Ali Abidi is a student at Onalaska High School and the founder and president of SEHAT Inc.(Securing Equitable Healthcare Access Together), a youth-led 501(c)(3) nonprofit based in the La Crosse area working to improve healthcare access for underserved, uninsured, and underinsured individuals and families. Through community partnerships, education, technology, direct giving, and advocacy, SEHAT connects people with affordable healthcare and essential resources. Its initiatives include multilingual healthcare education, the free ApolloHealth mobile app, distribution of essential health supplies, and advocacy for greater health equity. Click here for the website: SEHAT
DID YOU MISS OUR 9/16 or 10/7 SPEAKERS?
We now have two Zoom recordings available for those who missed the 9/16 or 10/17 guest speakers. Thanks to our friends at the YMCA, we now have the ability to record guest presentations and offer them for viewing by anyone who might have missed those meetings. Each recording will only be available for 30 days after the recording, so please keep that in mind.
9/16: LaCrossRoads Program – Hayley McMullen and Brad Masche
NOTE: If you know that you will not be able to attend the meeting one or more of the weeks in October, please find someone to take your place and let Shari know a day or two before the meeting who that person will be.
Link to ClubRunner Training
PICKLEBALL: OCTOBER 18 & NOVEMBER 1
It's time to dust off the pickleball paddles and limber up for upcoming dates at the DASH Center! We have two dates so far: October 18 and November 1 from noon-3pm. Paddles and balls are available for those that don't have them. Valley View Rotarians and their families are welcome. Cost is $3 per person. Sign-up sheets will be passed out at meetings. Plans for a social hour after play are in progress. FYI: Packers are not playing at those times on those dates!
NEW DATE: OCTOBER 20, 2026
Please see Julie Nelson or Tom Byerly with any questions.
A VISIT WITH GEMMA SISIA
Founder, School of St. Jude, Arusha, Tanzania
La Crosse Area Rotary Clubs | October 26–28, 2026
About the School of St. Jude
The School of St. Jude is a non-denominational, pioneering leader in charitable education within Africa. It provides a free, quality, holistic education to primary and secondary students and supports its graduates through higher education. Students regularly achieve outstanding examination results, often appearing among the top 10 students in Tanzania.
Visit Schedule
Mon, Oct. 26
7:00 – 8:30 pm
Reception and Discussion
Informal reception with the Rotary Club of La Crosse
Location: Home of Chuck Hanson, 2019 Stonecrest Rd, La Crosse
RSVP to Chuck Hanson (below)
Tue, Oct. 27
7:00 – 9:00 am
Breakfast with Area Rotary Clubs
Breakfast with Presidents and Rotarians from area Rotary clubs
Location: Radisson Hotel, La Crosse – Iowa Room RSVP to Bud Hammes (below), seats are limited
We all want our service projects to have an impact that lasts. Projects that listen to community voices, focus on changing behaviors, and measure progress over time are better positioned to make a real, long‑term difference. To support that work, Rotary has pathways to impact that lead to higher-quality, more impactful service projects guided by community input, proven approaches, and the strengths and expertise of our members.
From early planning through measurement and storytelling, these resources contribute to all stages of your service project so that impact extends well beyond the project itself. They also encourage your club to connect Rotary’s areas of focus to the root causes of community challenges, leading to more effective long-term outcomes, stronger grant applications, increased credibility with partners and donors, and a reinforced reputation for Rotary as a results-driven organization.
Start exploring resources to help you along your pathway to impact:
Watch the Create Lasting Change videoto see how Rotary partners with communities, builds local capacity, and measures progress.
Explore Area of Focus 2-pagers, which outline proven strategies and approaches within each of Rotary’s areas of focus.
Access Developing Effective Projectsfor practical tools and guidance to design sustainable, community-informed projects.
ROTARY FELLOWSHIP DANUBE RIVER CRUISE
April 10-17, 2027
ALL DISTRICT 6250 ROTARIANS ARE INVITED!
We currently have 14 cabins reserved for Rotarians, friends and family on Valley View Rotary's Fellowship Cruise down the Danube! There are still some cabins available, so please consider this fun opportunity. If we are able to sign up just two more cabins, for a total of 16, Viking will provide a special Rotary cocktail party!
This will be a Viking 8-day cruise April 10-17, 2027 from Passau, Germany to Budapest, Hungary, with stops in Linz, Krems and Vienna, Austria, as well as Bratislava, Slovakia. All Rotarians in District 6250, including their friends & family (18 years and older), are invited, and we hope to connect with at least one Rotary club along the way for a meet-up, service project or to make plans for joint projects or RFEs in the future.
Viking's intimate river ships carry up to 190 guests with meals onboard, beer and wine with lunch and dinner, Wi-Fi, guided excursions, and cultural enrichment included. You unpack once and stay in the same comfy cabin each night but get to enjoy the beauty and history of amazing scenery and destinations throughout the journey. PRICES START AT $2,474 PER PERSON based on double occupancy (discounted from what you see on the public website). Additional discounts may apply and deposit is only $25.
Matt Boshcka, Valley View Rotarian and owner of Dream Vacations, has generously offered to do all the legwork to make this Fellowship Cruise happen. Contact Matt at 608-397-1855 or mboshcka@dreamvacations.com with any questions or to reserve your cabin.
Start in Sophia, Bulgaria, at 9 am on April 19 and finish in Sophia on the 28th. Airfare has been running about $800 to $1000 round trip out of MSP. Typically, we stay for 3 days in 3 different cities with our hosts creating the itinerary, our in-home accommodations, and transportation. This is an amazing way to travel, basically a few out-of-pocket expenses, probably a night or 2 in a hotel and your airfare. First applicants get a small preference, but the selection is based on your answers to questions on the application and your involvement in Rotary. You do not have to be a Rotarian to participate; we have had many go on an RFE and become Rotarians when they return. If you're selected for one of the 10 spots available, you will need to make a $500 deposit that will cover group expenses and any agreed-upon expenses for the return. Any remaining funds will be returned to you.
Our Bulgarian hosts will then visit La Crosse (probably late August or early September) and we will be their hosts. You will be expected to host/drive/organize for the return or find someone to host in your place - no exceptions.
Rotary provides many opportunities to create positive, lasting change in our community and around the globe. One meaningful way to strengthen that impact is to enroll in Rotary Direct, our Foundation's recurring giving program. Last year, thanks to generous donors, our Foundation was able to fund more than 1,488 global grants, 457 district grants, and 57 disaster response grants to help communities in need. Rotary Direct is one of the easiest and most secure ways for our donors to support this work. Because contributions are automated, donors don't need to send checks or remember to make an annual contribution.
Rotary Direct saves time and reduces administrative costs. It offers flexible giving options to fit every donor:
For more information, you can refer to these frequently asked questions. Thank you for your dedication to Doing Good in the World!
rotary works foundation
The Rotary Works Foundation was founded in 1982 with the purpose of awarding grants for qualified activities. Through generous gifts from local Rotary Clubs (including VVR) and others, the Foundation makes a difference in the quality of life in our communities. Please click on the link below for more information. Grantees of RWF funds are listed in the ABOUT section after the list of sponsors.
