District Governor Todd Restel with La Crescent Rotary Club member Bob Spencer (PHF+7) during a recent Governor's Visit.
With November being Rotary Foundation Month, I am excited to announce that our District is kicking off a Million Dollar Journey to raise funds for The Rotary Foundation (“TRF”). The timing of our Journey coincides perfectly with TRF’s goal to build its Endowment Fund to $2.025 billion dollars by 2025. This monetary goal is part of the TRF’s larger mission to help Rotary members advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace by improving health, providing quality education, improving the environment, and alleviating poverty.
While more details will be announced in the coming weeks and months, our goal is to raise a minimum of $1 million in new donations for the programs of TRF with minimum donations of $10,000 from donors in either cash or a bequest. This event will occur during Mike Kloss’s (our District Governor-Elect) year, which means that Mike, our District leaders and I will be able to work together to cultivate and host an amazing event.
In looking beyond our Million Dollar Journey, there are certainly countless ways to make a difference in our world today. Giving is multifaceted, which explains why I frequently see giving grouped within a framework that references “Time, Talent and Treasure.” When you drive through a community with a Rotary Club, it is generally easy to see the results of all three of these pillars (e.g. time, talent and treasure) throughout the community. To make a difference in our world, your time, your skills (either unique to you or your professional experience) and/or money are needed.
As we move through the circle of life (which begins with birth and ends with death), individuals tend to have more of one of these pillars at different stages of life. The Rotary Foundation (“TRF”) was (and continues to be) built on these pillars by transforming your gifts into service projects that change lives both close to home and around the world. Since it was founded more than 100 years ago, the Foundation has spent more than $4 billion on life-changing, sustainable projects.
TRF consistently receives a Four-Star Charity rating from Charity Navigator, which is Charity Navigator’s highest rating level. With 88% of funds spent on program awards and operations, TRF serves as an amazing steward of Rotarians gifts. Based on your current life situation, I would encourage you to consider making a gift to TRF this year with your time, talent and/or treasures while you are contemplating participation in our Million Dollar Journey.
This month I have a simple ask for you. Invite a friend to your Rotary meeting. If you are willing to donate your time, talents and treasures to Rotary, it is certainly worth sharing with a friend, colleague and acquaintance.
Finally, I want to be sure that three key dates are circled on your calendar.
Vibrant Club Workshop – November 9th in Tomah, WI. ALL Rotarians are invited. A second Vibrant Club Workshop will be held in Madison, WI on January 11th, 2025.
District Conference – TriCon, our combined three district conference, will be held on April 25-26, 2025, in Brookfield, WI. ALL Rotarians are invited.
Have you registered yet? There's still an opportunity! Now is the perfect moment to infuse some VIBRANCY into your Rotary Club, and what better way to do this than by participating in the District 6250’s Vibrant Club Workshop at the Cranberry Country Lodge in Tomah, Wisconsin! Register here...
ri President STEPHANIE URCHICK
NOVEMBER 2024 MESSAGE
Rotary's strength lies in its ability to create lasting change through The Rotary Foundation, which supports initiatives like eradicating polio and promoting peace. The Rotary Peace Fellowship trains professionals to prevent and resolve conflicts. A $15.5 million donation will help establish a new peace center at Bahçeşehir University in Istanbul, celebrated at the 2025 Rotary Presidential Peace Conference. Registration is open for the conference, which will focus on peace advocacy. November is Rotary Foundation Month, a perfect time to engage with the Foundation's global and district grants, support youth programs, and contribute to long-term projects. The goal is to reach a $2.025 billion endowment by June 2025 to sustain these efforts. Join in supporting The Rotary Foundation to help change the world for the better.
Celebrating the Impact and Legacy of the Rotary Foundation Month 2024
As November 1, 2024, dawns, the global community of Rotarians anticipates the arrival of a special month-long celebration - the Rotary Foundation (TRF) Month. This annual celebration hails the commendable efforts of the Rotary Foundation in promoting peace, fighting disease, and bolstering many other diverse causes worldwide. Themed around testament, transformation, and togetherness, Rotary Foundation Month 2024 seeks to highlight the organization’s successes while anticipating the challenges and opportunities the future holds. Read more...
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The Rotary Foundation: Making a Difference and Transforming Lives
District 6250 has played a vital role in assisting Rotary clubs and districts around the world to bring positive change. One notable example is the Global Grant WALK for D3850 in the Philippines, which has consistently served many Filipinos in need. Read more...
Commemorating World Toilet Day: A Call to Global Sanitation Action
On 19th of November 2024, the international community comes together in the pursuit of a critical yet often overlooked agenda: sanitation. The United Nation's annual World Toilet Day seeks to ignite discourse and incite positive change around the global sanitation crisis, and this year is no exception. Read more...
Marc’s November Membership Broadcast
By: AG Marc Augsburger, Membership Chair
I have some great news to share for the end of October! As of October 29, 2024, our District is 14 members greater than it was on July 1. We currently have 2,280 members. Let’s keep up this amazing momentum as we are beating the odds. Read more...
And The Winner Is #Rotary6250
By: Michelle Skemp,
District Public Image Chair, Rotary Club of La Crosse
In the October Public Image article, “Navigating Your Club’s Social Media,” I highlighted the significance of utilizing #hashtags. Since then, our District Public Image committee has chosen #Rotary6250 as the official district hashtag. Moving forward, please incorporate #Rotary6250 into your social media captions to bolster a stronger Rotary presence for both your club and our district’s public image. Read more...
RFE Philippines Enjoys the Magic of La Crosse
By: Stefanie Kline
President, Rotary Club of La Crosse-After Hours
Rotary After Hours members got to experience the Magic of Rotary through the RFE exchange in La Crosse from the Philippines. Joe Hammes, Jenny Arihood-Hanabarger and Stefanie Kline all were hosts for the Filipinos for 5 days and we got to experience the magic of the La Crosse area through their eyes. Other local Rotarians that helped host were Mark and Sharon Jolivette, Nancy Schmidt, Kathi Millard and Bud Hammes. All local Rotarians had a busy week with the RFE guests and also enjoyed getting to know each other. Read more...
The Rotary Foundation
By: Gov. Todd Restel
When you log into Rotary International’s website using your “MyRotary” account, you will have access to 14 e-Learning courses on The Rotary Foundation (“TRF”). Read more...
Don’t Relax Your Cyber Security in Your Retirement
By: Joe Ruskey, RC La Crosse Downtown
As a retiree you may now enjoy having time to pursue your hobbies or find new ones. But keep your guard up. It’s crucial to be vigilant about cyber risks that could threaten your financial security and personal information. Read more...
Al’s Musky Challenge Reels in $211,000 to Help Kids!
By: Michelle Skemp
In the world of fishing, where patience meets passion, the musky is known as the "fish of 10,000 casts." Yet, Al Louis, a dedicated Rotarian from the Rotary Club of La Crosse, has defied the odds by not only catching these elusive fish but also creating waves of change through his innovative fundraising efforts. Read more...
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Stoughton Rotary Club Packs Meals to Help Alleviate International Hunger
By: Bob Dent, RC Stoughton
On Saturday, October 10, Food-4-Kidz returned to Stoughton for the eleventh time to assemble and distribute these meals to places in the world in need of food. Fundraising, preparation, and volunteer recruitment began several months before to prepare for the big day. On Friday and Saturday morning, the fire station was emptied and by 6:30 on Saturday morning, the crew was there setting up forty tables to create an assembly line. Read more...
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Making Changes with the Changemakers
By: Sharon Bradish, President RC Changemakers Club
Changemakers Rotary Club is a virtual club and we would like to introduce ourselves to all of you and invite you to any of our monthly meetings. We are always accepting new members. Read more...
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