Celebrating Women's Month - Some of our Women in Rotary!
This Week: Tan Pham - Vietnam Then and Now
As we approach the 50th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam war, you’ll hear what it was like to be a kid in a small village while the war raged in the nearby countryside. Tan Pham will talk about the stroke of luck that allowed him (at age 12) and his immediate family to escape shortly before the fall of Saigon.
You’ll be moved by Tan’s experience of joy when he was finally able to return to Vietnam and to see his grandparents for the first time in 20 years; and you’ll gain an understanding of how the country has grown since the war ended and the military presence left.
Tan is the owner of Cuisine Adventure Tours and at least twice a year takes inspired visitors to see his homeland.
Last Week: Rusty Cunningham; When a Newspaper Dies, Who Write the Obituary?
Rusty Cunningham is an award-winning journalist who served as editor and publisher of the La Crosse Tribune and River Valley Media Group for nearly 25 years. He was inducted into the Wisconsin Newspaper Hall of Fame in 2024.
Lunch this week: Toasted Ham and Cheese Sandwich with Kettle Chips
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!
Proposed Members
The following community member has been proposed to become members of our club:
Mark Huesmann, La Crosse Clerk of Court Judge, proposed by Scott Horne
Julie Lemon, Western Tech Coll, Director of Mktg, Comms, & Legis Advocacy, proposed by Roger Stanford
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 these applications by March 25th
Our team of Rotarians will work beside the Hmong Culture and Community volunteers on their exciting Eggroll Fundraiser. We can volunteer to prepare eggrolls or assist with sales. (You can also help the fundraiser by purchasing the eggrolls!
This fundraiser will help the Hmong community fund community projects. Let's come together for great food and positive changes!
Wear your Rotary volunteer shirt! If you don't have one already, reach out to Niki Pohnl to get one.
This simulator offers community members the opportunity to be sensitized to the realities faced by individuals with low incomes. In the simulations, participants are assigned an identity and a family for one "month." During four 15-minute "weeks," participants try to navigate daily life on the family's low-income budget, with the goal of retaining shelter and meeting basic needs.
The opportunity is in partnership with the Rotary Club of La Crosse DEI Committee.
Note: Volunteering is open to Rotary members only.
Note: Participation is open to Rotary members first and community members thereafter.
iFeed is a food packing event sponsored by Rotary and Kids Against Hunger. The 10th Annual iFeed event is looking for our support - providing two assembly line packing teams. We committed to two teams - one team at 8:30am and one at 10:00am. The event is located at Logan High School. All volunteers are encouraged to bring a donation of canned food items. Volunteers need to arrive 40 minutes before their shift. Lunch is included. For more information, see the website: https://www.rotaryifeed.org/
Note: You don't have to be a Rotarian to sign up. Feel free to sign a friend or family member up if you wish!
Sign up to Donate to theRotary blood drive on April 1st, NOTE: for every pint donated (or attempted) Rotary Works receives $10, and there are still 43 slots - $430 - available, so PLEASE sign up if you can!12-5 pm at Olivet Beacon of Light Lutheran Church on French Island. Rotary will get $10.00 per pint of blood donated since The Rotary Foundation is a 501(c)(3). Web link to sign up: https://www.redcrossblood.org/give.html/drive-results?zipSponsor=RotaryBlood
TriCon
TriCon is April 25-26 in Brookfield, WI and we could love for you to join us there! As a member of the three represented districts (6220, 6250, 6270), we invite you to come together for a weekend of lively discussion, educational sessions, and tons of fun and networking. Come and be inspired by the plenary speakers and be exposed to the true breadth and depth of Rotary International through the many breakout sessions. We have 12 people registered from our club so far and our delegate spots are fulfilled. Please note that pricing will go up at the end of the week so REGISTER NOW if you can go!
Rotary Youth Exchange News
Member Spotlight
Let's Celebrate!
Active Rotarians
182
Honorary Rotarians
14
Rotary Attendance
111 between in person, guests, and Zoom
Welcome to Week FOUR of RI’s Month of Water, Sanitation & Hygiene.
March is also Women’s History Month, with March 8 designated as International Women’s Day, a time to recognize and celebrate the contributions of women and to promote gender equality. Founded in 2017, the Sylvia Whitlock Leadership Award honors one Rotary member each year who has actively worked to advance women in Rotary. It is named for the first female Rotary club president, who went on to lead change for women around the world through Rotary. In that vein, Foundation Minute is dedicating this week’s report to the winner of The Sylvia Whitlock Leadership Award, Ayda Ozeren of Turkey. Culled from
https://www.rotary.org/en/sylvia-whitlock-leadership-award-gallery, the report states that “.Ayda Özeren, a Rotary past district governor, is a member of The Rotary Foundation Cadre of Technical Advisers and a Positive Peace Activator. She joined a Rotaract club in 1994 and became a member of the Rotary Club of Izmir-Gündogdu, Turkey, in 2003. Her Rotary career includes leadership roles at the club and district levels and as a participant in a Group Study Exchange. With a background in finance and banking, Özeren is an author, a mediator, and a professional speaker. She works with leaders and organizations to create peace, resolve conflict, and transform vision into results. Her efforts have supported women and girls in Rotary and beyond, including through scholarships and mentorships. She also has facilitated financial
literacy workshops for more than 10,000 women. Özeren also has taken part in projects that aided people impacted by Turkey’s 2023 earthquakes, such as the Golden Needle Project, started by Rotary and Rotaract clubs before the disaster to help women learn how to use their sewing and embroidery skills to work in the ready-made clothing industry. Women in the program produced clothing for earthquake victims.
In addition, revenue from a book that Özeren published in 2021 has provided high school scholarships for girls. “I believe in the power of small compassionate actions and the importance of helping women even if it seems like a drop in the ocean. Each act of kindness has the potential to make a significant difference in someone’s life. Empowering women helps to build stronger communities, and peace is only possible when you include women in decision making.” Ayda Ozeren, 2024-2025 Sylvia Whitlock Leadership Award.
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