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Saturday, October 24, is World Polio Day. In previous years Cycling2Serve, a Rotary Fellowship, has organized a major event in Tucson that has raised millions for End Polio Now. In this year of COVID-19 it is also organizing virtual rides around the world in order to raise funds. Check out this Rotary Fellowship and the annual event by clicking here or on the image below.

Mark Zalewski, ERC Treasurer, is a member of Cycling2Serve. He also is a member of the local Bay View Bike Club, which has its regular rides scheduled for Saturday, October 24. Therefore, he is combining the two in order to raise some money for End Polio Now. His plan is to ride 51 miles in the Oconomowoc area on Saturday and to contribute up to $5 per mile. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation matches these donations at a 2 for 1 level.

ERC members are encouraged to consider contributing also, either directly through the RI Foundation or by using the pledge form from Cycling2Serve. In either case, please let Mark Z. know or include his name in the information to The Rotary Foundation so that the Elmbrook Rotary Club gets credit for the donation.

BTW: You are also encouraged to ride along on Saturday. There are three options: 29, 37, & 51 miles. Yes, there are hills as the route approaches Holy Hill. The rides start at Roosevelt Park in Oconomowoc, 180 W Forest Park St., at 10:00 a.m. Access detailed information by clicking here.

World Polio Day Contest

Posted on Oct 21, 2020

Rotary District 6270 World Polio Day Activities - Social Media Sharing Contest

RI District 6270 is encouraging local clubs to share what we are doing to eradicate polio via, among other methods, online social media. As a way to inspire us, District 6270 leaders have created a little contest with rewards for contest-winning clubs. To keep this as uncomplicated and easy to accomplish as possible, they have designated a very straight-forward set of actions on just two popular social media platforms, Facebook and Twitter.

Contest Activities

1. Timeline: The contest will run from 12:00 a.m. on October 15 through 11:59 p.m. on October 30. All counted activity must happen in that range of dates!

2. Action: Post about WPD on Facebook, and encourage all who read the posts to share them widely.

3. Action: Tweet about WPD on Twitter, and encourage re-tweets.

4. A club may make as many FB posts and Twitter tweets as desired, but the number of posts and tweets are not what get a win. It’s the total number of Facebook shares and Twitter re-tweets a club gets in the specified time range, indicating how well we’ve encouraged others to spread the message about World Polio Day.

Please Note: You must "Share" the Facebook post, not just "Like" it. "Like"s do not count; only "Share"s count. Please use your Facebook account to "Share" any Elmbrook Rotary Club posts on its Facebook page to your own Facebook page. Do the same with any ERC "Tweet"s on Twitter. Simply effect a "Retweet."

To repeat, Jackson Bubolz, ERC social media co-cordinator, is leading the charge for Elmbrook Rotary. Do get your Facebook and Twitter skills up to speed and "Share . . . Share . . . Share . . . Retweet . . . Retweet . . . Retweet!"

ERC First-Ever Online Auction

Posted on Oct 14, 2020

To build on the awesome results of the Spikes for Tykes fundraiser, the Silent Auction Committee will hold ERC's historic, first-ever, ONLINE SILENT AUCITON, opening November 13 and ending at noon on November 20!

Due to the pandemic, our charities have increased needs for community contributions. Holding the event online will also enable ERC to expand our giving by inviting other Rotarians, family, friends, and business associates to bid!

Greg and Jeanne Bonk have graciously offered to store our item(s) at Calico Corners, 18525 W. Bluemound Rd., Brookfield. To meet our November 13 opening date, the deadline for signing up and dropping off your donation, with your attached Contribution Donation Form, will be October 23.

During this challenging time, have fun coming up with ideas! Some sure bets include all kinds of theme baskets, gift cards for grocery stores, big box stores, car washes, drive thru's, restaurants, online stores, small electrics, kitchen gadgets, whatever has been working for you! Some members will be comfortable soliciting much-valued business donations as in the past; therefore, the Solicitation Letter and 2019-2020 ERC Foundation Charitable Distributions listing are accessible (and downloadable) by clicking the desired document(s). Please e-mail your Donation Information Form to: Kevin Roche (kjroche53@outlook.com).

Thank you for your efforts! Please contact anyone on the committee with questions.

Online Silent Auction Committee:

Kevin Roche, Chair, kjroche53@outlook.com

Tom Hochuli, Honorary Member, tomhochuli54@gmail.com

Kathy Becker, beckerdk335@gmail.com

Bonnie Bertram, bonnie.bertram@icloud.com

Kate Bloomberg, kateberg40@gmail.com

Mike Groth, mgroth@firstbusiness.com

Jackie Radomski, jackie@gjmllp.com

Veterans in Focus 2020

Posted on Oct 23, 2020

Veterans in Focus (VIF) trains veterans in photography, videography, and film. The local program at the Zablocki VA Medical Center has been financially supported by the Elmbrook Rotary Club's annual Mini-Grants effort for the past several years. Because of COVID-19, there will not be a VIF public display this year. However, do view the short video below which explains the objects of the program and some results of the 2020 training sessions.

If unable to access when attempting to view on a mobile device, click on the Veterans Day 2020 image below.

Through the Milwaukee VA Veterans in Focus program, veterans are able to express themselves and possibly even begin to prepare themselves for a career.

This article also serves as a reminder that all Elmbrook Rotary Mini-Grant applications for the 2020-2021 Rotary Year are due no later than the end of October. Click here to access the application form.

Walk for Hope Update

Posted on Oct 04, 2020

In its very first year, Walk For Hope showed that despite being physically distant, we've never been more united! Together, more than 1,060 generous donors and 402 walkers raised $100,000! Elmbrook Rotary Club contributed with 12 walkers and $1,193. Each dollar helps to fund 1,040+ months of programming for Common Hope students. The enthusiasm, generosity, and positive energy generated across borders and around the world are truly inspiring!

View the Common Hope “thank-you video” above to learn the whole story. Click here if unable directly to access the video.

EGNI Publicity on ERC's 2020 AVID Scholarships

Posted on Oct 06, 2020

An article on our 2020 ERC AVID scholarships has been published in the October 2020 edition of the Elm Grove News - Independent. Click here to access the publication. The story is on p. 6.

Earlier this summer the Elmbrook Rotary Club (ERC) announced the 2020 recipients for its AVID Scholarships. These scholarships were awarded in an online setting and presented by Past President Mike Schmeling.

For the past several years, ERC has limited its scholarships to participants in the AVID program in the Elmbrook School District. Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) is a school-wide approach to curriculum and rigor adopted by more than 4,000 schools in 45 states and 15 countries over 28 years. It is a research-based program that equips students to meet the challenges of rigorous coursework in high school and college. Also, AVID is closing the opportunity gap in college graduation rates among diverse and underrepresented demographic groups.

The 2020 ERC Scholarship recipients were:

Ms. Emma Harris - Brookfield Central

Receives $1000 annually for 4 years and will attend UW-Whitewater

Mr. Daniel Epple - Brookfield East

Receives $1000 annually for 4 years and will attend UW-Madison

Ms. Julia Hickey - Brookfield Central

Receives $1000 annually for 2 years and will attend Waukesha County Technical College

Congratulations to these three outstanding students as we encourage them to work hard and thrive in the next level of their education!

October is Economic and Community Development Month

This month also includes the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty on the 17th and World Polio Day on the 24th of October.

Rotary supports investments in people to create measurable and enduring economic improvement in their lives and communities.

The Rotary Foundation enables Rotarians to invest in people by creating sustainable, measurable, and long term economic improvements in their communities and livelihoods by:

Building the capacity of entrepreneurs, community leaders, local organizations, and community networks to support economic development in impoverished communities;
Developing opportunities for productive work;
Reducing poverty in under-served areas; and
Supporting studies for career-minded professionals related to economic and community development.

You'll Be Back

Posted on Sep 23, 2020

Yes, "You'll be back.!

So states the popular song in Hamilton, the broadway musical.

However, it appears that it won't be as quickly as we had hoped. In-person attendance on Friday mornings has not been what was originally projected, and the Western Racket Club cannot financially justify the low numbers.

In-person meetings for Elmbrook Rotary Club are therefore suspended once again. We return to Zoom only.

But, "You'll be back!"

October Birthdays & Anniversaries

Please join the Elmbrook Rotary Club in celebrating our esteemed member Birthdays and Anniversaries in October.

“You don't waste October sunshine. Soon the old autumn sun would bed down in cloud blankets, and there would be weeks of gray rain before it finally decided to snow.” - Katherine Arden, Small Spaces

Rotary Million Dollar Journey Reaches its Goal… and Continues

After reaching a $1,000,000 fundraising goal early, Rotary International Districts 6220 & 6270 extend the goal deadline and dollar amount to support the Rotary Foundation during trying times.

A joint effort between the Wisconsin & Michigan Rotarians of districts 6220 and 6270 to raise $1,000,000 for the Rotary Foundation by October, 2020, reached its goal four months early. With that success, and with even greater need, the districts will continue the journey by raising more funds, and a new conclusion in April, 2021.

A bit over one year ago, on the recommendation of Rotary International District Governors Steve Handrick and Steen Sanderhoff, their respective districts embarked on a path to collectively raise one million dollars of new gifts to the Rotary Foundation; a Million Dollar Journey. With many generous gifts – each in excess of $10,000 – from both districts, the goal was reached early, in July of 2020.

African Region Polio Free

The World Health Organization (WHO) on August 25. 2020, announced that transmission of the wild poliovirus has officially been stopped in all 47 countries of its African region. This is an historic and vital step toward global eradication of polio, which is Rotary’s top priority.

[Click on the photo above to read the full story.]

Now that the African region is free of wild poliovirus, five of WHO’s six regions, representing more than 90 percent of the world’s population, are free of the disease. Polio caused by the wild virus is still endemic in Afghanistan and Pakistan (the WHO’s Eastern Mediterranean region).

2020 ERC Business Person of the Year

Posted on Aug 14, 2020

In its virtual meeting (via Zoom) on Friday, August 14, 2020, Elmbrook Rotary Club announced the recipient of its "Business Person of the Year" award. The 2020 awardee is William ("Bill") Selzer, retired Fire Chief of the Village of Elm Grove Fire Department. [Click on the image above to view a video of the award presentation.]

Retired Chief Selzer provided 47 years of service to the Village of Elm Grove in its Fire Department. 31 of those years were as Fire Chief.

Interim Fire Chief David Kastenholz shared the following comments: "Bill was a respected leader in the fire service; his innovation and leadership skills were as strong as anyone I have ever worked with in the fire service or the corporate world. Bill understood how to treat the people he worked with. When things went well and there was praise to be given, he always made sure the department received it. Bill never needed nor did he want to be in the lime-light. Bill had a collaborative attitude; he knew we would always be a better department if we interacted with the other departments within the Village as well as our neighboring departments. Joint training and sharing of resources occurred while Bill was Chief. Bill was responsible for modernizing our apparatus and equipment. If we felt there was a piece of equipment that would help us do our job in a safer and more efficient manner, Bill was on-board. Bill's command presence was unflappable! No matter what was going, Bill remained cool, calm, and collected! That presence gave all of us the opportunity to do our jobs to the best of our ability."

Elmbrook Rotary Club also announced that it has named an annual two-year scholarship the "Elmbrook Rotary Bill Selzer First Responder Scholarship." This scholarship will be reserved for, and given to, selected students who desire to pursue a career as a first responder.

Congratulations to Fire Chief (Retired) Selzer! We salute you, and thank you for your service!

Rotary Opens Opportunities

Posted on Jun 29, 2020

Holger Knaack, member of the Rotary Club of Herzogtum-Lauenburg-Möln, Germany, is Rotary International President for 2020-2021.

A Rotary member since 1992, Knaack has served Rotary as treasurer, director, moderator, member and chair of several committees, representative for the Council on Legislation, zone coordinator, training leader, and district governor. He is an endowment/major gifts adviser and was co-chair of the Host Organization Committee for the 2019 Rotary International Convention in Hamburg. Knaack and his wife, Susanne, are Major Donors to The Rotary Foundation and members of the Bequest Society.

Rotary Opens Opportunities is the theme chosen by President Knaack for 2020-2021. At the International Assembly in San Diego in January 2020, he had the following to say about his theme: "So as you can see, Rotary is not just a club that you join. It is an invitation to endless opportunities. It opens opportunities to serve in a project as big and historic as End Polio Now and also in a small community project, where you just plant a tree. And it opens opportunities for you to live a richer, more meaningful life, with friends around the world, based on our core values. As Rotarians, we are very blessed to take on leadership roles at this wonderful moment for our organization. Everything we do opens another opportunity for someone, somewhere. Therefore, the theme for our year is: Rotary Opens Opportunities."

Nancy Rhodes Recipient of RI "Service Above Self"

Posted on May 26, 2020

An RI District 6270 member has been awarded with Rotary International's "Service Above Self" award! Nancy Rhodes of the West Allis Rotary Club is the honored recipient.

Rotary’s highest honor recognizes Rotarians who demonstrate Rotary’s motto, Service Above Self, by volunteering their time and talents to help others. The award is internationally competitive and is granted to no more than 150 Rotarians worldwide, and no more than one from each district, each year.

Nancy Rhodes is a DYNAMO! She is a strong, determined, compassionate, tireless, & effective leader, in & out of Rotary. Since joining Rotary in 1988 -just one year after the Supreme Court ruled Rotary clubs may not exclude women based on gender- Nancy has held leadership positions at all levels of Rotary - from Club to International. Her husband, Don Drecktrah, is also a Rotarian.

Nancy personifies what the Service Above Self award is all about. She is extremely dedicated to Rotary, and particularly to The Rotary Foundation, where she works diligently to identify prospective donors. As one member/donor put it, “She may be little, but Nancy can pick you up and shake you until every last nickel falls out of your pockets. And… she does it with a smile.”

She is generous with her time, talents, & knowledge; her calendar is always full of Rotary meetings, events, & projects. Nancy never expects from others what she herself does not give, often many times over. What many aren’t aware of is her accomplishments behind the scenes: advocating & promoting support of people, ideas, & projects; quietly inspiring others to give money for causes; identifying people’s talents/capabilities & getting them involved in areas where they can make an impact. It is work with many hours of organizing, directing & being on one’s feet, the results of which many take for granted.

Nancy was one of the first women to join a Rotary club. After decades of service at the local, district, zone, and international levels, she is now duly recognized. Congratulations, Nancy!

The Rotary Foundation

Posted on May 20, 2020

On Friday, May 22, ERC member and TRF (The Rotary Foundation) rep for the club, Tom Curl, provided a motivational report to Elmbrook Rotary Club that encouraged support of TRF.

Usually, when "Foundation" is mentioned, ERC members think of the Elmbrook Rotary Club Foundation, which annually provides approximately $70,000 to charitable organizations both nationally and internationally. Click here or on the image below to read about the ERC Foundation work during the 2018-2019 Rotary Year.

However, Tom's emphasis was on The Rotary Foundation globally and how to donate. A handful of other ERC members provided testimonies of how they have made commitments to TRF through personal wills, family estate trusts, IRA distributions, and outright gifts. Emphasis was also given to the "Million Dollar Journey" of RI District 6270. Joining the meeting was Nancy Rhodes, a Past District Governor of District 6270 and current Endowment/Major Gifts Advisor for Zone 29.

ERC members who shared their stories nearly unanimously made mention of ERC's own international efforts at the Common Hope school in Guatemala and credited that involvement as an incentive for their own commitments to The Rotary Foundation.

TRF Donor Opportunities

Posted on Jan 29, 2020

WHAT DOES THE ROTARY FOUNDATION DO WITH ITS MONEY?

The Rotary Foundation spends charitable contributions on multiple programs - from the eradication of polio, to scholarships, vocational training teams, Rotary Peace Centers, and humanitarian projects. The funds are used for programs and projects Rotarians feel passionate about. With a four-star rating by Charity Navigator for ten years in a row and over 1.2 million Rotarians overseeing the funds at a grassroots level, you have all the confidence in the world that your funds through Rotary are in amazing hands doing amazing work here and abroad.

You can read stories and see the details

of The Rotary Foundation’s financials

in the most recent Annual Report on rotary.org.

ERC on Twitter

Posted on Sep 18, 2019

Did you know that Elmbrook Rotary Club has a Twitter account? It's true! Become a "Follower" (@ElmbrookRotary).

Online ERC & ERF Payments/Donations

Posted on Sep 11, 2019

It is now possible for members of Elmbrook Rotary Club (ERC) to make online payments and donations both to ERC and to the Elmbrook Rotary Foundation (ERF).

Two separate commercial merchant accounts have been activated which intend to keep transactions separated between ERC and ERF.

To make payments to ERC, simply follow the link provided in one's individual club account (and quarterly statements). A surcharge of 5% is billed to one's club account when utilizing a credit card or debit card.

To make donations or payments to ERF, simply click the "Donate" or "Donate Now" button that can be found on multiple pages on the ERC web site. Or, one can click the URL link that will be provided in ERF invoices to club members. Please ensure that donations or payments intended for the ERF account are not made to the ERC account. The opposite is also true. And, please remember that not all payments to the Foundation [a 501(c)(3) entity] are tax-deductible. IRS rules and policies must be followed.

Finally, one can always use the old-fashioned (and least expensive) way of payment/donation with an individual check or bank check via "Bill Pay" at one's bank.

Members of the 2019 Guatemala Vision Team stand in front of the house they built in February along with the Ventura family who will be living there!

Whether you're a visiting Rotarian or someone interested in finding out what Rotary's all about, please feel free to join us on Friday Mornings. You'll receive a hearty welcome - plus a whole lot more! Our meetings are held at The Western Racquet Club in Elm Grove.

WHEN: Elmbrook Rotary Club is a breakfast club that meets every Friday from 7:00-8:00 AM

WHERE: Western Racquet Club in Elm Grove, WI. 1800 Highland Road

COST: $16 Breakfast

Venue Map District Site How to Join

Elmbrook Rotary Club was founded by 26 Brookfield and Elm Grove, Wisconsin, USA business leaders to promote fellowship as a foundation for community service, ethical ideals and the advancement of international understanding, goodwill and peace. Elmbrook Rotary Club is also proud to sponsor The Brookfield East High School Interact Club, a service oriented group of high school students. Our mailing address is: Elmbrook Rotary, P.O. Box 1014, Brookfield WI 53008-1014.

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