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Rockford High School Rotary Interact Club Sponsors Bag Decorating

Help spread 100,000 Smiles Across West Michigan!

The Rockford High School Rotary Interact Club and Kent District Library-Krause Memorial Branch are teaming up to help Kids' Food Basket reach their goal of collecting 100,000 decorated brown bags in the month of October and need YOUR help!
  • Visit the Krause Memorial Library and take plain bags home between October 21-25 to decorate
  • Return your decorated bags by October 26
  • What you’ll need:  Crayons or markers
  • What to skip:  Avoid using paint, glitter, feathers or stickers as they can come off in the food that will be placed into the bag
           **Please keep in mind that many Sack Suppers will be going to public schools and therefore cannot contain religious or political messages.
 
Kids’ Food Basket provides 7,000 Sack Suppers to students in Kent County DAILY!  Sack suppers are nutritious, ready-to-eat evening meals delivered right to a school or community site. Each month RHS Interact Club members volunteer at Kids' Food Basket to help prepare and pack sack suppers. These meals help ensure children have access to the healthy food they need to thrive.
 
Join the challenge and help spread 100,000 smiles across West Michigan!
 
 
 
2024 Harvest Festival Chicken BBQ

 Rotary Chicken BBQ - THANK YOU!

Thank you to everyone that helped support the Rotary Chicken BBQ at  Rockford's 48th Annual Harvest Festival this year!  Hundreds of chicken dinners were sold at this annual event.
 
The Rotary Club of Rockford Michigan uses the proceeds to help fund their community projects.  Upcoming projects and partnerships include:
 
  • Renovations to Rotary Park to enhance the recent addition of the all-inclusive playground equipment to continue to make this a family friendly park
  • Reading Rocks in Rockford to provide new books to kids to fulfill the club's commitment to help students improve their reading proficiency
  • Expansion plans for the Krause Memorial Library
  • Local Eagle Scout projects
  • And many more!
 
 
 
 
Rotary Youth Exchange

APPLICATIONS NOW ACCEPTED FOR 2025-26 SCHOOL YEAR

The Rotary Club of Rockford is excited to again be part of the Rotary Youth Exchange for the 2025-26 school year! 
 
This is a three-year program for students living in the Rockford Public School District. Year one is spent preparing for exchange with a series of learning conferences, year two is the exchange year, and year three is the "rebound" year which includes a conference to debrief from the exchange experience and re-acclimate to home culture.
 
Cost for the program participants is approximately $8,000.00. Youth will be staying with a Rotarian family in their host country which helps keep the cost affordable to families. 
 
To apply, click on the link to complete the application for the 2025-26 school year.  Students applying must have been born after February 1, 2007 and before February 1, 2010.  Applications due by September 18, 2024
 
 
 
Questions?  Contact Jon Loux  rockfordrotarytreasurer@gmail.com
 
 
 
3rd Annual Rotary Rocks for ShelterBox

Fundraiser for ShelterBox Ready for August 20

The Rotary Club of Rockford hosted the 3rd annual Rotary Rocks for ShelterBox at the beautiful Garden Club Park next to the dam in downtown Rockford, Michigan on Tuesday, August 20, 2024.
 

ShelterBox works to support communities in crisis. Right now, over 100 million people around the world have been made homeless by disaster and conflict. ShelterBox is working to change this. By providing emergency shelter and tools for families robbed of their homes by disaster, ShelterBox and Rotary are transforming despair into hope.Their goal is to see a world where no family is left without shelter after disaster.

Since 2012, ShelterBox and Rotary have been official Project Partners in disaster relief.

Donations collected at the event and from sponsors totaled over $5,000!  Donations are still be accepted!  Scan the QR code to donate securely online or by check made payable to Rockford Rotary Club, PO Box 347, Rockford, MI 49341 with ShelterBox noted on memo line.

 

 

 

 
Photo credit:  Paul Jensen
The Reverend Jesse Ray, known for his unique Americana Rock and Roots sound, kicked off the evening of music.  Photo credit:  Anna Sink
Roosevelt Diggs
 
Rockford Rotary President Derek Reed presented ShelterBox Rep Bill Tobin with a check reflecting funds from the 2023 event.
Roosevelt Diggs closed the evening and invited Rockford's own Sean Krampe to join them on stage as lead singer for one song.
2024 Jim Tol Memorial Duck Race Awards Luncheon

Winning Duck Sponsors Honored at Luncheon

The Most Popular Duck, by online voting,was awarded to Dependable Fire Protection.  Their winning Duck was designed by Peyton Gaylord, daughter of the owner.  Joining her to accept the award were Abbie and Afton Scott and Anne Gaylord.  Presenting the award were Rotarian Duck Committee Co-Chairs Erik Luxhoj and Bill Knape.
Great Lakes Hospital for Animals captured the award for Prettiest Duck with monetary voting in the "Feed a Duck, Feed a Child" campaign by visitors to our Start of Summer booth.  Their duck raised $58 to beat out their 163 decorated competitors at this year's event.  Accepting the award are Grace Freels, MiKayla Johanson, Courtney Roberts, Courtney Bohlinger, and Rylee Roberts.
A total of $600 was collected at the "Feed a Duck, Feed a Child" fundraiser for Hand2Hand. An additional $500 donation was made by an anonymous community member to bring the total to $1,100 for the group. Hand2Hand works to combat weekend hunger for local Rockford students.
Traveling trophies and certificates were awarded to each winner in 4 categories.  Taking honors in the big river race were Re/Max United-Rockford as the fastest duck and Edward Jones-Chris Carlson as the slowest duck.
2024 Prettiest Duck Winner

Prettiest Duck in Rockford Awarded to Great Lakes Hospital for Animals

Congratulations to Great Lakes Hospital for Animals on winning the 2024 Prettiest Duck contest as part of the annual Big Daddy Duck festivities. 
 
The big winner is Hand2Hand who helps to provide meals for weekends and extended school breaks for food insecure students because "a hungry child hurts".
 
Take Action to help others in your community.
Build Friendships and Serve Together to impact the world.
Have Fun doing good for those around you. 
                                                               
Donate to our club - just scan the QR code above or click on the QR code image.