Our Program on August 15th - Many Hands Many Meals –
MHS Club-Susie Foster & Madison LaRoche
Minnetonka High School Students Susie Foster and Madison LaRoche representing the Many Hands Many Meals Club at MHS talked about student efforts to pack meals for starving people in third world countries and disaster relief. Their plan is to raise money to pack 20,000 meals. Susie explained that Many Hands Many Meals was formerly Kids Against Hunger but organizers at Mount Calvary Church in Excelsior felt that they can reach more needy people by being on their own. Madison explained that Many Hands Many Meals is a non-profit non secular organization to help the world’s starving people.
The MHS Garden Club Planting on August 16th
At our club meetings for the last three weeks, Michelle Seets announced that high school student were seeking volunteers from our Rotary Club. The student organizer and her fellow students are developing a butterfly garden on site at the high school – Southwestern corner behind the baseball/softball fields. The student leader of this project observed and helped her mother at home create such a garden which this summer garnered over 30 monarch butterflies, and when this MHS flower garden site is fully implemented, she and her fellow students hope for the same success. Michelle Seets, Lou Graber, and Don draayer joined students and other parent volunteers for the work of creating the butterfly garden – an environmentally sound project. (Story and Photo from Don Draayer)
The 20th Annual Rotary Golf Classic and Auction
The 20th Annual Rotary “Eclipse” Golf Classic and Auction was held on Monday, August 21st at the Burl Oaks Golf Course. The annual fundraiser for the two Excelsior Rotary Clubs featured 18 holes of golf, lunch, dinner, Live and Silent Auctions with Nick Ruehl as M.C. and Tim Litfin as our Auctioneer and featuring golf awards and a fun Heads and Tails contest. The weather wasn’t great but it didn’t dampen the spirits of the 150 in attendance as the event raised $39,500. The sponsors of the event were an anonymous donor, Kowalskis Market, Steiner Development and 33 Hole Sponsors. Charities benefiting are ICA, Haiti Outreach, MCE Youth Scholarships, Shelter Box, Open Hands Foundation Northern Uganda Hip Hop Culture and Polio Plus. Thank you for your support and all of the volunteers that worked since March to make this event such a success.
Dedication of the Wheelchair-Saturday, August 26th
A group of Excelsior Rotarians and Tommy Drummond met on Saturday, August 26th at the Port of Excelsior to dedicate the EEZ Balloon Tire All Terrain Wheelchair donated by the Rotary Club of Excelsior. The $1300 wheelchair will be housed at Tommy’s and can be used on sand, access to the water and the variable terrain of the commons area. Scott Zerby headed-up the project to enable handicapped members of the community to enjoy the common’s amenities on Lake Minnetonka.
Hurricane Harvey in Texas is a life-threatening storm that has the potential to cause catastrophic flooding that could result in structural damage to buildings and complete destruction to mobile homes. FEMA has specifically asked about ShelterBox’s 2000 Shelter Kits for rapid temporary repairs. Karen and Steve Frazier will keep us posted on what is happening with ShelterBox.