13 members enjoyed a catered breakfast at Kordiak Park in Columbia Heights, welcomed summer exchange students Maya Villari of Padova, Italy, and Alice Sabatke of Columbia Heights and host parents Steve and Bridget Sabatke, Columbia Heights Sister City program representative Veronica Johnson, and RI WASH-RAG program member Patty Hall of White Bear Lake Rotary.
Maya delivered remarks about her 5-week experience seeing the sights of the area; Johnson previewed the Sister City’s program’s upcoming Polish Picnic and requested the club’s support. Hall described her experiences in water projects in Africa and White Bear Lake Rotary’s current Rotary Global Grant project.
UPCOMING PROGRAMS: July 29- no meeting due to Golf Classic. Aug. 5- Classification Talk, Eric Wasser. Aug. 12- Steve Klaers, TBA.
CLUB ANNOUNCEMENTS
Poor air quality cancelled the Rotary Fun Run and other 49er Days activities on July 16.
President Paul Nealy presented Dick Harris with a long-delayed (2004!!) Paul Harris Fellow Certificate, medallion, and pin.
CLUB OUTREACH OPPORTUNITIES
Help staff an informational table or assist at club functions:
Thursday, July 23 - The Columbia Heights Monarch Festival, Kordiak Park, 1845 49th
Ave NE, Columbia Heights, 5-8 pm.
Thursday, July 30- Golf or take a swing at non-golf functions at the annual Golf Classic fundraiser at The Refuge Golf Course, 21250 Yellow Pine St NW, Oak Grove, MN, an all day event. Our only fundraiser! All hands on deck!
Wednesday, Aug. 19- Columbia Heights Arts and Info Fair, 4-7 pm, Huset Park West,
520 Mill St.
CLUB REMINDERS
The club board meets next via Google Meet at noon on Tuesday, August 11. More info TBA.
Treasurer Will Rottler issued invoices on June 22 for the current billing quarter, which ends June 30. Check your email! Treasurer Rottler is available by phone for online dues payments on Square. Contact him at 763-670-4259. Payments can also be turned in at meetings or mailed to FCH Rotary, 3966 Reservoir Blvd., Columbia Heights 55421.
Rotary International announced that the
May 27-28, 2028 RI convention will be held in Minneapolis. It will be organized cooperatively by Districts 5580, 5950, 5960, and 6250. If you already know that you will want to volunteer at the Rotary International Convention in Minneapolis in 2028, send your name, email and club name to
ri2028volunteer@gmail.com. At a minimum, the people-watching should be amazing! Convention registration not required. The convention has an immediate goal of 1000 Rotarians registered as interested in volunteering.
MEMBER VOLUNTEER SPECIALS
Rich Coleman reminds that Grace Evangelical Free Church, 755 73rd Ave NE, Fridley, welcomes volunteers on the second Friday of each month to help sort food and fill grocery carts for distribution at its food shelf.