Park at the Radisson, the parking ramp, or street parking where available
Allow for time to go through buffet line!
August 13 & 20 - Wisconsin Room
August 27 - Radisson Ballroom
This Week: RI Convention Highlights
Highlights from the Rotary International Convention in Taipai 2026- shared by Richard Strauss and Todd and Eva Maire Restel
Next Week: Rotary Trip to Tanzania
Six Rotarians from our club joined a group of Rotarians from South Dakota on an adventure to Tanzania (about 26 individuals). The trip was partly a safari adventure and partly Rotary social action. The speakers will provide the background to the trip’s organization and planning, a short description of the safari adventure, and then a description of our visit to St. Jude’s School. St. Jude’s School is a private school whose mission is to fight poverty through education. Rotary clubs from both Australia and USA have been instrumental in creating and supporting this mission. The school currently enrolls 1800 students from some of the poorest families in their region. Because of sponsorships and outside support, students and their families do not pay for tuition, room and board, uniforms, and other expenses. Over 92% of graduating students go on to higher education and will become the Tanzania leaders of the future.
Presentation by: Duane and Karen Abata, Thomas and Julia Behrenbeck, Chuck Hanson, and Bud Hammes
Meal for This Week
Lunch this week: Chicken bacon ranch wrap with vegetable pasta salad and fresh fruit. Vegetarian option is Marinated & grilled bell peppers, zucchini, mushroomss, and onions topped with fresh spinach and garlic hummus spread in a flour tortilla
Gluten Free Members - Please ask for a GF bread.
Vegetarian Members - Please get a vegetarian meal tag from Sue upon check-in to give to the serving staff who will provide a meal for you.
Guests are ALWAYS welcome! RSVP in advance to Niki Pohnlby the end of day Monday for the meal on Thursday.
What a fun July Social last week! Thank you to Kelly for being such a great tour guide!
Last week the Cooking Fellowship provided a meal for the Abilities in Harmony Show Choir Camp. Thank you to all the volunteered and provided ingredients for the taco bar.
Seeking Parents, Grandparents, and Caregivers of Children Ages 0-3
We're looking for volunteers with infants and toddlers (ages 0–3) to participate as models in an upcoming photo shoot.
We'd love to include families of all shapes, sizes, and backgrounds—different family structures, cultures, and traditions—so the final materials feel like a true reflection of our community. The photo shoot will take place on Saturday, August 15th, between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., at a home on the south side of La Crosse, WI. Each family will have a 1-hour time slot.
Photos will be used in marketing materials for The Brain Game book and may appear in future editions. As a thank-you for participating, your family will receive a copy of the book.
If you're interested, please contact Kasey at kaseyb@vendiadvertising.comor 608-788-5020 ext. 176 to schedule a time. Thank you for considering—your participation would mean a lot to us!
What a great turn out for the Ho-Chunk Garden Dedicatino last Thursday! Thank you to everyone to contributed to this project. If you have not been by to see it, drive through Riverside Park and take a look!
CLICK HERE to sign up or view more upcoming opportunities
Rotary After Hours (RAH) is holding its annual Mini-Masters golfing event to raise funds for youth exchange programs. This year's event will take place on Saturday, September 19, from 2:00 PM to 6:00 PM at Riverside Amusement Park (1304 Interchange Place, La Crosse). Valley View Rotary Club will put a team together to participate, so please see Amy Bettis to sign up for a fun afternoon!
RAH is also seeking event sponsors and raffle donations. Please see Nancy Schmidt for additional information.
FOUNDATION MINUTE FOR August 6, 2026 Welcome to Week ONE of RI’s Month of Membership & New Club Development.
The report this week is from the message to Rotarians by the new Trustee Chair of TRF, Jennifer Jones. Talking from a personal experience, Rotarian Jones reminds us all of the importance of empathy and compassion. “My father was facing advanced cancer. The path was uneven and often cruel, yet even in that difficult space I was struck by a simple truth:
Every person, everywhere, deserves access to care that honors their dignity.Not just treatment but compassion. Not just medicine but the assurance that their life holds value. At a time when international development funding for disease prevention and treatment is contracting, vital health projects risk losing momentum. Our Foundation — and you, our members — provide the community-driven support needed to keep that from happening. We are funding vaccines in Pakistan, training health workers in Mozambique, and strengthening fragile health systems in Guatemala. Through the Foundation, international cooperation is not an abstract ideal. It is a responsibility, achievable when people choose to act with generosity, partnership, and shared humanity.
I am so proud of our collective leadership. Sitting there, holding my father’s hand as he drifted in and out of sleep, I was reminded of how fragile and precious life is. The measure of a just world is not found in its wealth or its power but in how fiercely it protects the vulnerable. My father’s fight was personal; sadly, he died in June. But the fight for equitable, compassionate health care that honors every life equally is universal. It belongs to all of us. Through your generosity and commitment to our Foundation — and through the simple act of caring across borders — we move closer to a world where no one is left behind.”
What a fun July Social last week! Thank you to Kelly for being such a great tour guide!
