OK, Rotarians: Time to get your second wind because we have another big fundraiser coming up this Thursday: the Duck Derby (with a Goldfish Chaser!).
At 4:30 p.m. on Nov. 8, hundreds of rubber ducks will flock to the starting gate at the Holiday Inn Express waterslide to compete for the championship prize of $1,000 at the end of the slide. Not to be outdone by their feathered friends, the goldfish will race next. Glenn Lambert will provide color commentary, and Channing Hartelius will “interview” duck trainers to give us insights into the art and strategy of training ducks for race day! The entire event will be all the more social with NorthWestern Energy as hosts.
This new club project, initiated by President Todd Neighbor and headed up by board member Heidi Hockett, is a fund-raiser for Interact Rotary service projects. Don’t miss this entertaining evening! Invite your friends, neighbors and race fans! Many other prizes and games will be available at the social, but the real winners are the kids and adults who benefit from Rotary service projects supported by the Derby.
Oh, What a Night!
Wow. We did it. Emphasis on the “we.”
Thanks to the service above self of countless Rotarians, we put on what, if ticket sales mean anything, was the biggest Harvest Howl ever. By Friday morning, we had sold 1,800 tickets. It’s too soon to give anything approximating a final tally, but the 50-50 tickets sold like hotcakes and the silent auction items represented the most creative and extensive we’ve ever had.
Can enough praise be heaped on HH Chairman Mike Wier? Short answer: No. Yes, his pre-planning and attention to detail were, as usual, matchless. But he was also on hand at the event site from start to finish, helping unload the equipment on Thursday and staying after to fold up tables when everyone else had gone home. He even “voluntold” his wife for the cause! Thank you, Matchless Michael!
There are so many other people to thank. Mark Nash and Randy Richards spent the entire day Friday setting up for the event. Sheila Rice worked her usual magic in the kitchen. Carey Gray was unstinting in her efforts to get those 50-50 tickets sold. Lacey Gallagher kept the bands happy in the Green Room. Rob Rezek, Susan Wolff, and Malissa Hollan, along with Malissa's mother, put the final, elegant touches on the Harvest Howl. The new evening members were on hand, helping out.
Just too many people to thank! Susan Wolff said it best: “I guess after all those words, I would say it was an extraordinary event because of Rotary involvement – certainly an example of the 4-way test in action.”
Kudos for an Exquisite Silent Auction
Rob Rezek, Susan Wolff, and Malissa Hollan (along with her mother Kathleen, pictured here) put together an amazing silent auction this year for the Harvest Howl. Visit our Facebook page to see some of the impressive items, but suffice it to say, our offerings were bountiful and beautiful.
In our best years, the proceeds from the silent auction have compared well with the proceeds from the Howl itself, so this is an important part of our signature fundraiser. The planners urged Rotarians to be both creative and generous this year, and Rotarians came through as they always do: wine and liquor galore, rafts, football weekends ... amazing.
Special thanks to Saniel Rezek and her friends, as well as several volunteers from D.A.Davidson, who helped put together the attractive baskets.
This Week at Rotary
This week's featured presentation will be by Scott Shanahan, who will tell us all about American Red Cross's blood services. With a huge Harvest Howl behind us and Election Day in progress, we'll be ready for a transfusion! Join us at noon at the country club!
Milestones
Belated best wishes to Shannon Hoiland and Randy Williams, who celebrated birthdays last Thursday, and Brianne Laurin, who did the same last Friday. And happy birthday this Tuesday to Jennifer Holloman!
Today's winning "bulletin bucks" winner is button number #70. If that's your number, see Todd Neighbor to claim your $25 cash card!
Weekly Wisdom
Men and women are like right and left hands; it doesn't make sense not to use both.
Jeannette Rankin
It's been 104 years since women won the vote in Montana, after 25 years of trying. Right-handed or left-, be sure to vote this Tuesday. So many Americans have paid such a high price to secure and preserve your right to do that.
