Agi will share her reflections upon life in La Crosse as a Rotary International Friendship Exchange Student from the Czech Republic.
The Rotary Club of La Crosse is sponsoring Inbound Youth Exchange Student Agi for the 2024-2025 school year!
Agi is a student at Central High School in the School District of La Crosse.
Julia Behrenbeck coordinates our Youth Exchange student's schedule with their host families, as well as the background check process required for Rotarians to spend time alone with Agi.
Committee Members: Duane and Karen Abata, Michelle Skemp, Michael Wagner
Continuing an effort begun by the La Crosse Tribune, our club will honor recipients from local high schools with the "Extra Effort Award".
Students received a financial scholarship donated through the generosity of many Rotary Club of La Crosse members.
Recipients were joined by those who have supported them in their educational journey thus far such as their parents, administrators, staff and fellow students.
This is an ongoing project of our Youth Committee with leadership from Tom Berkedal and the Youth Committee.
Lunch this week: Cubano sandwich, chips and pickle
Coffee, ice tea, and water available.
Guests are ALWAYS welcome! RSVP in advance to Niki Pohnl if know you are bringing guests but last minute invites are also welcome!
Condolences and Hospitalizations
Sandra McCormick's husband, Richard, passed away last week. Sandra has been a member of our club since 1991 and is one of our Honorary Members. View obituary here. Our thoughts and prayers are with Sandra and her family.
We are wishing Bruce Swanwick all the best Tuesday as he will have surgery to remove pancreatic stones. He should have to stay in the hospital long, but we won't see him this Thursday at our meeting. He will be resting.
May Club Social - Camp Decorah, May 22nd
Join us at Camp Decorah to fellowship in the outdoors. Enjoy the views of the Black River, the stocked Trout Pond, or other sites such as the Bouldering Wall, Nature Trails, and Skilled Trades Post. Valley View Rotary has also been invited. Light snacks will be provided.
The following community member has been proposed to become members of our club: Brad Weber, Operations Administrator at Mayo Clinic Heath Systems. Brad was proposed by Eva Marie Restel.
According to club procedure, applicant names are to be published in our weekly email bulletin for two weeks. If there are no objections from the current membership, these applications will be approved. Please contact the Club Administrator if you object to this application by May 27th.
Contact Bill LaRue for tickets or more information!
FOUNDATION MINUTE: May 19, 2025
Welcome to Week THREE of RI’s Month of Youth Service.
Rotary International, in partnership with the Gates Foundation, will spend over $9m on childhood health improvement scheme in Nigeria. The continued threat of
malaria, pneumonia, and diarrheal diseases to children under five years old in that
country has necessitated this action. According to the news published online, the project formally launched in Kebbi State, is expected to impact more than 3 million persons in over 700,000households in targeted states. The $9m is part of $5.5bn fund so far disbursed by TRF. A press release by ‘Rotary Healthy Communities Challenge (RHCC), signed by Claudia Brunner, of Rotary International, explains that, the Nigeria program, guided by the Ministry of Health, will address the specific health needs in Kebbi State and one other state.
The Rotary Healthy Communities Challenge is a multi-country initiative aimed at strengthening community health systems and reducing childhood mortality in sub-Saharan Africa especially Nigeria, Mozambique, Zambia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The initiative is expected to build on the success of Rotary’s Programs of Scale ‘Partners for a Malaria-Free Zambia,’ which significantly reduced malaria incidence in targeted districts. Over 2,750 community health workers will be trained and deployed to provide essential diagnoses, treatment, and care for malaria, pneumonia, and diarrhea, significantly reducing childhood mortality in these regions.
The program will also foster community engagement and raise awareness on the importance of early disease treatment, while improving data collection and
management practices for accurate health reporting and informed decision-making.
Obinna Onyekwena, deputy director, Infectious Diseases Advocacy at the Gates
Foundation applauds this joint charitable venture. “The Gates Foundation is proud to
partner with Rotary and PATH on this crucial step towards a healthier future for children in Nigeria.”
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