NO WEEKLY MEETING, THURSDAY, SEPT. 24th!
ATTEND OUR ANNUAL GALA: INFO & TICKETS HERE!
All Service is Fundamental Gala raffle tickets SOLD or UNSOLD must be returned. Please return completed raffle tickets and payment to Edina City Hall, 4801 W 50th St, Edina, MN 55424. Per state and city permit guidelines, all tickets and stubs must be accounted for before the drawing on Sept 24.
Each member is encouraged to sell the raffle tickets to friends and family. This helps to spread the word about Rotary and the great organizations the funds support throughout our local community such as:
Thanksgiving Baskets to Edina school students in need
Camp Enterprise
Way to Grow
Bridging
My Very Own Bed
We have exciting prizes this year!
• First Prize: $1,000
• Second Prize: $250
• Third Prizes: $100 (there are four third-place winners!)
Tickets may be purchased with cash, check, or ACH withdrawal. State law prohibits credit cards to be used to purchase raffle tickets.
Sign up today to help Volunteers Enlisted to Assist People (VEAP) serve the hungry in our community! Volunteers welcome participants to the VEAP pantry, explain the process and respond to participant questions, keep the shopping area clean and tidy, sort through food donations, stock shelves, load groceries into vehicles and overall help VEAP promote a positive shopping experience for participants. VEAP staff explain the process before every volunteer shift in the pantry. Register HERE Busy on October 7th? Future dates are available HERE!
Camp Enterprise is scheduled for November 5-7, 2026 at Camp Courage in Maple Lake, MN. The Rotary Clubs of Edina have administered this amazing leadership development program for high school juniors and seniors for almost 50 years. It is one of our signature programs each year. We support over 120 high school students, 16 college counselors, and numerous speakers and volunteers. Every year, we need 80 volunteers for a number of different roles to make Camp E a success. We already have volunteers signed up for some of our needs. Thank you to those of you who have already committed.
The most immediate needs include:
· 9 Mentors - If you are a fun Rotarian this is for you! The most important volunteer role at Camp E, working with a student team throughout the 2½-day program.
· 11 Venture Capitalists - If you have limited availability the Saturday morning, November 7th role may be right for you. This will entail judging student business presentations and making a mock $5 million investment.
· 5 Essay Readers - Another commitment of Saturday morning only. You will be assisting with scoring student essays for scholarships.
· Student Recruitment Volunteers - Cannot commit to the weekend??? How about helping connect with area schools over the next several weeks.
· Registration, bus loading, set-up, and takedown volunteers – This will be shorter time commitments for those who may not be able to participate for the full program.
REGISTER TO VOLUNTEER FOR CAMP ENTERPRISE HERE!
Reach out to Michael Birdman (EMRC), Chairperson 2026 or Brent Lundell (ERC), Co-Chair 2026 with any questions. You can also contact us at camperotary@gmail.com or 763.442.9273.
On 10/24/26, World Polio Day, Rotary members across Region 36 – Zones 25 & 29 are coming together for something BIG — a bold, unified step toward a polio-free world. We are calling on 36,620 Rotarians and 964 Rotaractors across 11 states and 2 countries to take part in the World’s Largest Polio Walk — a powerful, visible demonstration of our commitment to ending polio forever. This is more than a walk. It’s a movement.
Every step taken helps raise awareness and support our collective goal of raising $1 million to end polio. Together, we are “This Close” to eradication—and this is our moment to push across the finish line.
REGISTER TODAY!!
Oct. 24, 2026 7:30 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.
Mall of America - Macy Court
60 East Broadway
Bloomington, MN
United States of America
The Rotary Club of Edina’s Membership Committee and Board of Directors welcome Carol Chen as a member of the Rotary Club of Edina. Carol is Director of Marketing Automation Technology at the University of St. Thomas in Minnesota. Her work includes building training pathways, governance frameworks, and enterprise communication systems that reduce dependency on tribal knowledge and support sustainable adoption. Outside of work, she enjoys traveling, golf, fitness, healthy living, and arts and cultural events.
Carol Chen
Classification: Marketing Technology
Sponsor: Jean Morrison
The Rotary Club of Edina’s Membership Committee and Board of Directors welcome Meriwether Felt as a member of the Rotary Club of Edina. Meriwether has a residential design and architecture practice focused on custom home remodeling and architectural solutions in the Twin Cities. She is also beginning her second term on the Edina Planning Commission and is excited to hear from fellow Rotarians about their thoughts to keep Edina vibrant.
Meriwether Felt
Classification: Architecture
Sponsor: Catherine Gump
The Rotary Club of Edina’s Membership Committee and Board of Directors welcome Ellen Kennedy as a member of the Rotary Club of Edina. Ellen is the Founder and Executive Director of World Without Genocide. She is currently on the Board of Directors of the League of Women Voters-Edina, and co-chairs a social justice committee, and is on a social justice committee at Mount Zion Temple, a Reform Jewish congregation in St. Paul. Ellen was a member of Edina Noon Rotary Club from 2002-2011, and served as president, 2009-2010.
Ellen Kennedy
Classification: Human Rights
Sponsor: Josh Sprague
At the August 13, 2026, Rotary meeting, five members became Paul Harris Fellows in recognition of their contributions to The Rotary Foundation (TRF). The pins were presented by Rotary Foundation Director Bob Scott to Ram Gada, Wei Huang, Feroza Mehta, James Olcott and Tanwi Prigge. Congratulations to our new Paul Harris Fellow honorees
This update was provided by Savanna Wilson of Revolved, a non-government organization working throughout the world. Revolved exists to strengthen promising work in overlooked places. They invest in community leaders around the world who are quietly making a difference and offer the support that unlocks their full potential.
Thanks to the generosity of the Rotary Club of Edina, Chisizya Hospital in rural Zimbabwe is now a little brighter and better equipped to serve its community. This August, the Club’s support helped install solar lighting around the hospital, improving safety and access, particularly during nighttime emergencies. Rotary Edina also provided a comprehensive toolkit for Knowledge, the man who takes care of maintenance at the hospital, giving the local team the ability to make repairs and care for the facility long into the future. For a small rural hospital serving thousands of people, these practical improvements make an enormous difference. Knowledge couldn’t have been prouder of his new tools, and the Chisizya community is incredibly grateful. Thank you, Rotary Club of Edina, for making this possible.
A huge thank you from all of us, and from the Chisizya community, for your generosity and support.
Many thanks,
Savanna
As your 72nd President of the Rotary Club of Edina, I am honored and excited to begin this journey with each of you. Rotary brings together leaders, professionals, and community servants with a shared desire to make a difference. It is where friendships are formed, ideas are exchanged, and service becomes a catalyst for meaningful change. This year, Rotary International calls us to Create Lasting Impact, a message that reflects who we are as a club and what we strive to accomplish together.
I am especially excited about the year ahead. We have assembled an outstanding slate of speakers who will challenge our thinking, inspire our leadership, and broaden our understanding of the opportunities and challenges facing our communities and our world. Beyond our weekly meetings, Rotary offers the opportunity to build meaningful friendships, strengthen professional relationships, and work side by side in service to others.
Whether we are supporting local youth, addressing food insecurity, advancing international projects, combating human trafficking, or helping eradicate polio, our collective efforts demonstrate the extraordinary impact that occurs when people come together with purpose and a servant's heart.
My hope for this year is that every member finds a deeper connection to Rotary, develops new friendships, grows as a leader, and discovers meaningful opportunities to serve. Together, we will continue building on the remarkable legacy of the Rotary Club of Edina while creating lasting impact in our community and beyond.
Thank you for the privilege of serving as your President. I look forward to a year of friendship, service, leadership, and impact. Together, we will Create Lasting Impact.
Gerry Norton
2026–2027 President
