Archive for the ‘International Project’ Category

September 27, 2010
St. Croix Falls, WI

ShelterBoxes for Haiti being packed by the team of volunteers

The St. Croix Falls Rotary Club would like to thank everyone who participated in the fundraising efforts to purchase a shelter box for Haiti.  We have all witnessed the devastation around the world as natural disasters continue to wreak havoc in nations that are far from us by distance, but close in our hearts and minds.

Rotary has been supporting the efforts of disaster relief through the local clubs and our club has been able to fund 4 boxes so far – through personal donations and individual donors.

As with any shelter box, we are given a number that allows us to track the boxes location/deployment and find out who we were able to help.  This latest box was sent to Pakistan, to help with the flooding in that country.

Shelter Box #13843

To track this box, go to: www.shelterboxusa.org

For more information our Rotary or if you would like to visit our club, please contact us today! We’d love to have you be our guest at our next meeting!

Press Release
Osceola, WI
September 12, 2010

The Rotary Club of St. Croix Falls and the Rotary and Rotaract Clubs of Hudson, WI were in Osceola during the Wheels and Wings celebration to officially draw the 3 lucky winners of the Rotary Club’s Raffle.  The drawings signified end of the Rotary Clubs largest fundraising efforts.

Rotary is an organization of business and professional men and women united worldwide who provide humanitarian services, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations, and help build goodwill and peace in the world.”

Rotary International, founded in 1905 as the world’s first service club organization, is made up of over 32,000 clubs and 1.3 million members in more than 200 countries.

Its members form a global network of business and professional leaders who volunteer their time and talents to serve their communities and the world.

Portions of the funds raised by selling raffle tickets will be used to fund the clubs efforts to complete projects both locally and internationally.  Although Rotary is best known for its efforts to eradicate Polio, they are also involved in education, providing clean water, food distribution, and shelters after disasters like the one in Haiti.

Rotary Club would like to thank everyone who supported our efforts by buying a raffle ticket and let everyone know that as an active organization, we are always looking for new men and women who want to give something back to the community and the world through service.  We want to invite you to visit one of our club meetings to see what rotary is all about.

2010 Rotary Raffle Winners

1st Place – 2010 Red Ford Mustang
Anna Leask, Prescott, Wisconsin

2nd Place – 2010 Scooter
Sam Blesi, St. Croix Falls, Wisconsin

3rd Place – $500 Cash
Abigail Fett, Hudson, Wisconsin

Congratulations to our 2010 Rotary Club Raffle winners!  Your support is so important to us!

Contact:
Kirk Anderson
St. Croix Falls Rotary Club
rotary@scfrotary.org

What is Rotary?

Today’s Rotary Club was to celebrate the 16 outstanding students from the St. Croix Falls and Osceola High Schools who were chosen to be the Student of the Month in 2009 and 2010.  From these winners, 2 students were given a $100 scholarship for college.  Scholarship was a gift from the Rotary Club of St. Croix Falls/Taylors Falls.

Presenting the Students of the Month plaques to the schools was Dr. Steve Bont of St. Croix Falls.  The winners of the $100 scholarship were: Austin Whittenberger of St. Croix Falls High School and Jessica Martell of Osceola High School.

The 2009-2010 Students of the Month From The St. Croix Falls High School

• Cory Gebhard, October 2009
• Megan Yunker, November 2009
• Jon Mikl, December 2009
• Austin Whittenberger, January 2010
• Gabby Nuckles, February 2010
• Katie Burns, March 2010
• Alicha Greenlee, April 2010
• Christian Wolfe, May 2010

The 2009-2010 Students of the Month From The Osceola High School

• Kristine Gustafson , October 2009
• Ricky Hoverman,  November 2009
• Jessica Martell , December 2009
• Megan Tarman , January 2010
• Avery Bundgaard , February 2010
• Cera Nelson , March 2010
• April Elise Strobach , April 2010
• May James Cross , May 2010

Also present at the meeting was Fmr. Police Detective and Talk Show host, Dan Conry.  Dan offered the students some words of wisdom about the real world and encouraged them to do their best.  You can find more information about  Dan at his website: www.DanConry.com

Next years Foreign Exchange Student, Elliott Frokjer, was also at our meeting to receive a special gift from the St. Croix Falls Rotary Club, presented by Warren White.  Elliott will be going to Switzerland as an Outbound Foreign Exchange Student.

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Rotary Club Radio Episode 009

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Rotary Club Radio Episode 008

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Rotary Club Radio Episode 007

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Pat Struve, Paul Harris Fellow and Club President Terry Hawkins

January 20, 2010

Rotarian Pat Struve, of the St. Croix Falls Rotary Club, was presented with his +6th Paul Harris Award by Club President, Terry Hawkins.

A Paul Harris Fellow is an individual who donates $1,000 or more to the Annual Programs Fund, PolioPlus, or the Humanitarian Grants Program, or people who have that amount contributed in their name, can be recognized as Paul Harris Fellows. Each new Paul Harris Fellow receives a commemorative certificate and a pin.  Individuals who donate multiple $1,000 dollars become Paul Harris + members.

Upon receiving his Paul Harris Pin, Pat recalled life as a boy in the midst of the Polio crisis in America. He remembered vividly, not being able to play with other kids because of the Polio outbreak and seeing friends and family members die or disabled as a result of the virus.  According to Pat, “when Rotary began it’s Polio Vaccination project, I saw it as an opportunity to end polio in my generation ~ and Rotary has almost done it.”

Congratulations to Rotarian Pat Struve for his years of service in Rotary and his generous gift to Rotary International to End Polio Now.

You can more information about Rotary and Paul Harris at: Rotary.org

Kristina Cipelli Stelmakh, Rotary Exchange Student from Italy, placed 4th in the 2010 DECA Conference for District 1.  Kristina, a Senior at St. Croix Falls High School, was competing in the Career and Development conference and was awarded an Individual Award for Hotel and Lodging Management.

Way-to-Go Kristina!

You can find more out about DECA at: www.deca.org

Rotary Club Radio Blog
January 25, 2010

Fading hope was restored as NYPD and FDNY rescued more earthquake victims, 7 days after the quake struck. Beating the odds, a brother and sister were rescue after their father flagged down a Haitian police office who sent for the New York City Rescue Team.  That father was feeding his children through a tube and communicating with them until help arrived.

Watch the child expressions of joy as he is pulled from the wreckage, it is truly heart warming.

Haiti will face years of difficult recovery and with the death toll surpassing 150,000 people and climbing, the shattered government is trying to bury the dead and provide for the survivors.  With the help of some world governments and countless organizations like Rotary and Shelter Box, Haiti has received much needed relief and supplies, but because of the chaotic scene, many still haven’t received assistance.

As more help arrives and supplies like medicine, food and clean water are delivered, the short term mission to save lives will turn into a long term mission to sustain and rebuild a nation.

Millions are now homeless and unable to contemplate the steps necessary to begin such a rebuilding task. They will need shelter, food, water, and support to begin the process. If you would like to help, you can donate money to provide a shelter box that will help give shelter and needed supplies to an extended family of 10 people.

There are many wonderful relief agencies working in Haiti right now and support from individuals and businesses are necessary for humanitarian efforts to continue.

To Donate:

• Rotary
• Shelter Box
• RedCross
• Salvation Army

These videos are just examples of the work necessary to get Shelter Boxes to the Earthquake victims in Haiti.  It is a difficult and expensive process and your help is needed to make it happen.

To donate, visit: www.shelterbox.org