Weekly Rotary Events and Programs. Meeting location as noted below:
7:30 AM Thursday programs upcoming with a few exceptions shown below:
> June 11 - At NewBo City Market Peter Teahen and John Ockenfels - Stories of theFlights to End Polio https://www.flighttoendpolio.com/#2 record setting fundraising flights on one website. Make your 2025/2026 Foundation Polio donation and include this Fundraising campaign info: https://www.flighttoendpolio.com/donate
> April 10, 11 - We purchased and planted 100 new trees at Indian Creek Nature Center. Sunrise Rotary's of $5,000 grant made this happen.
> April 2 - Trees Forever - Molly Stuelke, Director of Programs. Update on communities Derecho recovery, how to get trees and PLANT trees!
Ashton Knatz - Our International Rotary Scholar: Ashton is busy studying at Edinburgh University. She will spend a year furthering her studies of Environmental Science for a Masters Degree. Ashton's host club is Edinburgh Rotary! This is her March 2026 ReportApril 2026 ReportMay 2026 Report + Great Pictures
Program/Speaker suggestionsare always welcome. Contact Bruce Lindholm, Theresa Mickelson, or email CRSunriseRotary@gmail.com
We hold our weekly meeting at 7:30AM Thursdays at NewBo City Market 1100 3rd Street SW, Cedar Rapids, IowaAll are welcome!
Families Helping Families Sunrise Rotary Golf Event raised over $6,000 for this foster-child supporting organization in 2025. The 'Big Check' was presented to Executive Director, Meredith Hershner.
Watch for 2026 Funding news!
Rotary Polio Update from John Wasta District Foundation Committee. Please Donate to the Rotary Foundation and consider the Polio Campaign!
Rotarians:
As the PolioPlus Society Coordinator I want to thank you for fulfilling your donations for this Rotary year.
As you know the news is mixed on the Polio campaign.
The new vaccine is fully rolled out and vaccine derived cases are a thing of the past.
There are still two countries with wild polio cases (Afghanistan and Pakistan). Both countries' governments are supporting efforts to get their children vaccinated (Yes!!).
There were 39 confirmed cases of wild polio in 2025. There have been just four cases confirmed so far this year.
Sunrise Rotary annually applies (and usually receives!) a Rotary District Grant. Half of the funds are from our fundraising, half are a Grant from our Rotary District 5970 Foundation funds.
The project removed undesirable forest undergrowth in October 2025 around the "Barn" and Sugar House, the Nature Center's original facilities. Undergrowth was removed with the help of AmeriCorps and our Rotary Members.
100 new undergrowth trees, protective cages, and watering devices were purchased. Rotary Members transported trees from Ames and Monee, Illinois. Redbud, Wild Plum and Prairie Crabapple trees were planted with cages and watering devices in April 2026 by Sunrise Rotarians, friends, Waltonians and their sponsored Cub Scouts with parents.
June 9 2025 the Shakespeare Garden was the site of an 'open house' showing progress and selling flowers. The area has really transformed! 2 Gazebos are complete.
8 Rotary Clubs in the Cedar Rapids area have supported these improvements. Barnes Manufacturing in Marion supplied the steel structures.
Visit the garden in Ellis Park facing Ellis Boulevard. The Northwest Neighborhood Association leads the improvements.
April 20 2024, Sunrise and West Rotary Clubs joined the Shakespeare Garden volunteers for a clean up effort.
The Shakespeare Garden is our 2024-2025 Linn County Rotary Community Project, funding major improvements and supported by ALL Eight Linn County Iowa Rotary Clubs!
The metal gateway feature was fabricated by Marion/East Cedar Rapids Club, Rotarian Tom Barnes (Barnes Mfg, Marion, IA), and installed at the Ellis Boulevard entrance in June 2024!
We meet at 7:30AM most Thursdays. See "Highlights" on our webpage for each Thursday program.
Join us at the the ROTARY HALL -NewBo City Market 1100 3rd St SE, Cedar Rapids.
Coffee is provided.
