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Upcoming Rotary Special Events

There are a few fun events coming up for Rotarians to enjoy! Mark your calendars to join us!

Levitt at the Falls Concert sponsored by Downtown Rotary

Friday, August 6 | 10:00 am

123 Andres will be a fun show to attend with the children in your life as it is one of the Family Series Shows.

We have ten reserved chairs and ten drink tickets that we can give away to our members for use at this concert. If you would like to use these, please contact Angie by August 2nd.

Rotary in the Know – Tour of New Jefferson High School

Wednesday, August 11th | Tours at 4:45 and 5:15 pm

Superintendent Dr. Jane Stavem will greet each tour group and share information about the facility prior to each tour beginning. Please register for the best tour time before Tuesday, August 10th by calling Angie at (605) 743-0927 or emailing DowntownSiouxFallsRotaryClub@gmail.com.

Rotary at the Sanford International Golf Tournament

TUESDAY, September 14th | 11:30 am - 1:00 pm

In lieu of our regular Monday meeting that week, we will host an event for our members and their guests at the host course, Minnehaha Country Club. We hope you will be able to join us for a fun event on the course and hear from one of the Senior PGA Tour golfers.

Passing of Glenn Jorgenson

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.

Rotary Year in Review Video 2020-21

Joel Dykstra Named Ritz Rotarian of the Year

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!

Passing of Monsignor Doyle

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.

Click here to read the lovely tribute from Pigeon 605.

Record-Breaking Recruitment

Thanks to the efforts of our Rotarians to invite prospective members to our club, we have already added 50 new members this Rotary year! 23 applications were submitted in the one week! Keep extending the invitation for others to become part of this impactful organization. It's a great time to be a Downtown Rotarian.

Passing of Rotarian Tom Kelley

It is with great sadness we note the passing of Rotarian Tom Kelley. Tom was the CEO of Gage Brothers Concrete. He was an active community member in Brandon and Sioux Falls and will be greatly missed. Please click here for his full obituary.

Downtown Rotary Earns Rotary Citation

We are pleased to announce that our club has earned a Rotary Citation! The award letter stated, "Your club has earned the Rotary Citation, the most significant award a Rotary club can achieve, for 2019-20. During a year that was challenging for many Rotarians around the world, your club demonstrated a commitment to achieve its goals, which ultimately helps strengthen Rotary and shape our future." We have much to celebrate!

Rotary Continues to Meet In Person

Downtown Sioux Falls Rotary Club will continue to meet in person. All of the programs will also be live streamed to YouTube and Facebook if you are unable or not comfortable attending in person.

Please watch the event information for further details and locations.

Back IN PERSON! Governor Kristi Noem

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.

All Rotarians and their guests will be asked to register for the event. Instructions on how to register were emailed and texted to Rotarians. Boxed Lunches will be available for purchase following the event for $8.95.

All programs are recorded and streamed live on Facebook & YouTube. Local media are invited to attend to record the session.

If you do not feel comfortable attending an in-person meeting, we will continue to stream our meetings live on Facebook & YouTube so you can watch them from your home or office. Attendance is optional.

If you do not feel well, or have been exposed to Covid, we ask that you stay home and join us through the live Facebook or YouTube stream.

For additional details regarding the re-gathering plan, please review the email that was sent to all Rotarians on August 20.

Please Note: An inherent risk of exposure to COVID-19 exists in any public place where people are present. COVID-19 is an extremely contagious disease that can lead to severe illness and death. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, senior citizens and guests with underlying medical conditions are especially vulnerable

Rotary International is one of the premier service organizations in the world. The Rotary Club of Downtown Sioux Falls is among the largest 40 clubs in the world.

Alex Ramírez Named Rotarian of the Year

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!

Sioux 52 Mentoring Initiative Announced

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.

Rotary Mentoring Report

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.