Rotarians plant trees with the City of Minnetonka. Photos: Minnetonka Rotary Club
Part 4 in our series: Rotary—Service Above Self
Summer might be inching its way off the calendar, but there’s still plenty of time to hit it off the tee. Hosted by the Minnetonka Rotary Club, Links & Libations is set for September 11 at Glen Lake Golf and Practice Center, Minnetonka. The nine-hole golf scramble with a raffle, silent auction, food and beer tasting is an annual fundraiser for the club.
“Last year, we had 80 golfers and raised $50,000,” says Alexa Rundquist, the club’s public image and social chair. Funds go toward the Minnetonka Rotary Foundation, which grants scholarships to students from Minnetonka and Hopkins high schools and Adult Options in Education GED/ESL graduates. The club also sponsors Adult Options in Education’s graduation ceremony and sends students to Camp Enterprise and Rotary Youth leadership Awards Camp.
The educational focus is on brand. “In 1997, we adopted the motto of: Building Responsible Youth, which helped direct our foundation allocations and our service projects in the community,” says Rundquist, adding that the motto serves as a guideline, and the club has a wide scope of service directions. “We also support [ICA Food Shelf] and ResourceWest. A few additional organizations supported during the year include Chops, Inc., Urban Boat Builders, Assistance League [Thrift Shop], Eli Hart Memorial Playground and several international grants,” she says.
Free Bikes 4 Kidz is one of many local recipients of the good works of Rotary members.
Other fundraising efforts include partnering each year with the City of Minnetonka to sell beer and wine at Minnetonka Summerfest. “This brings in just over $5,000 each year,” Rundquist says. “This event is more about being visible in our community and continuing a great working relationship with the city.” Like other Rotarians, the more than 50-member-strong club collects funds to support Rotary International’s mission to end polio.
Rundquist says, “Rotarians are people of action, creating lasting sustaining change. We take people from all areas of the community and truly have a passion to move the needle forward on creating a better world for now and for the next generation.”
Rundquist has been a Rotarian for 13 years. “I got involved after traveling to Guatemala with a Rotary group and learning the overall Rotary motto of Service Above Self,” she says. “When my husband, who is also a Rotarian, Nate Rundquist, and I decided to have a family, we decided we wanted to live out our values to our children not just speak about them. Thirteen years ago, we moved from North Dakota and did not have a community in Minnesota. Rotary gave us a community to be a part of …”
Rundquist encourages potential members to attend a meeting. “The energy in the room on Wednesday mornings is contagious and is such a wonderful pick-me-up during a busy week,” she says. “Minnetonka has a no-pressure policy; you are welcome to try as many events with us as you need. We want you to know you are in the right place.
“There are so many ways to get involved,” says Rundquist, noting that there are Rotary clubs that focus on environmental issues, global travel, human trafficking, music festivals, women empowerment, youth mentorship and more.
Meeting Notes
When: 7:30 a.m.
Where: The Marsh,
15000 Minnetonka Blvd., Minnetonka
The Study
Alexa Rundquist shares that a report, prepared by the Johns Hopkins Center for Civil Society Studies, estimates that Rotarians annually volunteer nearly 47 million hours, translating to about $850 million worth of community service, according to rotary.org.
Minnetonka Rotary Club
Facebook: Minnetonka Rotary Club
Rotary International
Facebook: Rotary International
