Dr. Jose Velasquez,
Executive Director of Mano a Mano Bolivia
&
Karl Everett,
Harbortown Rotary International Projects Representative
Join us Wednesday morning at 7:30am in the Great Hall - Kitchi Gammi Club (831 E. Superior St., Duluth, MN 55802) as we hear from Dr. Jose Velasquez, Executive Director, Mano a Mano Bolivia and Karl Everett, Harbortown Rotary's international projects & Mano a Mano representative.
After thirteen years of working on Bolivia projects, Karl Everett plans to retire from active participation. Everett will provide a summary of our great Harbortown achievements while working with Mano a Mano Bolivia during that period. Dr. Jose' Velasquez will join us and help seek a Harbortown Rotary member to replace Everett. Dr. Velasquez will also provide an update on Mano a Mano Bolivia projects and the Bolivia Dream Fund.
Dr. Jose Velasquez is a pediatrician based in Bolivia who played a crucial role in the founding of Mano a Mano International Partners, a Minnesota-based nonprofit that has shipped over 3.5 million pounds of medical supplies and built over 300 infrastructure projects. He is the brother of Mano a Mano co-founder, Segundo Velasquez.
October is here, and Rotary Roses distribution is right around the corner. Don't fret! It's not too late to sell more roses! Rose tickets can continue to be sold until Friday, October 16th. More tickets are always available!
Please let Bob MacLean know ASAP if you either plan to sell your remaining tickets or turn any unsold tickets.
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED during Rotary Roses distribution on Friday, October 16th or Saturday, October 17th, please contact Bob MacLean or Kevin Anderson to sign up.
Everything's coming up roses!
Online sales for https://rotaryroses.com/ are live! Share the link via email, text, or social media.
Harbortown Rotary Rose Sale ticket books can be picked up from Bob MacLeanbmaclean76@gmail.com | 218.390.2241.
Join Harbortown Rotary for its second Harbortown Rotary Senior Luncheon. For "seniors" (broadly defined - you can even be an honorary "senior for the day"!), this luncheon is meant simply for the fun of conversation with fellow Rotarians and their spouses/significant others.
12:00pm on Tuesday, September 29th | Kitchi Gammi Club, McGiffert Room
To RSVP for the fun and fellowship, please respond to: Brad Jenson, Club Service (bradleyjenson1956@gmail.com)
What would it take to row solo nonstop for 10,000 miles over eight months across the Pacific? It would take Katie Spotz. The Cleveland Rotarian and endurance athlete will set out near the end of December to break a record and raise $1 million to expand clean water access in Fiji.
Then, meet another group of Rotary members confronting the global water crisis with energy and fresh ideas: Rotaractors. The clean water and sanitation project they led in the Ashanti region of Ghana was the first to be completed since The Rotary Foundation opened global grants to Rotaract in 2022.
In our personal essay, Texas Rotarian Bill Martin writes movingly of the death of a friend, how the loss motivated him to become a regular blood donor, and why you should, too.
Finally, in this month's Our Clubs report, journey to the hills of Vermont to experience a garden of almost otherworldly beauty and learn about the unusual partnership that reopened the beloved destination to the public.
For four years, the District Public Image Committee has held a drawing each quarter for safety vests to encourage hands-on projects and to promote membership. After years of applying - Harbortown won the drawing! The safety vests will have the Harbortown logo and website on them.
Scott Soderberg rotaryscott5580@gmail.com is collecting current members' sizes and will gather some extras for new incoming members as well. While they are somewhat roomy, members are encouraged to consider the ability to wear them over heavier clothing so they can be worn year around!
If you have the upcoming program duty (check the duty roster here), please be sure to secure a speaker and provide notice to Chloe Strand (chloestrand90@gmail.com) as soon as your speaker is confirmed. If you are unable to confirm a speaker, please contact Lauren Farden (lauren.farden@edwardjones.com) for help. If you have a different assigned program duty and cannot make it to the meeting, please find a replacement.
Harbortown Rotary has a Windows 11 laptop. Presenters may bring a USB drive with the PowerPoint presentation (or whatever is wanted to be shown on the projector while speaking). Please share this information with your program's presenter.
There will be some changes to the Club Service role starting 7/1/26. There will now be a Club Service Committee: Chloe Strand, Brad Jenson, & Steph Jago.
For Scuttlebutt: If you are hosting the program speaker, please copy Chloe on the speaker's name, organization, and email. If you are the chair of a Harbortown Committee, please update Chloe on relevant information regarding grants and awards, meetings or news. Your information will be used to create more dynamic and engaging content to share with potential club members and on social media!
Do you have Harbortown Rotary pictures to share!? Share your photos HERE with Google Photosso we can spread the word about how awesome our members are and the impact we're making on our community!
