Speakers
Noon - Randy Renze
Oct 03, 2023
Randy speaking about World Food Prize activities
Noon - Gavin Sandvig
Oct 10, 2023
Gavin Sandvig - Grow Solar Program
Noon - Who Do You Know activity
Oct 17, 2023
Membership Committee will lead an activity
Noon - Sofia Rotary Youth Exchange (RYE) Student
Oct 24, 2023
Sofia's RYE experience, time in Madrid, Spain and in Ankeny so far
Noon - Majors Dan and Jolene Hull
Nov 07, 2023
Iowa Salvation Army
Noon - Terry Branstad
Nov 14, 2023
Ambassador to China - Terry will speak on his experience
Noon - Monica Converse and Jen Cross - ICON
Nov 28, 2023
ICON Water Trails impact for Central Iowa
Noon - NO Meeting - Attend Christmas Social
Dec 12, 2023
Christmas Social in evening location TBD
Noon - Dr. Erick Pruitt-Ankeny CSD Superintendent
Feb 20, 2024
Update from Ankeny Community School Distrcit
 
Club Information
Welcome to the Rotary Club of Ankeny!
Ankeny

Service Above Self

We meet In Person
Tuesdays at 11:45 AM
Ankeny Golf & Country Club
314 SW Irvinedale Dr.
Ankeny, IA 50023
United States of America
Home Page Stories
The committee for the 2024 Ankeny Rotary fundraiser has decided there will be two "Paddle Raisers" at the "Ankeny Rotary Runs for the Roses" to be held on May 4, 2024.  The two organizations selected will be given two complimentary tickets to the event and will be asked to make a brief presentation to describe their mission.  The auctioneer will then ask the guests to raise their paddles to make donations to these two organizations and the total funds raised will be split equally between the two. 
 
Club members are invited to nominate a non-profit to be one of these paddle raisers by completing a nomination form that will be available at the weekly meeting on October 10th.  All nominations are to be forwarded to Noel Fiscus at Noel@fiscusdiamond.com prior to November 15, 2023.   Club members will then have to opportunity to vote on the nominations to make the selection of the two paddle raisers for the fundraiser.
President SchraderBachar received a letter from John Hewko, General Secretary and CEO of Rotary International stating the following.   A similar letter is being sent to Colleen Welch. 
 
Dear Steve, 
 
I was saddened by the news of the death of Past District Governor Gary Welch, and, on behalf of President Gordon McInally and the members of the Board of Directors of Rotary International, I extend sincere sympathy to the members of the Rotary Club of Ankeny.
 
Gary's life truly reflected Rotary's motto of Service Above Self.  His involvement in Rotary, and especially his service as district governor in 2010-2011, are greatly appreciated.  He will be missed by many.
 
Gary's death will be included in a forthcoming issue of Rotary magazine.
Rachel Digmann was presented with a certificate and pin in recognition of her being named a Paul Harris Fellow during the Rotary meeting on July 25, 2023.   This recognition was made possible by her husband, Ben, donating his recognition points to her.    Congratulations Rachel and thank you Ben for supporting the Rotary Foundation! 
US Army Reserve Sergeant Major Todd Eipperle was deployed to Kuwait in December, 2022.  He served with the143rd Sustainment Command (Expeditionary), U.S. Army Reserve under the U.S. Central Command.  This was his third deployment.   
 
Todd completed his assignment and after several days of travel arrived back in Iowa on September 9th.  Needless to say, his wife Julie and their dog, Cloe, were glad to have him back home.
  
The following is the meeting schedule for the Rotary Club of Ankeny during the holiday season:
 
December 5th - Regular meeting at AG&CC 
December 12th - Holiday Social with Evening Club at Briarwood Golf Club, 5:45 PM social, dinner at 6:30 PM
December 19th - Regular meeting at AG&CC
December 27th - No Meeting
January 2nd - No Meeting
Gary Lee Welch, age 79 died on Sunday, September 24, 2023.   Gary grew up on a farm outside of Braddyville, Iowa and later moved to Hastings, Nebraska, where he graduated from High School in 1962.   He received his bachelor's degree from Hastings College and then earned a Masters of Social Work degree from the University of Nebraska and was a Licensed Independent Social Worker.  He worked as a School Social Worker, a Family Therapist and Psychiatric Social Worker for over 40 years.  He married his high school sweetheart, Colleen in 1968 and they had two boys, Eric and Jason.  
 
Gary served three terms on the Ankeny City Council and served as chair of the Metro Waste Authority Board.  He was a leader with the Ankeny Chamber of Commerce and was honored as Ankeny Citizen of the Year for 1997.   He was the founding chair of the Neveln Community Resource Center and also chaired the Community Education Advisory Council and served in the Citizen's Police Academy.  He also enjoyed being Santa over many seasons.  He always had a twinkle in his eye and enjoyed making children smile. 
 
Gary joined the Rotary Club of Ankeny in 1999, served as President for 2004-2005, and was the District 6000 Governor for 2010-2011.  He was a Paul Harris Fellow, traveled to Mexico and Nigeria for Rotary mission trips and enjoyed traveling the world with his Rotary family.  He cofounded the annual Rotary Youth Leadership Academy (RYLA), a life changing leadership training program for youth across Iowa.  He and Colleen also enjoyed hosting three Rotary exchange students for Italy, Sweden, and Japan.  
 
Gary lived the Rotary motto of "Service Above Self" and will truly be missed by all who knew him.
Milt Aunan worked for NW Bell for 42 years as Operations Manager and joined Rotary in Bettendorf, Iowa.  After he was transferred to Ankeny, he was contacted by a former District Governor about getting a Rotary Chapter started in Ankeny.  With the help of the Northwest Rotary Club, he was able to obtain approval from the other Des Moines area clubs and got the Rotary Club of Ankeny chartered on January 19, 1973.  He is considered the founder of the Rotary Club of Ankeny.  Milt was not only the person responsible for getting the Rotary Club of Ankeny chartered but he was also the first President, first Paul Harris Fellow, and the first Rotarian of the year. 
 
Milt died on September 21, 2023, at age 94.  On Saturday, September 30, 2023, a visitation will be held at 9:30 AM followed at 10:30 Am by a memorial service at Westchester Evangelical Free Church, 4919 Aurora Ave. Des Moines.
Three new members were inducted into the Rotary Club of Ankeny on September 12, 2023.  They, along with current member, Nancy Zwickel, will be representing new corporate member First Interstate Bank.  The three new members are Rebecca Pokorny, Retail Manager, Bryce Whitaker, Financial Advisor, and Bob Jurgensen, Commercial Relationship Manager.  
 
Congratulations Rebecca, Bryce, and Bob and welcome to the Rotary Club of Ankeny!
The October Board meeting for the Rotary Club of Ankeny will be held at Wig & Pen, 2005 South Ankeny Blvd.   
 
When:  Thursday, October 12th 
Time:  12:00 PM
Where:  Wig & Pen, 2005 South Ankeny Blvd.
 
All members are welcome, and it counts as a make-up!
The following Ankeny Rotarians will celebrate birthdays in October:
 3rd - Nancy Zwickel
 4th - Joe Kirby
 5th - Mary Cochran
12th - Will Pierce
22nd - Melisa Cox
24th - Shar Dunlap
27th - Mark Densmore
30th - John Foster
Amy Ratekin, the Founder and CEO of Spread Your Wings, was the guest speaker at the noon Rotary meeting on August 29th.   Spread Your Wings empowers youth, ages 5-18, to improve their mental health, create positive social interactions, increase self-esteem, build self-confidence, learn self-defense skills, and strengthen the body to live their best lives. 
 
Following her talk, President SchraderBachar presented her with a certificate naming her an "Honorary" member of the Rotary Club of Ankeny.  Amy is an Active member of the Des Moines AM club but has been regularly attending meetings in Ankeny.  She does not wish to transfer her membership from the Des Moines club since she wants to maintain the relationships she has built there but does plan to continue attending meetings in Ankeny.   An individual cannot be an "Active" member of two clubs at one time, but they can be an "Active" member of one club and an "Honorary" member of a second club.  She has already volunteered to assist with our 2024 fundraiser.
 
Congratulations Amy and welcome to the Rotary Club of Ankeny!

For the 14th consecutive year, The Rotary Foundation has received the highest rating — four stars — from Charity Navigator, an independent evaluator of charities in the U.S.The Foundation earned the recognition for adhering to sector best practices and executing its mission in a financially efficient way, demonstrating both strong financial health and commitment to accountability and transparency. Only one percent of the organizations Charity Navigator evaluates have received 14 consecutive 4-star evaluations.

“We are honored to have been recognized and to be among the top 1% of charities evaluated,” said Rotary Foundation Trustee Chair John Germ. “Our donors can feel proud knowing that their gifts will allow them to make an impact in their communities and the world for years to come.”

The rating reflects Charity Navigator's assessment of how the Foundation uses donations, sustains its programs and services, and practices good governance and openness.

Nancy Zwickel is a Private Banking Officer for First Interstate Bank and an Active member of the Rotary Club of Ankeny.  First Interstate Bank would like to become a corporate member and bring three additional employees into Rotary.
 
Rebecca Pokorny is the Retail Manager and will be the “Primary Member”.  Bryce Whitaker is a Financial Advisor and Bob Jurgensen is a Commercial Relationship Manager.
 
The Board has approved this application.  Comments regarding these prospective new members may be forwarded to any Board member.
The theme, date and venue have been set for Ankeny Rotary's next fundraiser.   It will be:
 
Theme:  Kentucky Derby
Date:  Saturday May 4, 2024
Location:  FFA enrichment Center on the DMACC campus
Time:  4:00 PM to approximately 8:30 PM
 
Committees are beginning to meet to work on other details including decorations, auction, program, publicity, menu, registration, ticket sales, and more.  Please let Brian Tiernan know which committee you would like to serve on and SAVE THE DATE!   
 
During the first meeting of each month President ShraderBachar has been recognizing members that will be celebrating a birthday that month.  Members with birthdays in September will be recognized at our regular meeting on September 5th (the day after Labor Day).  If you are on the following list of Ankeny Rotarians celebrating a birthday in September, please plan to attend so you can be recognized.
 
          2nd - Hans Hoeksema
          7th - Teri Crist
          7th - Tom Friedman
          7th - Mark Martin
          7th - Scott Obstarczyk
          8th - Bradley Butin
          8th - Kent Patterson
          9th - Jacquelyn Duke
        13th - Adam Boeding
        16th - Todd Wehr
        20th - Kevin Brooks
        25th - Amber Weger
        29th - Tim Hawkins
The September Board meeting for the Rotary Club of Ankeny will be held at Wig & Pen, 2005 South Ankeny Blvd.   
 
When:  Thursday, September 14th 
Time:  12:00 PM
Where:  Wig & Pen, 2005 South Ankeny Blvd.
 
All members are welcome, and it counts as a make-up!
The Evening Ankeny Rotary Club will be holding its first Chili Cookoff on Tuesday September 12th at the home of Cathy and Shannon Maher. Noon club members are welcome and encouraged to join in the fun.  There will be only 10 chili entries accepted and anyone wishing to compete needs to register their entry.   Please sign up on "Sign Up Genesis" using this link if you would like to enter your chili or plan to attend:
 
 
You do not need to bring chili or anything except your own drink and a chair if you plan to attend, just come and be a part of the judging and the fun, but please register so the hosts have a head count.
Ankeny's Rotary Exchange student for 2023-2024 is Sofia Aberturas Puga, from Madrid Spain.  She arrived on August 15th and will be attending Ankeny Centennial High School.  She will be in the 11th grade.  Sofia enjoys volleyball, basketball, cooking, hanging out with friends, and trying new foods.  The Rotary Club of Ankeny and Rotary Club of Ankeny Evening are sponsoring Sofia this school year.  Sofia’s first host family is Steve and Brenda Wieneke.  The second host will be the Bill and Victoria Ogier family and her final host family will be the Jason and Jacquelyn Duke family.  Sofia is looking forward to attending a 28-day United States bus tour along with other Rotary exchange students mid-June through mid-July 2024 before returning home to Madrid.
The "Rotary Citation" recognizes Rotary clubs that support Rotary's strategic priorities by completing certain activities during the year.  The Rotary Club of Ankeny has received this award for Brian Tiernan and Jeff Magner's term as Presidents during the 2022-2023 Rotary year.  This marks the eight consecutive year that Ankeny has received this honor.  Ankeny was one of ten clubs of the 66 in District 6000 to receive this award for the 2022-2023 year.
 
In 2022-2023 RI President's email forwarding the citation, she stated:
 
Dear 2022-2023 Club President,
Congratulations! Your club has earned the Rotary Citation, the most significant award a Rotary club can achieve, for 2022-2023.  This past year, your club demonstrated a commitment to achieve its, goals which ultimately helps strengthen Rotary and shape our future.  Please find your Citation in this folder.  I encourage you to display it proudly to celebrate your club's achievement.  Once again, congratulations on a successful year as Club President!
 
Thank you to Brian and Jeff for their leadership during the past year, and congratulations to the all members of the Rotary Club of Ankeny!!
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