The first Coats for Kids was a great success! Even with 80-degree weather, 72 coats were distributed to children in our community. A reminder of the need for this program!
We look forward to continuing our efforts at the next Coats for Kids Saturday, November 14th, from 11:00 AM–1:00 PM at Jackson Elementary School.
Thank you to everyone who helped make the event possible!
At this week's Club Assembly, Kristin provided updates on several ongoing community projects, upcoming events, and committee activities. Topics included Coats for Kids, the Community Christmas Meal, Local Polio Walk, and our club's involvement in the Oktoberfest Fun Run, and other Oktoberfest needs and activities.
The discussion highlighted upcoming volunteer opportunities, committee needs, and the importance of club member participation in making these community efforts successful.
Save the Date! Our Rotary Holiday Party is tentatively planned for January 8, 2026. More details to come!
Fundraising Committee Update
Our Fundraising Committee is busy planning “Cabin Cozy: Stir it up”, a fun evening of food, drinks, and a cozy cabin-inspired atmosphere at Duesterbecks Hall! This event will help support our Rotary Club's community projects and service efforts throughout the year. Mark your calendars and stay tuned for more details!
Second Quarter Club Dues Due October 31st
Club dues for October through December 2026 were emailed to members. Please visit ClubRunner Portal to review any outstanding balances and pay your invoice.
Thank you to everyone who continues to give their time and support to keep our club moving forward!
SHAKE IT WITH PURPOSE: FITNESS WITHOUT LIMITATIONS!
This week, the Rotary Club welcomes Stesha and Chris Nell, founders of Shake it With Purpose- Fitness Without Limitations, a local nonprofit dedicated to making fitness accessible to people of all abilities.
Their mission is to help individuals experience the physical and person benefits of fitness in an environment that encourages participation, inclusion, and confidence. Their work highlights the importance of creating opportunities for everyone to stay active, regardless of their abilities or limitations.
We look forward to learning more about their organization, the people they serve and how they are making a difference in our community through inclusive fitness.
Elkhorn Oktoberfest is Here!
The 21st Elkhorn Oktoberfestis happening Saturday, October 17th, at Veterans Park in Downtown Elkhorn!
Enjoy food trucks, vendors, shopping, entertainment, and Oktoberfest fun while supporting the local businesses and organizations that make our community special.
Mark your calendar and enjoy a great day in Elkhorn!
The Elkhorn Oktoberfest 3.1 Mile Fun Run & Walk: Race for a Purpose will take place on Saturday, October 17, 2026, as part of this year’s Oktoberfest festivities.
Your registration includes a t-shirt. Upon registering, you will be prompted to select your t-shirt size(s).
Registrations after October 1st, t-shirt not guaranteed.
You will receive a waiver and emergency contact information form one week prior to the event.
Location:
3 N Jackson St, Elkhorn, WI 53121
The 3.1-mile race begins and ends in the South parking lot.
Saturday, November 3, 2026 at the Chandelier Ballroom 150 Jefferson Avenue, Hartford, WI. 8:15am-3:30pm. $49/pp
Signups begin this week for the District 6270 Foundation Dinner to celebrate all things Rotary! Highlights this evening will be the contributions of District 6270 and the good work of our District clubs and fellow Rotarians. The evening begins with a social hour and our new Showcase of Successful Grant-Funded Projects, completed by our clubs and supported by The Rotary Foundation. Following dinner, District 6270 will recognize contributions to the Rotary Foundation, present our annual Rotary District 6270 Agent of Peace Awards, and enjoy a sure-to-be-very-entertaining presentation by our very special guest, Rotary International Director Tom Gump.
We would love to have at least one Elkhorn table at the event! Let's all carpool for a night of togetherness and to see Dawn in action. Plus Ones are welcome too. Click below for more information and to register:
OTHER NEWS:
World's Largest Polio Walk with Lake Geneva Rotary Club on October 24th at 10am - total of 2 miles starting and ending at Simple Bakery, more information to follow.
Save the Date! Our Rotary Holiday Party is tentatively planned for January 8, 2026. More details to come!
Our Fundraising Committee is busy planning “Cabin Cozy: Stir it up”, a fun evening of food, drinks, and a cozy cabin-inspired atmosphere at Duesterbecks Hall!
For years, she stood in the shadow of great men like Salk and Sabin. Now she’s ready for her close-up.
by Geoffrey Johnson
2 Oct 2026
“For one often catches a glimpse of them in the lives of the great, whisking away into the background, concealing, I sometimes think, a wink, a laugh, perhaps a tear.” —Virginia Woolf
In the spring of 1944, even as a world war raged in Europe and Asia, a silent and unseen assailant crept into North Carolina’s Catawba County. Its first reported victim was a 17-month-old blond girl from Hickory named Linda Kiser. After falling ill in early June, the girl had been rushed to the hospital in nearby Charlotte by the county’s public health nurse.
On 7 June, a front-page headline in the Hickory Daily Record announced the dire diagnosis: POSSIBLE POLIO CASE TREATED.
It was in fact polio, and little Linda would not be the last case. In the weeks that followed, the illness spread from Catawba into neighboring counties, and children showing symptoms of polio inundated Charlotte Memorial Hospital and the North Carolina Orthopedic Hospital in Gastonia.
A coalition comprising medical caregivers, skilled craftsmen, community members, and even prison work gangs sprang into action. On 21 June, a children’s summer health camp on Lake Hickory was evacuated, and its sole stone building was augmented by tents and hastily constructed buildings. A U.S. Army hospital donated dozens of cots and mattresses, and over three days, the Catawba County Health Camp was transformed into the Hickory Emergency Infantile Paralysis Hospital, accepting its first patients on 24 June.
Click the link below to discover her remarkable journey and view the pictures that help bring her story to life!
