First and foremost, as always, thanks for all you do in your communities as service projects and around the globe as supporters of The Rotary Foundation. You truly are making a difference!
Calling All Clubs: Time to Sign Up Your President-Elects for a Stronger Tomorrow! Are you ready to empower the next generation of Rotary leadership? It’s time to rally your President-Elects for a year of growth, impact, and inspiration! The District President-Elect Training is just around the corner, and we’re excited to offer a hands-on experience that will equip them with the skills, tools, and confidence to lead your club to new heights. The monthly emails are already underway and the October ZOOM session is scheduled for the 29th. Registered?
IT'S OCTOBER! Has your Club offered students the chance to participate in either of our Rotary Youth Exchange Programs? In addition to our proud sponsorship of Rotary's flagship Long Term Youth Exchange, our District also offers SHORT TERM (SUMMER ONLY) YOUTH EXCHANGE.
The Service Project Center, Rotary’s new hub for everything related to service, is now live. It gives you a better way to manage and share information about your service projects. With service networking moving to this new platform, Rotary Showcase has been retired. All Rotary and Rotaract projects that were posted on Rotary Showcase have been migrated to the Service Project Center, which is being released in phases.
It’s never been easier to create a flyer or social media graphic to help promote your events! Six new customizable templates for Rotary, Rotaract, and Interact events have been added to the Brand Center.
Step Up for Polio: 10,000 Steps Challenge Leading Up to World Polio Day!
World Polio Day is fast approaching on October 24th, and we’ve got an exciting way for everyone in the district to take action—no matter how busy your schedule is! I’m challenging each of you to walk 10,000 steps a day for the 5 days leading up to World Polio Day. This is your chance to make a difference, raise awareness, and contribute to the global fight to end polio.
Dixon Rotary Club participated in the local Tools for School event on August 8th, highlighting our Kindness Counts campaign and sharing some information with parents and students about what Rotary is and the importance of serving your community.
The Galena Rotary Club raised $5,000 for area food pantries during the “Rotary Roars for Youth” auction in May. The proceeds were distributed equally among four area food pantries. Pictured (left to right) are Tammie Smith, River Ridge Cats Care; Brooke Deppe, Galena Pirate Pantry; Zeke Winders, Rotary Auction Chairman; Laurie Mattas, Galena Food Pantry; and Frank Ventrulaia, Galena Elks Club Food Basket Program.
The Rotary Club of Oregon received a grant from Rotary District 6420. The funds received were used to purchase five full-body wet suits and three venting dive hoods for the Oregon Fire Protection District. The total grant amount was $2,445.00.
The Rockton-Roscoe Rotary Club participated in the Roscoe Fall Festival Parade again this year. It is always a great opportunity to get Rotary visible in the community with our story of service above self.
The District 6420 membership committee would like to thank those that came out to the first QCA new member social and onboarding event that was held at Pour Bros. Craft Taproom in Moline. The event was well attended by potential members, new members, and our seasoned members!
Dixon Rotarians volunteered their time at the annual Day of Caring event hosted by The United Way of Lee County on September 14th. This year, our team assisted with landscaping projects and organizing and cleaning donated items for the Goodfellows facility.
For the second year, River Cities Rotary participated in the Cordova Cares summer food program in Cordova. Last year the Cordova District Library found that food insecurity was happening in their community while children were home from school during the summer months.
Enthusiasm rises for the World Polio 2024 Gala scheduled for October 22nd at the Quad City Botanical Center. There will again be a social hour with heavy hors d'oeuvres and cash bar followed by the buffet banquet and a program again featuring the participation of Rotarians from all participating clubs and a keynote address by former District 6420 Governor Laura Kann, speaking about her experience from a distinguished 30 year career at the Center for Disease Control and as a volunteer participating in a Rotary Immunization trip where she knocked on doors and helped immunize infants and children.
It was an absolutely amazing day for the River Cities Rotary annual FREE kids fishing derby on Saturday, August 24. The beautiful weather made the fish hungry.
Recently, our Rotary decided to create a Birthday Book Club. We partnered with the local elementary school and did a raffle to raise money to purchase 160 books. A local business donated a Blackstone Griddle that we raffled off, tickets were $1 each or 6/$5 for a chance to win.
The Twin Rivers RAH, Moline, and East Moline-Silvis clubs joined forces on October 5 for a community service event. Nearly 30 volunteers (representing six different clubs) came together to assemble over 500 hygiene kits and menstrual products for local women and children facing hardship.
Five Rotary Clubs in the Sauk Valley area—Dixon, Morrison, Rock Falls, Sterling Noon, and Twin Cities Sunrise—are hosting the 9th Annual End Polio Now Walk at Centennial Park, Rock Falls, IL, on Saturday, October 12. Free registration begins at 8:15 a.m. at Larson Shelter (first shelter on the right), with the walk starting after 9:00 a.m. following a brief update on polio eradication and a group photo.
Is Your Club Missing Out? The Pre-PETS Leadership Journey is Already Underway! If your club hasn't assigned a President-Elect yet, you might be falling behind! The Pre-PETS Journey started in September, and it's the golden opportunity for your next leader to build the skills, confidence, and connections they need for a successful year ahead. Don’t let your club miss out on this transformational experience!
The Rock Island Rotary Reindeer Ramble 5k Run Walk is a fun holiday event for all ages! The run and competitive walk is being held at Schwiebert Riverfront Park in Rock Island on Sunday, December 8 at 1:00 p.m. and there will be all the pie and hot cocoa you can handle at the post-race event!
The Rockford Rotary club organized an after hours event, "Downtown at Dusk" to promote Rotary to downtown residents and businesses. Over 100 came to the event that was hosted by a Rotarian in her business that featured over 100 artworks by local artists.
The Rotary Club of Ottawa Sunrise is preparing a delicious German Dinner to celebrate the month of October. The menu includes bratwurst, pork schnitzel, spaetzle, soft pretzel, homemade sauerkraut, cucumber salad, hot German potato salad and Apple kuchen.
Putnam County Rotary continues to mix fun and fundraising with its annual Road Apple Bingo event! The Club draws a grid of 500 squares on a grass field at Boggio's Apple Orchard's fall festival in Granville, sells the squares for $10 each, and walks a pony on the grid until the pony's first road apple decides the $1,000 winner! Four $50 winners are also drawn.
The Rotary Club of Galena presented its Paul Kindig Student of the Quarter Awards to five area Jo Daviess County students on Friday, Oct. 4 at the DeSoto House Hotel. The sophomore students include, from left, Mayci Mullen, Warren; Gracie Allen, River Ridge; Lucas Brennen, Stockton; Justo Aguirre Marín, Galena; and Collin Curtís, Scales Mound.
Pam Erby, first woman invited into Rock Falls Rotary in 1989 when Rotary was opened to female membership, was celebrated for her 35 years of membership and service to the community and to Rotary. She served as President twice, Secretary and Treasurer for many years, Social Committee and Ambassadorial Scholarship Chair in her club, as well as being one of the first Literacy Readers at East Coloma School 30 years ago.
A few weeks ago one of our members heard the words cancer come from the lips of her doctor. Since that date I have to say she is the one of the STRONGEST, MOST UPBEAT, POSITIVE patient I have known.
.png)
