Club Assembly with President John Crudele, Holly Link, John Estall, Aaron Casper and Irene KellyHolly Link kicked off our club assembly with a discussion around member engagement. Holly encouraged members to find their passion by selecting the committees and activities within our Rotary Club that speak to each individual. Approximately half of our club members have filled out and returned their engagement sheets indicating involvement preferences for this year. As Mother Theresa once said, “Some give by going, some go by giving.” By paying dues and coming to our meetings, each Rotarian is part of the whole, connecting the world. Aaron Casper then asked the club to consider pledging and donating to our club’s foundation as part of this year’s “Be the Bridge” campaign. This campaign is being held to raise funds to continue supporting the important charities and organizations that help our community while we transition from the Vino Classico to other types of fundraising activities. The goal for “Be the Bridge” is to raise $25,000. To date, we have $9,300 pledged and $1,200 collected. Members are pledging in both one time and monthly giving increments. Aaron hopes to wrap up the campaign by the end of September. The Casper family is significantly upping their commitment to give to the EP A.M. Rotary Foundation to share their blessings with others and hopes others will join them. |
New member, Patrick Donahue Patrick was raised in Forest Lake, MN where his grandfather owned The Hub drive in restaurant. His father was entrepreneurial and sparked Patrick’s interest in small businesses and investing in their success. Unfortunately, Patrick’s father passed away when he was 13 years old. Patrick attended St. Thomas Academy and then went to Creighton University for college. His company invests between $500,000 and $1,000,000 in small businesses. City manager, Rick Getschow has featured Patrick and his work on Rick’s new podcast—check it out! Patrick has three children—two daughters and one son. The Boys Scouts have been a top charity for the Donahue family and Patrick is very involved as a local troop leader. Jacob introduced Patrick to John Crudele and they became “kindred spirits” having many similar life experiences, leading Patrick to join Rotary. Welcome, Patrick!
