May 16, 2018 Barker (May 16, 2018)

Vocational Day at U of M is tomorrow, May 17

The Rotary Club of Edina will hold a Vocational Day meeting this Thursday, May 17, at the University of Minnesota Athletes Village. Box lunches and bottled water will be provided. There will be a tour of the complex after lunch and a presentation. Please arrive by noon.

If you signed up to take the bus to the meeting, the 56-passenger bus will leave from the Edina Country Club Check promptly at 11:15 p.m. The bus will return to the ECC by 2 p.m. If you have questions on transportation to the meeting, please email Marty Kupper.

If you prefer to drive, parking will be available on campus at the Fourth Street ramp, located along Fifth Street Southeast. You enter the ramp on the 17th Avenue side.

Registration has now closed.

Cost for the meeting is the same as a regular meeting—Senior Active and Honorary members will pay $20 at the door; regular members were already billed for this meeting on their Q4 invoice.

Contact Marty with questions or more information about Vocational Day.

Rotarians clean up parks May 5

Rotarians, friends and family gathered Saturday, May 5, to do the annual spring cleanup at Utley and Wooddale Parks in Edina. Thanks to all our volunteers! And special thanks to Tom Cook, who coordinates this cleanup each fall and spring.

Service in action—Feed My Starving Children

Last Saturday, May 12, more than 30 Rotarians, friends and family gathered at Feed My Starving Children in Chanhassen to pack meals for those in need. Our club visits FMSC twice a year to volunteer, as well as donating funds to the organization. This time, the meals packed were being sent to Guatemala.

Thanks to all the hard-working volunteers, as well as Mike Sitek, for coordinating the visits each spring and fall!

District Conference is next Monday, May 21

The Rotary District 5950 Conference is next Monday, May 21, at the Guthrie Theater in downtown Minneapolis. Registration for the conference has now closed. The gathering is a year-end celebration of all the incredible work our District 5950 Rotarians have done this Rotary year. The event is split into three "acts."

Click on the link below for more on the conference...

Spring Fireside Chats are next week

The annual spring Fireside Chats are next week! We have four events scheduled for Rotarians to attend May 22 through May 25.

Held each spring and fall, the Fireside Chats are very informal social exchanges for members to enjoy and learn about Rotary and to get to know one another. It is a chance to meet our new members or reconnect with old friends!

Here is the schedule. All gatherings begin at 7 p.m.:

Tuesday, May 22—home of Will Steinke, 508 Tyler Court, Edina. Register here.
Wednesday, May 23—home of Susan Stiles, 7305 Claredon Drive, Edina. Register here.
Thursday, May 24—home of Gordy Lewis, 6824 Chapel Lane, Edina. Registration is closed.
Friday, May 25—home of Michael Stanzak, 724 Lake Point, Chanhassen. Register here.

Members are encouraged to come to all the Fireside Chats, or pick the one that best works with their schedule. We encourage everyone to register to allow the hosts to plan for the event.

New members—you are especially encouraged to attend one or all of the Fireside Chats! It is a great way to get to know your fellow Rotarians in a casual atmosphere. Let us know if you have questions.

For more information, contact Brad Hepp at heppbrad@gmail.com.

Letter bag

Thank you for your thoughts and prayers for my 17-year-old son, Jack.

In late February, Jack lost feeling in two fingers in his left hand. Over the next several weeks, he continued to lose feeling and strength in his limbs to the point where it became impossible to run and difficult to walk. In early April, he was diagnosed by Mayo Clinic with a rare spinal tumor that was crushing his spinal cord. Mayo Clinic’s talented pediatric neurosurgeons were able to remove the tumor completely, but had to sever some nerves around it. Already facing months of rehab to get feeling and strength back in his limbs and core, Jack was dealt another blow when we learned that the tumor was not benign.

A meningioma outside of the cranium is rare. One in a young person is rare. And one that is not benign is rare. This has all been very overwhelming and scary for my family, but your text messages, cards and words of encouragement have made it easier to manage. Your support has meant more than you will ever know! I have no doubt that the many prayers lifted him up and community support have made a positive impact in his recovery. He is getting stronger every day and is now walking without difficulty. And, for once, I think the use of video game controllers is a positive thing as it is a sort of therapy for his hands!

Again, thank you! I love my Rotary family!

Jennifer Bennerotte

For more letters, click on the link below...