Sunrise Rotary News! Oct 15, 2025 (Oct. 15, 2025)

Highlights!

Weekly Rotary Programs
at ROTARY HALL in NewBo City Market

7AM Thursdays

For locations and details of our VISITS TO... open the speaker details

> Oct 16 - Sunrise Rotary Board Meeting - update on Ashton Knatz, our global Scholar!

> Oct 17 - Friday 1PM (or whenever you can arrive!!) we will gather at the Indian Creek Nature Center "Barn" to help them remove undergrowth. We will work alongside 9 Americorps workers. ICNC is providing the tools. WEAR GLOVES and long pants/sleeves. We may choose to gather at a nearby watering hole afterwards. Call or Text Bruce if you are joining us later, to get the location.

Our past Program Highlights:

> Oct 2 - Sydney Rieckhoff - Founder of Almost Famous Popcorn Company. Almost Famous NewBo Store tour followed. A wonderful family business story!!
> Sep 25 - Visited the Indian Creek Nature Center at the Old Barn. Sunrise Rotary's $5000 Grant Project area

> Sep 11 - Visited the Eastern Iowa Arts Academy 2630 B Ave NE

> Aug 14 - We toured the new Boys and Girls Club at 1602 Washington Ave SE, Cedar Rapids. Sarah Hoeger was our host. A wonderful facility for their mission with MS and HS students.
> July 10 - Save CR Heritage presented - http://www.savecrheritage.org/ Sunrise Rotary is donating $1000 to this organization, toward their new permanent facility and location. Details here: http://www.savecrheritage.org/news/

> Aug 14 - We toured the new Boys and Girls Club in Cedar Rapids. An amazing place for engaging and developing youth in Cedar Rapids.
> July 24 - Citizens’ Police Academy | Sergeant Jen Roberts. An amazing CRPD public spokesperson and presentation.

> July 10 - Save CR Heritage, Jay Vavra http://www.savecrheritage.org/ A $1000 Rotary donation to the organization was announced. They have reached their goal!
> June 19 - Sunrise Rotary served lunch to Vets at the Freedom Foundation. A Rotary donation of $500 was also presented.
> June 5 - CR Fire Department talk - Important home safety actions!

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!

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

We now hold our weekly meeting at 7am Thursdays at NewBo City Market 1100 3rd Street SW, Cedar Rapids, Iowa All are welcome!

Grant Approved for Indian Creek Nature Center

Sunrise Rotary annually applies (and usually receives!) a Rotary District Grant. Half is from our fundraising, half is from our Rotary District 5970 Foundation funds.

This year our $5000 grant project at the Indian Creek Nature Center has been APPROVED!.

The project is removing undesirable underbrush in the forest south of the "Barn"... their original facility. New undergrowth trees will be planted in Spring 2026.

Undergrowth will be removed this fall, with the help of AmeriCorps, our Rotary Members, and perhaps Boy Scouts. Rotarians from other clubs in the area are invited to assist.

AmeriCorps focuses on community service and civic engagement, offering opportunities for individuals to serve in various sectors like education, environment, and disaster relief. AmeriCorps was recently re-instated and will operate until Nov 15, 2025.

Club Member Meeting Duties

Each week, someone provides a drawing prize.

You can't be there? Just contact swap dates with another Rotarian on this list.

Meeting Date	Door Prize

October 16, 2025	Board Meeting

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!

Need ideas for August and beyond...

Shakespeare Garden

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/