meetings
Just a reminder to please reach out to Niki Pohnl as soon as you know you are bringing guests to club meetings. The Cargill Room does their best to accommodate everyone based on our average attendance. It is helpful to know in advance (when possible) if there will be guests in attendance so we can let the Cargill staff know ahead of time. We certainly don't want anyone to feel slighted.
Winter Wonderland Youth Talent Showcase
Dec. 14 is the annual Winter Wonderland Youth Talent Showcase! Alex Attardo and Katie Berkedal are planning the program and looking for kids to sing, dance or play an instrument.
Songs can be seasonal or anything they have prepared. Please reach out to Alex or Katie soon if you have a young performer!
Matagalpa Rain Harvesting Project 2023-24
Consider Pledging or Donating Today!
Step by step, we are moving towards out financial goal in the global partnership we have established. The ultimate goal between all area clubs is to raise $36,000 by the end of January. Our club goal is set at $5000.00 To date, we have either collected or have pledges totaling $4450.00.
Great news! We also have a matching donation on the table as a challenge for all area clubs. If the clubs can collaboratively raise $5000 between November 15-December 21, a private donor will match that amount.
Reach out to Niki Pohnl if you would like to pledge and pay later. Use the link below to donate now.
Thank you for your consideration in this partnership!
All club members will be asked to complete the 2024-2025 Pledge Form before the end of December. Click below to review the options. Send your completed form to Niki Pohnl, Club Administrator at rotary@rotarycluboflacrosse.org.
Jamie O'Neill - 6 years
Jerry Arndt - 18 years
Joe Zoellner - 13 years
FOUNDATION MINUTE: December 4, 2023
Welcome to Week ONE of RI’s Month of
Disease Prevention & Treatment.
Somewhere in Grahamstown on the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa, a secondary school struggled with sanitation problems. The facilities at the Ntsika Senior Secondary School, with about 760 students ages 12-20, were practically nonfunctional. The school had limited access to water, had only eight toilets, which frequently clogged, and the sewage tank always overflowed and created a kind of swamp outside. “They had an inconsistent water supply.
When the water is shut off, the schools have to shut,” says Stuart Palmer, a past district governor in Wyoming; “You cannot have school if you don’t have water. We were seeing the children shortchanged in their education.” Together with the Rotary Club of Grahamstown, fundraisers from Rotary Club of Jackson Hole, WY, applied for a Global Grant of US$109,000 from TRF and raised US$48,000 in contributions, including donations from other clubs and a remarkable US$20,000 from nonmembers. The Grahamstown club got to work, installing water tanks,
repairing the gutters and sewage system, and completely remodeling Ntsika’s kitchen and toilet facilities. Unfortunately, Ntsika was one of eight schools with the same sanitation issues.
Ken Small, a member of the club in Wyoming recalls; “So we said, ‘Well, let’s do another school.’ And to avoid the fatigue factor of having to do seven or eight applications, we said, ‘Let’s go for broke.’ We started a grant for all seven schools.”
According to https://www.rotary.org/en/audacious-request-transforms-south-african-schools, the result was the largest Rotary Global Grant ever awarded to a club or district in South Africa. Totaling approximately 7.6 million rand (US$400,000), it pays for extensive renovations. Each school is getting new plumbing, new toilets, new tile and mirrors, and refurbished kitchens. Security gates and bars are being installed to prevent vandalism. To keep the facilities in good repair, staff members and parent volunteers are being trained in maintenance. The project, which began in July of 2023, looks toward a completion date of March 2024.
Kudos to the Rotary Clubs of Grahamstown, South Africa and Jackson Hole, Wyoming, USA for this Disease Prevention project!
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