July 1 marks the start of the new Rotary year - 2020-2021. This video is part of a new Public Service Announcement (PSA) campaign to promote Rotary in the US. I have added the District Information to the video and also incorporated the 2020-21 theme - Rotary Opens Opportunities! Click on the image below to watch this short PSA or you can CLICK HERE to see it on our Club's YouTube channel.
The District Foundation Raffle 2019-20 is now complete, and below is a list of the raffle winners and the club prizes. This year's raffle sold 4,856 tickets and raised $49,760 for the Rotary Foundation. A reminder that half of the money raised will return to our district in three years to be used for local community projects.
It has been a difficult year in all aspects of our lives, including Rotary activity. But I would like to thank all the Rotary clubs in district 5610 for their efforts in selling raffle tickets, and providing raffle prizes during this pandemic.
Here is a list of raffle winners, and the corresponding Rotary club's prizes:
#1 Grand Prize. Samsung 4 Piece Kitchen Suite (from Karl's TV & Appliances)
Winner: Gopal Vyas, Mitchell Rotary
#2 Grand Prize. White Peak Lodge, 3 night vacation (from Joe &Mary Edelen, Vermillion)
Winner: Laura Batchelor, Hot Springs Rotary
#3 Grand Prize. $1,000 Cash prize.
Winner: Sirje Kiin, Madison Rotary
#4 Grand Prize. Remote Personal Trainer ($1,800 value from Daniel Flahie, Yankton)
Winner: Marlene Van Holland, Rock Valley Rotary
Raffle Prize Winners: Prizes will sent from these Rotary clubs:
Laura Batchelor of Hot Springs Rotary - Won the prize from Pierre-Ft Pierre Rotary.
Dianne Weger of Pierre-Ft Pierre Rotary - Won the prize from Sioux Falls West
Andrea Koelewyn of Rock Valley Rotary - Won the prize from Watertown Rotary
Trish Delaney of Mitchell Rotary - Won the prize from Tyndall Rotary
Eric Elsberry of Tyndall Rotary - Won the prize from Winner Rotary
David Johnson of Watertown Rotary - Won the prize from Marshall Sunrise Rotary
Kevin Keane of Sioux City Rotary - Won the prize from Sioux Falls South Rotary
Therese Hagel of Mobridge Rotary - Won the prize from Rapid City Noon Rotary
Angela Helmer of Vermillion Rotary - Won the prize from Minneota Rotary
Jean Koehler of Mitchell Rotary - Won the prize from Sioux Falls North Rotary
Rhea Thompson of Vermillion Rotary - Won the prize from Luverne Rotary
Carolyn Perry of Pierre-Ft Pierre Rotary - Won the prize from Lemars Rotary
Delon Mork of Madison Rotary - Won the prize from Clark Rotary
Jen Albig McKay of Sioux Falls South Rotary - Won the prize from Custer Rotary
Ted Muenster of Vermillion Rotary - Won the prize from Sioux City Rotary
Ron Gates of Mitchell Rotary - Won the prize from Centerville Rotary
Hannah Johnson of Rock ValleyRotary - Won the prize from Rushmore Rotary
Scott Parsley of Madison Rotary - Won the prize from Sibley Rotary
Melanie Seivert of Sibley Rotary - Won the prize from Scotland Rotary
David Johnson of Watertown Rotary - Won the prize from Canton Rotary
Bert Olson of Sioux Falls South Rotary - Won the prize from Brookings Rotary
Jamie Huizenga of Pierre-Ft Pierre Rotary - Won the prize from Marshall Noon Rotary
Mike Smith of Pierre-Ft Pierre Rotary - Won the prize from Downtown Sioux Falls
Raffle Prize Winners: Prizes will sent from Steve Harrington:
Stan Mack of Mobridge Rotary - Won the prize from Mobridge Rotary.
Rich Platt of Mitchell Rotary - Won the prize from Madison Rotary
Jim Massa of Winner Rotary - Won the prize from Rock Valley Rotary
Jill Reel of Sioux Falls North Rotary - Won the prize from Spearfish Rotary
Emmett Kotrba of Gregory Rotary - Won the prize from Hot Springs Rotary
Tammy Lcosbrock of Luverne Rotary - Won the prize from Mitchell Rotary
Ron Gates of Mitchell Rotary - Won the prize from Cherokee Rotary
Please allow a 2-3 weeks to receive the winning prizes. Prizes vary depending on the club, but are either gift cards or gift packages.
Best to all of you.
Sincerely,
Steve Harrington, PDG
District Raffle Chair 2019-20
My name is Jessie Hsuan, I’m a Rotary Youth Exchange student from Taiwan. There are 4 Sioux Falls Rotary clubs; South, Downtown, West, and North. They created a consortium to help support the 5610 Youth Exchange program.
I had 2 host families while staying in Sioux Falls. My first host family was Sarah and Mark Sinnott from Sioux Falls South. I spent most of the time with them because they don’t have kids. They were able to take me out for road trips or out of the state. I’ve been to a lot of states and cities other then South Dakota because of them, I was the luckiest exchange student to have them as my host family!
My second host family was totally different from the first one. Tony and Brenda Nour, they’re members from Sioux Falls Downtown. They have 4 kids, the oldest is a boy - 11 years old, the second oldest is also a boy who’s 8 years old. The third and fourth are both girls, they’re 6 and 3 years old. It was a brand new experience to me because I’ve never lived with any younger kids before I came here. I thought it would be tough for me to live with kids but turned out they’re smart kids and I enjoyed spending time with them. The two boys and I sometimes played basketball together in the driveway. The boys and my host dad love basketball, so we often went to local universities’ basketball games. I love the kids and they made me into a better sister as well.
I enjoyed making new friends at Lincoln High School, I’m so grateful that I joined the cheerleading squad and got to learn something that I didn’t have a chance to do before. My teammates and coaches were so nice to me after knowing I was a foreign exchange student. They’ve taught me a lot, and I appreciate it. Cheerleading will be a part of my most important memory that I’ll never forget here.
I’m really grateful and glad that I have had this opportunity to be an exchange student through Rotary Youth Exchange. There was only me and the other exchange student from Indonesia in all of District 5610, it would have been great for other students interested in Rotary Youth Exchange to have more options and opportunities throughout the U.S. I hope to continue to grow and learn with Rotary pride and knowledge. Thanks to every single person who I’ve met in the US. My exchange year wouldn’t have been so absolutely amazing if it wasn’t for you all! I love America!
Hey! My name is Awan, I’m an 18 year old youth exchange student from District 3410 Jakarta, Indonesia. I’m hosted by the rotary club consortium of Sioux falls which includes South, Downtown, North, and West. I was hosted by 4 different families during my stay here and all of them have been incredible. Being hosted by 4 different families really broadens your views of things. I went to school at Lincoln High School. Being the extrovert person that I am, I kinda fit right in. The first football game I attended to however did not go so great. I wore red on a white theme and I couldn’t stick out even more, but it helped because people remembered me, “That kid wearing red on a white-out.”
Studying abroad has always been a dream for me, even though the US wasn’t my first choice, nor my second, let alone going to South Dakota. I kinda just accepted that anywhere I go will be great if I make it so. I have tons of friends here and have done a lot of memorable things as well. I don’t regret anything except the things I didn’t get to do. Thanks to the exchange program, it helped me grow as a person, becoming more independent than I have ever been. Also it continues to change how I view things and how I view life in general. It helped me enjoy the little things in life like having friends you can hang out with, having a person to give you rides, and how to find joy in small things like going for a walk, hiking, and having lunch with someone.
I hope that I will participate more with Rotary later in life. I am forever grateful for the opportunity Rotary has given me.
First of all, we hope everyone is being diligent and safe during this active Covid19 pandemic. Some clubs are conducting Zoom or other tele-conferencing methods to maintain contact, others are emailing weekly Rotary updates to their club membership. Some have even returned to meeting while taking appropriate safeguards. Whatever approach your club is taking, thank you for your flexibility in this time of great uncertainty. 
RAFFLE TICKETS SALES WILL BE ACCEPTED UNTIL JUNE 29!
Since our District's annual conference was canceled, we have extended the period to sell raffle tickets that support the Rotary Foundation, and ultimately the activities of our District. Now more than ever, supporting the great work of the Rotary Foundation is vital to making our communities and the world better. Additionally, in a few years, half of the money donated will come back to the District to support our local and global grants.
WHEN WILL THE RAFFLE TICKET DRAWING BE HELD? HOW WILL THE RAFFLE PRIZES BE DELIVERED TO THE WINNERS?
The raffle ticket stub drawing will be held by the Raffle 2020 Committee at the Rotary Club of Lemars via a Zoom meeting on June 30 at 1:15 cst. Prizes from the raffle drawing will be dispatched to the winners either by the raffle committee or the associated club.
You are given credit in supporting the Foundation with every raffle ticket you purchase. Your club will notate donations on the Foundation Multi-Donation Form that is submitted to the Rotary Foundation. Your club can send raffle ticket stubs anytime before June 30, 2020 to Steve Harrington please email me for mailing address.
Thank you all for adapting, adjusting, and continuing to support the Rotary Foundation. It truly has an impact on our communities through district grants, and across the world through global grants.
Contact me with any questions at steveharringtonrotary@yahoo.
Steve Harrington, PDG
District RAFFLE 2020 Fundraising Chair
Lyngstad receives Rotary’s top honor for individual Rotarians – a first-ever award for District 5610
Larry Lyngstad, a member of the Pierre-Fort Pierre Rotary Club, has been awarded Rotary International’s highest honor for individual Rotarians. He received a crystal “Service Above Self Award” and pin from the Board of Directors of Rotary International. Only 150 Rotarians each year are awarded the Service Above Self award.
Lyngstad received a card with the award which read, “Through your compassion, enthusiasm, and commitment to service, you represent the best that Rotary has to offer. We thank you for your dedication to the ideals of Rotary, and we congratulate you on receiving this prestigious honor.”
Lyngstad is the first individual in District 5610, which includes 40 clubs across South Dakota, as well as clubs in southwestern Minnesota and northwestern Iowa, to ever receive the award. He was nominated by Ina Winter, who serves as District 5610 Governor for 2019-20. Her term ends June 30, 2020.
Past Pierre-Fort Pierre Rotary Club president Mike Gibson said, “Larry Lyngstad exemplifies volunteer leadership because he is always seeking to help and to build up others. Larry actually is that leader who, rather than be in direct leadership, seeks to serve and to see others succeed.”
Lyngstad, who retired in 2003 after serving over 15 years as the Executive Director for the South Dakota Real Estate Commission, has held a variety of leadership roles with his local club and with District 5610.
For each of the last seven years the Pierre-Fort Pierre Rotary Club has hosted the “Holiday Jam” concert during Christmas season, raising more than $10,000 per year for the Boys and Girls Club. Instigator and chair from the beginning has been Larry Lyngstad.
“When the 2011 flood hit the Pierre-Fort Pierre area, Larry Lyngstad was front and center, moving sandbags and helping in every corner of our communities,” said Ed Jacobson, local Rotarian.
Lyngstad has been a local “Reading Buddy” and SD Discovery Center volunteer. He served on the Board of the South Dakota State Arts Council, chaired the SD Friends of Public Broadcasting Board, serves on two church boards, directs a church choir and a men’s vocal group, and sings in a quartet. He also plays in the community band.
“’Keep your eye on the prize,’ is Larry’s volunteer mantra. He is a servant leader of the first order. When he agrees to help, it is with a full understanding of what the charity will get out of it. He sees the big picture and works until the job is done.
“Setbacks don’t slow him down. His dedication and perseverance are legendary in his community. He gives and gives and gives – his time, his talents, and his treasures – with no desire to be recognized for his efforts,” wrote District Governor Ina Winter.
Chuck Lindemann, Assistant Governor from the Marshall Noon Rotary Club, was named “Roger Kozak Service Above Self Award” winner for 2019-20. Lindemann’s selection was announced during the District business meeting May 29.
Three past district governors, as well as current Governor Ina Winter, nominated Lindemann for the award, established in 2016 to honor the memory of former District Governor Roger Kozak, who served as District Governor 2009-2010.
This award was established to honor Rotarians in District 5610 who have quietly and cheerfully given their time and talents to the service of Rotary and to the service of their community.
“Chuck Lindemann is one of the most dedicated Rotarians I have ever met,” said PDG and District Treasurer Steve Sikorski. Winter extolled Lindemann’s AG service, saying, “He is a creative thinker, keeping knowledgeable about new Rotary efforts and programs and wondering how they could benefit his clubs.”
PDG Dave Lorenz said Lindemann is “an honest man with good judgment and someone who daily practices the Rotary 4-Way Test.”
The award honors the memory of Roger Kozak, who distinguished himself as a servant leader in his home town of Vermillion, SD, where he served on the city council for seven years and as Mayor for three years. He died August 1, 2012. He was a member of the Vermillion Rotary Club for over 29 years.
Check out the virtual programs, speakers, and actvities for the Rotary International Convention at https://www.riconvention.org/en.
Membership is consistently one of the topics of greatest interest to District 5610 Rotarians. On June 2, the District conducted a membership engagement workshop on Zoom. A recording of that workshop is located on the District's YouTube page. You can view the video on YouTube by CLICKING HERE or on the image below.
-
District Grants Application Deadline Extended
Jul 31, 2020
-
District Conference
Nov 06, 2020 - Nov 07, 2020
| July 2020 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| S | M | T | W | T | F | S |
| 28 | 29 | 30 |
01
|
02
|
03
|
04
|
|
05
|
06
|
07
|
08
|
09
|
10
|
11
|
|
12
|
13
|
14
|
15
|
16
|
17
|
18
|
|
19
|
20
|
21
|
22
|
23
|
24
|
25
|
|
26
|
27
|
28
|
29
|
30
|
|
01 |