President Debra Campbell opened the meeting with a welcome to all and the Pledge of Allegiance. Heidi Sibert encouraged us all to share a thought-for-the-day everyday through our email signatures. For Happy Bucks, Barb Tubekis was happy to be back at Rotary.
Announcements:
Ken Drummet invited members to volunteer for the club’s table at Northfield Market & Music next Wednesday, July 29th at 5:30pm.
Ken gave an update on the e-bike raffle, which sold 130 tickets and secured additional direct donations to the club. Both cash winners, Barb Tubekis and Thomas Applegate, donated their winnings back to the club’s foundation.
Amy Skalinder invited everyone to a special event next week, in lieu of our regular meeting. We will gather to celebrate the life of wonderful Rotarian Fred Schwimmer with his wife Ellie Schwimmer and family at 11:30am on Thursday, July 30th. Ellie added that the 30th is a special date because it’s their wedding anniversary.
David Grant introduced our speaker, Diego Biel from The Borgen Project, which seeks to end global poverty. Primarily, they advocate for governmental policy and legislation that prioritizes ending poverty and operate in USA, UK, Canada and recently Australia. Diego emphasized mobilization and taking action through their website to email the Congress and Senate. Diego answered a number of questions about his own background in the Chicago suburbs, Syracuse University, and interning in Washington DC. Learn more: https://www.nextlevelexchange.org/
Debra closed the meeting with the 4-Way Test and invited members to a photo op by the new peace pole.
The 2025–26 Rotary year has come to a close! Thank you to everyone who supported The Rotary Foundation!
Your gifts come full circle—helping fund projects around the world: our club's: Women's Cooperative in Morocco, as well as right here at home, including Operation Warm, our food insecurity programs, and ShelterBox.
We give to receive. Through Rotary every contribution will continue changing lives.
Mike Wurzburg's daughter, Beth Pyle, sent us this message: “Unfortunately, my dad had a stroke Monday evening and passed away Thursday morning, July 2. My sisters and my mom and I were with him. Would you mind sharing the information with the Rotary? He loved being a part of it.”
312 626 6799; Meeting ID: 198 435 237; Password: 798428 (note, if asked for User ID, press #).
Reminder- you can give happy bucks, dig n grin, birthday donations and other donations to our foundation at https://wnrotary.org/page/donate/ or by texting DIGNGRIN to 44-321.
The Rotary Club of Winnetka-Northfield is teaming up with The Rotary Foundation and the Rotary Club of Rabat in the capital city of Morocco to establish a women's clothing cooperative in the village of Tomoulilt. This will be a project funded in part with a Rotary Foundation Global Grant (GG#2571461).
The program's objectives are to:
Create a revenue-generating cooperative run by stakeholders of village women/girls;
Empower women to run and manage a long-term sustainable and profitable business operation.
The project funds new equipment and training for the cooperative's participants. Training will encompass technical use of the equipment, entrepreneurial skills, business planning and management, sales and marketing planning, and financial management. The program's vision is to create a self-sustaining long term business enterprise for the participating women in Timoulilt.
Overall program budget is $100,000. The club is seeking cash and District Designated Funds (DDF) support from Rotary Clubs and Districts.
Please join our friend Ellie Schwimmer, her family, and friends as we celebrate the life of Fred Scwhimmer, a long time member of our club and important member of the Winnetka Community.
Please register here or let Rich Lalley know you (and any guests) will attend so we can give Ellie a count prior to the event.
The club's board has set a goal of achieving 100% participation in supporting TRF this Rotary Year. To reach this goal, every active member needs to donate a minimum of $25 to The Rotary Foundation. You can do this online by clicking here.
Community House
