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Prior Lake Rotary Club

Doing Good; Serious Fun!

We meet In Person

Wednesdays at 7:00 AM

The Wilds Golf Club

3151 Wilds Ridge Ct NW
Prior Lake, MN 55372
United States of America

District Site

Venue Map

Peace Pole Dedication

May 23 was a wonderful day for our community as we dedicated a Peace Pole! Working with the Prior Lake-Savage Area School District, we identified the 6 languages most spoken in our schools. We added the Lakota language and American Sign Language to make a 4-sided pole with room for 8 languages all saying, “May Peace Prevail on Earth.” We were able to show off the park as we dedicated the Peace Pole. We have a Little Free Library in the park; we added books on diversity and peace for the event. We invited individuals to represent each of the 8 languages and “speak” them as we dedicate the pole. Prior Lake Mayor Kirt Briggs was on hand for the dedication, along with Rotary District 5960 Governor Ed Marek, and District Governor Elect Kenny Klooster.

Rotarians Plunge for Special Olympics

Doing Good - Serious Fun was on display as Prior Lake Rotarians participated in the annual Polar Plunge for Special Olympics MN on Saturday, March 27, at Sand Point Beach. It was successful in all ways including the nearly $9,500 raised by the team members! Things were a little different this year including no plunging. Instead, participants had to run in a run out. There was also a little falling down and getting back up, as the video below shows!

Participants: Co-Team Lead Jon St. Aubin, Co-Team Lead Paul Perez, Doug Gesme, Lee Hacklander, Vic Noer, Bill Schult, Guy Selinske, and Kyle Smythe.

https://reg.plungemn.org/team/priorlakerotary

Prior Lake Rotary's International Impact

Everyone around here knows about the Lakefront Music Fest held by the Prior Lake Rotary Club. But did you know that the club also helps less fortunate around the world in addition to conducting many projects locally?

Prior Lake Rotary is sponsoring two projects this year in the Nakivale Refugee Settlement in Uganda in Eastern Africa where over 140,000 people live after fleeing violence in their surrounding home countries. Many are totally dependent on the United Nations, receiving less than $6 per person per month to survive. Water quality is poor, when they can get it. Life, in short, is grim. Yet the people look to the future of their kids, wanting them to go to school so they have a future. The club funded the construction of a school kitchen in 2020 at Best Future School, a free, community-based, non-discriminatory primary school started by one of the refugees. The kids needed something to eat in order to learn. Over 570 students are expected back on February 15 when their new semester opens as the school has become the hub of much activity, including a sewing center teaching 30 women to sew in each three-month cohort, to gain self-sufficiency.

The two projects in 2021 will provide educational supplies, build 10 latrines, 6 hand washing stations, and a water purification and bottling plant to provide 5,000 gallons of safe drinking water per day for the community. A total of $90,000 will be contributed by the Prior Lake Rotary, 23 other Rotary clubs from around the U.S., Rotary District 5960 and the Rotary Foundation. Thousands of the refugees will benefit. Kids will be able to survive, learn and have a future.

Strong local support for the Lakefront Music Fest helps fund these projects and many more here locally. The club donated a total of $220,767 in the July 1, 2019 – June 30, 2020 fiscal year in addition to countless hours of community service. The club could not help others as much as they do without your support. TEAM = Together Everyone Achieves More.

Article submitted to the Prior Lake American by Prior Lake Rotarian and community columnist Rick Olson