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WE ARE PEOPLE OF ACTION
Join us Tuesday, August 3rd, Jenifer Loon will be speaking about our Club Engagement Assembly where members will hear about club goals and priorities. They will also hear about Committees and ways members can get involved in an area that sparks their interest to serve, and offer their feedback and suggestions. Members can bring a speaker idea to Tuesday’s meeting that could be someone they know or a topic they would like to learn about.
Joining District 5950 (click HERE for memo from District President Tom Gump) with the work of supporting social justice, the Eden Prairie Rotary Club is joining in with eight other clubs to collaborate with the Lake Street Council as the business leaders on Lake Street build back their successful business’s. We are joining them as they take steps to move ahead!
Molly Bahneman is the daughter of our Rotary Club's very own Dan O'Brien. As the Director of Early Childhood Family Education in Minnetonka, Molly has previously overseen all Tour de Tonka rest stops and has been working this event for the past five years.
This year, the Tour de Tonka will be held on August 7th. Anyone who can participate or help is encouraged to attend, whether it's for five hours or even just one! Even during the pandemic, 300+ people registered virtually to participate in the event. This year, on the first day of registration, 101 people already signed up to ride. People from all over––whether it's a different county or state––are encouraged to attend. There will also be a vaccine clinic at the end of the route for anyone who would like to take this opportunity to protect their community's health.
Bahneman shared the history of the Tour de Tonka, along with some fun facts about the event. The Tour de Tonka is different from any other biking event because it’s a ride, not a race. Bikers can enjoy the event at their own pace. They can also choose their distance and how much money and/or time they spend, which makes it especially great for first-timers. About 16 miles takes approximately an hour, but the flat terrain makes it doable! Families can also follow their younger riders in the car from rest stop to rest stop. At each rest stop, there’s music and food, along with pizza at the end! Any food that is not eaten is also donated, ensuring that no unnecessary waste is produced by this event. Additionally, each rider also gets their own free shirt, along with a jersey by purchase.
About 600-700 volunteers are needed. Enough volunteers ensure the safety of the riders and provide a fun, community experience at each rest stop. They are also specifically looking for a bike mechanic! You can visit www.tourdetonka.org if you or anyone you know is interested in riding or volunteering!
A moment was also taken to honor Jerry Greene, a longtime rider of the Tour de Tonka, who unfortunately passed away this year.
Doug B. Loon joined us for a discussion on the way Minnesota-owned businesses can thrive and be successful in the future. Doug is the President of the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce and an advocate for business to be successful in Minnesota. The Minnesota Chamber represents more than 2,300 Minnesota businesses. One of Doug's main points made throughout the discussion was about how highly developed Minnesota's economy is and where it will stand by 2030. Doug views Minnesota’s talented workforce as one huge part that drives the economy. The workforce is the foundation of making Minnesota ready for the future and ready to grow. The Minnesota Chamber of Commerce plans to have many different industries have high amounts of growth throughout the state and to also have Minnesota back to full employment by 2023. 
Sandhya Gupta joined us for a discussion on her projects in India, including the grant our club just supported to create a program to provide job training skills for women, allowing them to gain economic independence.
