The Elkhorn Food Pantry is operating at dangerously low levels to address food insecurity in our community. The Elkhorn Rotary is going to collect needed items at our Wednesday meetings from September 24-October 22, 2025. Below is the HOT LIST of items needed most... Can YOU help this week?
Jelly - Grape or Strawberry
Juice - bottled not frozen
Soup - Chicken Noodle, Cream of Chicken, Tomato, Cream of Mushroom
Breakfast Cereal
Granola Bars
Pop Tarts
Canned good such as Chili, sloppy joe sauce, beef stew, Sauerkraut, Spinach, Beets, Tomato Sauce, Pasta Sauce or canned pasta, Baked Beans, Pork & Beans, Refried Beans, Mandarin oranges & Pineapple
Egg Noodles
Flour Tortillas
Microwave Popcorn
Brownie Mix
Pancake Mix
Syrup
Sugar
Flour
Oil
Condiments such as Ketchup, Mustard, BBQ Sauce
Toiletries such as Toilet Paper, Paper Towels, Laundry Soap, Dish Soap, Shampoo, Conditioner.
No time to shop? No problem! Monetary donations are welcome too.
WEEKLY MEETING RECAP:
County Debt Free
Walworth County Administrator Mark Luberda was on hand at the September 24 meeting to share the county's finances and upcoming projects of interest for the club. The county is one of only a few in the entire state that operates free of debt, thanks in part to the tremendous sales tax collected last year. The County is discussing the future of the downtown Elkhorn Government Center, the Community Health Impact Plan, and working on a future use for the unoccupied Lakeland Assisted Living space.
OTHER UPDATES:
The clear Week 1 Food Pantry debate winner of "Apple Pie vs. Pumpkin Pie" was.... APPLE PIE!
October-December membership dues will be sent out this week and is due October 31. Please note that dues going forward will be $60. Lunch pricing remains the same.
Jon is looking for Meals on Wheels help October 27 and October 31.
Our club has an unprecedented opportunity to reach thousands of people in one day to pitch tickets to our 12 Days of Christmas Raffle. We will have a booth at the Craft Bash on Saturday, October 4 from 9:00am to 4:00pm at the Walworth County Fairgrounds. We need help staffing, with two people per shift from 8:30-11:00am, 11:00-2:00pm and 2:00-4:15pm. We need cheerful folks to help sell our cause. Feel free to bring a partner or
friend too! A number of the booths are outside, which is where our main booth will be. Please sign up with Shelly or Heidi at Wednesday’s club meeting.
This week's meeting will start earlier to accommodate Dianne Moller and her raptor program!
12 Days Raffle Now Open!
Tickets for the 12 Days of Christmas cash raffle are now available. 1,000 tickets were printed and are $20 each or six for $100. Please ask family, friends, and coworkers if they would like to buy a ticket to support all of the wonderful things our club does for the community! Starting on December 1, daily cash drawings will be held... starting with $100 on the first day, going all the up to $1,200 on the 12th day to one big winner!
We are asking each Rotarian to sell at least 15 tickets each to achieve our fundraising goal of $3,250 to pay off our commitment for Babe Mann Park improvements and support other Rotary projects. Together, we can make it happen!
Tickets can be picked up at our weekly Wednesday meetings or at the Elkhorn Area School District office front desk from 7:30-3:30pm at 3 N. Jackson Street in Elkhorn. A big thanks to Jason for organizing the ticket distribution.
We Only Need 5 More Helpers!
Our "Operation Warm" program has a new name but serves the same goal to supply free coats, hats, and gloves to Elkhorn Pre-K through 5th grade children. This year's distribution days will be on October 11 and November 8, 2025.
Sign up for a two-hour shift to help out our smallest community members. Can you be an individual or business sponsor to support the event? Contact Committee Co-Chair Kristin Belongia at (262) 215-5436 for more information.
Signups are now open to assist with the Oktoberfest 5K Run/Walk for Rotary on Saturday morning, October 18, 2025! We need water station attendants, course helpers, and folks to help cheer on our participants. Can you volunteer? Click below to help encourage a fun community event.
Support Rotary AND Your Business With A Sponsorship
The Fundraising Committee is excited to announce a new sponsorship program that allows businesses to support our Rotary club for a year at various price points. Sponsors receive recognition ranging from social media posts to booths at events to a year’s membership in our club.
Please take a few minutes to familiarize yourself with the form. It will take all of us to make this effort successful. With the Coats for Kids and Oktoberfest events coming up next month, the time is now. Consider if there are local business leaders you know who would appreciate the opportunity to make a difference in Elkhorn through Rotary.
We will hand out talking points and copies of the form at the Wednesday lunch meeting. If you have questions, please contact a Fundraising Committee member: Heidi Lloyd, Mariann Hunter, John Henderson, Bill Campbell, Tom Oehler, Shelly Higgins, Jeff Halpin, Dr. John Hall, Karen Kallem, Heather Leasure, or Kristin Belongia. Heidi can be reached at ElkhornRotarySecretary@gmail.com.
At Rotary, we have two essential callings: professional action and humanitarian action.
Over time, the humanitarian side has often taken center stage, but it is important to remember that Rotary was also founded as a place for professional exchange, a forum for reflection on ethics and service in professional life.
Today, some suggest giving more space to this original dimension.
Should we choose between the two?
No: the challenge is to balance and connect our actions.
The professional skills of our members strengthen the quality of our humanitarian projects, while solidarity gives deeper meaning to our professional journeys.
A vibrant club is one that values both dimensions and knows how to combine them.
In this way, we remain faithful to Rotary’s founding spirit and attractive to the generations to come.
