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Rotarian Glenn Jorgenson passed away on Friday, July 23, 2021 at the age of 91. Glenn was a member of Downtown Sioux Falls Rotary for 32 years. He founded the River Park alcohol and drug treatment programs and worked tirelessly to help those afflicted and change society's perception of addiction. His full obituary can be found here.
Congratulations to the 2020-21 Ritz Rotarian of the Year Joel Dykstra! Joel epitomizes the Rotary motto of Service Above Self. He led the club as president, helped establish the Centennial Fund, led the club’s sponsorship of the Arc of Dreams, has mentored many leaders in the community and served in numerous other capacities throughout the community including as a representative in the SD legislature. We couldn’t be more pleased to announce Joel Dykstra as Ritz Rotarian of the Year!
We are deeply saddened to share that Monsignor James Doyle has passed away. He was a member of Rotary for more than 40 years and will be deeply missed by all who knew and loved him.
We're back meeting in person at the Washington Pavilion with South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem as our guest. Rotarian Jack Marsh will facilitate the conversation with the Governor. We will begin promptly at noon. Please arrive early to allow time for check-in and seating. All Downtown Sioux Falls Rotary Club programs are open only to Rotarians and their guests.
Alex Ramírez was honored at the Annual General Meeting as the Ritz Rotarian of the Year. The recipient should exhibit the award principles: "Emanates integrity, decency, and humility; is a servant leader; guides with dedication, outstanding leadership and tremendous motivation." Alex's nominators said, "Greetings fellow Rotarians: Rotary’s global ad campaign slogan "People of Action" brings to mind the many fellow Rotarians around the world and in our own Rotary Club of Downtown Sioux Falls who embody this phrase. Alex is an outstanding member of the Sioux Falls community who is highly committed to service and humble is his approach to giving. As members of Rotary Club of Downtown Sioux Falls, we see Alex volunteering each week as a person of action in the front of the ballroom each meeting running the audio-visual equipment that broadcasts our meetings across the Internet. Some Downtown Rotarians who see Alex’s immense regularity in this service might wonder if he performs this role as a contract, but he, in fact, voluntarily commits two hours each week in service to our club, and has done so for more than two years. He also graciously brings in his own equipment to supplement the club’s technology, helps fellow Rotarians engage with our guest speakers by passing the microphone during Q &A and serves on the Board of Directors of Rotary Club of Downtown Sioux Falls. Alex’s extensive service to the Sioux Falls community extends far beyond his role with the Rotary Club of Downtown Sioux Falls. Alex serves as treasurer and a member of the Executive Board of the Sioux Falls Area Chamber of Commerce; a member of the Board of Trustees for Avera McKennan Hospital & University Health Center; a member of the Sioux Empire United Way Board of Directors; a servant on the American Cancer Society Board of Directors; a commissioner on the city human relations committee; and a member on the city’s affordable housing committee. Alex founded his own nonprofit organization, Pulso Hispano, dedicated to informing the Hispanic community. His TV Show, Al Dia, is dedicated to furthering that mission. Alex lives his life in a way that honors his faith, family and his community. Alex and his wife, Andrea, chose to move with their two boys to Sioux Falls, and he regularly demonstrates his love of the community through his service. It is clear why Alex is a Rotarian. He is a person of action and a man who serves with enthusiasm. He has embraced Sioux Falls and Rotary Club of Downtown Sioux Falls and would be a fitting and honorable recipient of the Lawrence “Larry” Ritz award. Congratulations Alex!
On January 27th, Mayor Paul TenHaken announced a new mentoring initiative to a over-capacity crowd at the Washington Pavilion Belbas Theater. Nearly 350 business and non-profit leaders were in attendance. The Sioux 52 Mentoring Initiative seeks to unify Sioux Falls area non-profit, business, and faith communities in order to create a universal, significant and long-lasting commitment to mentoring in our city. The goal is to recruit 5,200 mentors by 2026 and for the City of Sioux Falls to become known as the City of Mentoring. Mentoring in our community truly makes a difference and changes lives for the better. Sioux 52 is a collaboration between the City of Sioux Falls, Helpline Center, the Rotary Club of Downtown Sioux Falls, Lawrence & Schiller as well as business leaders and mentoring organizations in the Sioux Falls region. For more information to to become a mentor or business visit Sioux52.org.
In January, we received the results of our RFP with the Augustana Research Institute (ARI). The report in its entirety is available for download using this link: Rotary Mentoring Report. ARI 's Principal Investigator, Dr. Suzanne Smith, and her team created an extremely well executed report allowing us to put our club's next steps together. Here is an Executive Summary of the information.
Rotary International President Shekhar Mehta joined the Rotary delegation to the 26th United Nations climate conference in Glasgow, Scotland, on 10 November to explore ways Rotary can work on environmental challenges.
Youth Exchange students often say their experience abroad was the best time of their lives. Being part of the program can be life-changing for Rotary members as well
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