Sunrise Rotary News! June 17 2026 (Jun. 17, 2026)

Highlights!

Weekly Rotary Events and Programs. Meeting locations as noted below:

7:30 AM Thursday programs upcoming with a few activity and location exceptions shown below:

> June 18 - Sunrise Rotary Board Meeting at the Mercury Restaurant 1201 3rd Street SE

> July 2 - 7:30 AM meet at Catherine McAuley Center - TOUR! Led by Executive Director Ann Dugger. 866 4th Ave SE Join us and see our $5,126 Rotary Grant Project from 2022!

> July 9 - At NewBo City Market >> Remembering July 4 1776 - A Video and discussion refreshing our memories about our country's founding challenges and key leaders. Bruce Lindholm presenting.

> June 18 - Sunrise Rotary Board Meeting

Past Favorite programs and Projects:

> June 11 - Peter Teahen and John Ockenfels - Stories of the Flights to End Polio https://www.flighttoendpolio.com/# 2 record setting fundraising flights on one website.

> June 4 - FIELDTRIP!! - We met Shaun Reilly, Retired Morgan Park Ranger for an Arboretum Tour of all the beautiful trees and paths. A great morning! https://www.mycountyparks.com/county/linn/park/morgan-creek-park

> April 23 - Joe Lock - Eastern Iowa Health Center Growth in services across 5 clinics!

> April 10, 11 - We purchased and planted 100 new trees at Indian Creek Nature Center. Sunrise Rotary's $5,000 grant made this happen.

See Indian Creek Grant Story one the website below

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 Report April 2026 Report May 2026 Report + Great Pictures

Program/Speaker suggestions are always welcome. Contact Bruce Lindholm, Theresa Mickelson, or email CRSunriseRotary@gmail.com

We hold our weekly meeting at 7:30AM Thursdays All 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.

Yours in Service

John Wasta

Rotary District 5970 Foundation Committee

Sunrise Rotary Grant for Indian Creek Nature Center

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.

This year our $5,000 Grant Project is improving the forest at the Cedar Rapids Indian Creek Nature Center.

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.

The final trees were purchased and adopted from Trees Forever and Releaf Cedar Rapids, to be delivered and planted in May 2026.

Sunrise Rotary at NewBo City Market

Sunrise Rotary is now meeting at NewBo City Market!

Also known as "Rotary Hall"
Enter and turn left. We meet in the "Teaching Kitchen"

NewBo City Market
1100 3rd Street SW

Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Google Map

Upcoming Sunrise Programs - read/respond!

What's happening in our community? Are you curious about a topic?

Send ideas to, or call Theresa or Bruce (319-333-4422), with an expert's name!

This is sent only to our Newsletter recipients:

Your ideas...Recommended interesting topics and experts you know, or be an organizer of an off-site meeting!

We need your ideas for our club meetings!

Shakespeare Garden

Highlights Below of the Shakespeare Garden Projects aided by ALL Cedar Rapids Rotary Clubs!

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!

Other updated features are shown below.

Fundraising continues for this beautiful riverside garden! https://friendsofshakespearegarden.org/

April 2026 Spring Cleanup Crew of Rotarians and Friends!

June 2026 - A NEW STAGE in the Shakespeare Garden!

The Cedar Rapids Municipal band inaugurated it on June 14 2026 for their "Ellis Park" Concert.