It's the most wonderful time of the year! And this year, the Ugly Sweater 5K returns with an in-person or virtual event highlighted by the run/walk through the festive marsh trails. It's gonna be lit (literally)!
To make the US5K a continued success, we need you. Just as all of Santa's helpers ensure Christmas goes off without a hitch, volunteers make the US5K experience enjoyable for everyone regardless of whether they're on the naughty or nice list. Please sign-up today over on the Ugly Sweater 5K page.
While you're there, why not join the fun? Register to run and then share the link with family and friends to spread the cheer. Not only is participating good for the soul--especially as the winter chill settles in--it's also good for the spirit. Funds raised from past years have supported a number of RAH projects including maintaining Hixon trails, providing a van for The Good Fight, supporting the St. Clare Health Mission's forthcoming mobile medical clinic, and so much more.
Mark your calendar for Saturday, Dec. 4. Pre-race activities begin in the Myrick Park Center at 3 p.m. and the run starts at 4:15. Enjoy post-race entertainment from Tom Conrad as this year's champions are crowned.
Please give a warm RAH welcome to our newest member, Carson Schneider!
Meet one of our newest RAH members: Carson Schneider!
Carson, a La Crosse native and former Aquinas Bluegold, is someone you might want to get to know as winter approaches – not only is he up for outdoor activities, but as an HVAC Specialist for Schneider, he can also help troubleshoot your broken furnace!
Carson has a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Wisconsin, and enjoys playing sports, cooking, and volunteering among other things. When he’s not working, you’ll find him up north, at the YMCA, or trying out a new restaurant with his wife, Masayo. Something unique? Carson is currently missing a tooth and has never wore braces.
He chose to join our club because he wants an opportunity to give back to our great community…that’s something we can definitely help with!
A yearning to be with good people and give back to the community calls to Griffin Moe like adventure. The Waupaca native comes to RAH having previously backpacked the north shore of Lake Superior.
When he's not spending time outdoors, enjoying the company of his dog, Annie, or “binge watching Netflix with a giant bowl of cereal,” Griffin works as a financial adviser for Edward Jones. His education earned him an undergraduate degree from UW-La Crosse and an MBA from UW-Milwaukee.
Griffin said he's looking forward to getting back to traveling more by plane (as so many of us are). In the meantime, please give him a warm RAH welcome at the next meeting or event!
Oktoberfest was an exciting event that allowed us to bartend, enjoy live music and also dive a little into the art of serving beer. BONUS - we made $457 in tips that will be put to good use in future projects. Service events are always fun as it helps the club, and it is an excellent opportunity to work with other members of Rotary After Hours.
After missing a year of festing, it was great to be back and extra special to be a part of another happening event in La Crosse.
Laura shared "... I’ve grown professionally because I’ve experienced opportunities through Rotary that have helped me build skills and be a better leader within my team... I firmly believe that my career and who I am as a person would be much different if not for joining Rotary, learning how to be a servant leader through that organization and bringing those skills back into my day to day work."
We are so proud of Laura and her selfless commitment to others through her work at OptumServe and Rotary. A very deserving servant leader of this recognition.
Rotary International President-elect Jennifer Jones took the stage at the Global Citizen Live concert on 25 September in Paris, France, and pledged $97 million in grant funding from the organization next year for sustainable, Rotary club-led projects.
The star-studded global event rallied people to take action on some of the world’s most urgent problems. Global Citizen Live, a 24-hour broadcast with events and performances across six continents, aimed to unite people to take action to defend the planet, end the COVID-19 pandemic, defeat poverty, provide education for all children, and promote equity and justice for all.
“Every day millions of girls walk miles to fetch clean water, and millions of boys are on the streets instead of going to school. Every day moms and dads struggle to find ways to feed their children,” Jones said from the main stage in Paris. “And every day, members of Rotary and Global Citizen start our days knowing that we can make a difference.”
“This year we’re putting a special focus on empowering girls worldwide, opening doors for young women to build brighter futures,” Jones said. “Today Rotary is committed to helping end poverty globally and protecting the planet by pledging $97 million in grant funding during 2022 for sustainable, member-led projects.”
Topic: Build Strength, Stability and Self-reliance through Shelter presented by Kahya Fox, Executive Director for Habitat for Humanity La Crosse Area
Habitat for Humanity La Crosse Area brings people together to build homes, communities, and hope. They believe that decent, affordable housing should be a matter of conscience and action; they realize there are people in our community who are living in inadequate conditions and that by joining together we can provide a hand up - not a hand out. Since 1992, Habitat for Humanity La Crosse Area’s programs have been providing safe, stable, and affordable housing for families in the Coulee Region, building 54 homes in La Crosse, Vernon, and Trempealeau counties in Wisconsin and Houston County in Minnesota.
For over five years, Kahya Fox has been the Executive Director for Habitat for Humanity La Crosse Area. Before taking on her new role, Kahya was the Housing Assistant Director for Couleecap, Inc. With nearly twenty years of affordable housing experience, she has worked with a variety of housing and community development programs, including housing rehabilitation, home purchase, weatherization, housing counseling, flood assistance, land trust housing, and new housing construction. Working extensively with low income families, Kahya has a very strong commitment and understanding of the issues faced by individuals in poverty. With an extensive background in public relations, Kahya brings a strong voice to housing programs She is also a certified Housing Counselor, Housing Quality Standards inspector, and HOME Certified Specialist.
Were you unable to attend a meeting and want to catch up on what you missed out on? Several of our club meetings have been recorded and are stored on our Rotary After Hours YouTube Channel! Subscribe to our channel so you don't miss any of our future videos. More to come!
The PI Committee is looking for someone interested in maintaining and expanding our social media presence. This is an opportunity for someone who enjoys creating high-quality social media content from our various meetings, service and social events to help share our Rotary story. Ideal candidates should have some knowledge of social media marketing and trends. However, the only qualifications are an active profile and desire to put your posts into Service Above Self.
If you are interested in assisting or know someone who would excel in this role, contact Marissa. To see examples of our social content, visit the RAH Facebook page.
