The annual Christmas social for the Rotary Club of Ankeny will be held on December 1st at the Ankeny golf & Country Club.  The festivities will begin at 5:30 with a social "half hour" with dinner to be served at 6:00 PM.  Entertainment will include everyone participating in a game of “Christmas Jeopardy”.   Each member may bring one guest.   There will be a charge of $35 per person which will be added to the member's January invoice.  Everyone is encouraged to come wearing their best Christmas sweater or outfit.

Registration is now available on the club's website.  Go to Ankenyrotary.org and then click on "Rotary Christmas Social" under “Events”, and then click on "Members" under “Online Registration", and click on “Register Me” and “Confirm”.    Don't forget to also register your guest, check to accept the Private Policy statement and click ”Save".

The formation of the Club's 501(c)3 non-profit organization, the Rotary Club of Ankeny Foundation has been completed!!  The mission of the Foundation is: “Supporting service today and building a legacy for tomorrow”.

We have now received a Tax ID number, certificate of existence from the Iowa Secretary of state, a receipt of the 501(c)3 application from the IRS, and a letter for the IRS confirming the 501(c) 3 status. We have also received confirmation from Rotary International that the Officers and Directors Liability insurance that covers all Rotary clubs will also provide coverage for the officers and directors of the Foundation.  

The initial officers of the Foundation will be:

President - Andy Schnurr

Vice President - Sara Wilson

Secretary - Nate Burnham

Treasurer - James Ramsey

Director - Rick Sibbel

The Foundation will have two designated funds, The Foundation's General Fund and the Kathy Sibbel Legacy Endowment.  The General Fund will support current charitable programs, grants, scholarships, and service initiatives.  The Kathy Sibbel Legacy Endowment is a permanent charitable fund dedicated to creating a lasting legacy through ongoing support of community initiatives in Ankeny, including RYLA and early childhood development programs.  All funds will be held by Edward Jones with Kent Patterson the Advisor.

Anyone wishing to make a tax free contribution to the Foundation, should make their check payable to the Rotary Club of Ankeny Foundation and mail or drop it off at Kent's office at 2005 S. Ankeny blvd, Ste 500, Ankeny, IA 50023.  Be sure to include a designation in the memo line for either the Foundation or Kathy Sibbel Legacy Endowment.

The eradication of polio is one of Rotary's longest standing and most significant efforts. October 24th is "World Polio Day" and a time for Rotary members, public health advocates, and all who want a world free from polio to come together, recognize our progress in the fight to end polio, and talk about the actions we need to take in order to end polio for good.  When we eradicate polio worldwide, it will join smallpox as the second human disease ever to be eradicated.   

Thanks to the work of Rotary and our partners in the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI), polio cases have been reduced by 99.9% worldwide since 1988. By working together with our partners, governments, and communities around the world, we've immunized over 3 billion children in 122 countries.  As of August, 2026, only Pakistan (2) and Afghanistan (3) have reported new onset cases of Polio, so far, in 2026.       We are closer than ever to eradication polio but we're not done yet.  We still need funds to continue immunizations and surveillance efforts.  All donations are matched 2-1 by the Gates Foundation, tripling your impact.  It is critical for us to continue our efforts to eradicate polio for good because one child paralyzed by this vaccine-preventable disease is one child too many.

The Rotary Club of Ankeny is a 501(C)4 corporation - Service Organization - and donations are not considered tax deductible.  During the September Board meeting, the Board reviewed a proposal for the Club to form a 501(C)3 non-profit corporation.  Forming a non-profit is an issue that has come up several times in the past, but it was felt the benefits did not justify the organizatioal cost and reporting requirements.  The opportunity to receive contributions for the Kathy Sibbel Legacy Endowment Fund required the Board to take a fresh look at forming a 501(C)3 corporation.  In addition to receiving funds for this endowment, it is beleived forming the 501(C)3 will encourage additional contributions to our club, allow the club to qualify for additional sponsorships and grants from companies that only donate to 501(C)3 organizations, and qualify some member donations to be matched by their employer.  

The application fee is only $275, if the company has less than $50,000 in gross receipts in any year, and there is a biannual report required, but there is an EZ form which is simply a postcard that we could use.  Iowa has a $50 filing fee and requires an annual report, and $30 annual fee.  Del Mohler offered to complete the application for the corporation, prepare the corporate documents, and file the paperwork with the Secretary of State.  The name of the new corporation is the Rotary Club of Ankeny Foundation.  As of the end of September, the application has been filed and we expect to receive the letter of approval from the IRS in the next few days, the Articles of Incorporation have been filed with the Secretary of State, and we have received an Employer Identification Number.  The Board of directors for the Rotary Club of Ankeny Foundation will be the Rotary Club of Ankeny President, President Elect, Secretary, and Treasurer and Rick Sibbel.  This foundation will be used to manage the Kathy Sibbel Endowment and other non-profit donations and accounts for the Rotary Club of Ankeny.

At their September meeting, the Club's Board approved four donation requests.   They included the following:

Ankeny Historical Society - $100 - Annual membership sponsorship

Blessman International - $2,000 - Feminine Hygiene Kit Project with the goal of helping girls in rural South Africa stay in school, maintain their dignity, and participate fully in their education during menstruation.

GoServ Global - $1,000 to assist with the cost of shipping Christmas boxes for children living a large school, clinic, and several orphanages supported by GoServ Global in Haiti. 

CIVITAS -$1,000 to sponsor law enforcement training on human trafficking 

Robb Gardner was introduced as the newest member of the Rotary Club of Ankeny during the noon meeting on September 15th.  Robb is the Chief Operating Officer & Chief of Staff for the Iowa Hospital Association and a former member of the Rotary Club of Mount Pleasant Iowa.

Welcome Robb! 

Doors open: 12:00 PM  40 exciting bingo games
Session 1: 1:30-4:00 PM-20 games
Break: 4:00-5:00 PM
Session 2: 5:00-7:30 PM 20 games

Play one session or join us for both!

Cash prizes paid out after every game.
Delicious local food trucks - Cold beverages from the Uptown Garage
Supporting local charities such as: the Foster Squad,

 Food Bank of Iowa, and Sleep in Heavenly Peace.

No advance registration required. Bingo packet purchases at the door when you arrive. Seating limited, so come early!

Families are welcome!  EVERY attendee, including children MUST purchase and play at least one Bingo packet.

Gather your friends and get ready to PLAY FOR A PURPOSE!

Learn more: https://ankenyeveningrotary.org/page/flagship-event-