District Governor Dan Little - September 2020 Message

When Dr. Dan Little of Brookings accepted the position of District Governor nominee for Rotary District 5610, he was looking forward to the two years of extensive training that would prepare him to lead 40 clubs throughout all of South Dakota and parts of Minnesota, Nebraska and Iowa. That was in 2018.

Fast forward to the first day of his District Governor term, July 1, 2020, and the world looked much different.

“Everything changed in March, when most clubs suspended their meetings for at least a few weeks due to COVID-19. However, now about three quarters of the clubs are back to weekly gatherings, even if they are held virtually. The work of Rotary continues,” said Little.

Whiteclay Arts Makerspace Rotary Global Grant Approved for Rotary D5610

Whiteclay, Nebraska borders the Pine Ridge Reservation of South Dakota and has a population of about 12. It is less than two miles from the village of Pine Ridge, SD, population 3,308. It is the largest Native American city in South Dakota and is the headquarters of the Oglala Sioux Tribal Nation. There were four liquor stores in Whiteclay that sold about 4 million cans of beer, mostly to residents of Pine Ridge who left the dry reservation to buy their liquor at these stores. In 2017, the State of Nebraska Liquor Commission did not renew any of the liquor licenses in Whiteclay. As a result, all of the liquor stores closed. A non-profit corporation, Whiteclay Makerspace, was formed in Nebraska with the purpose of buying one of the liquor stores and transforming it into a makerspace for Pine Ridge area artists and craftspersons. The building has been purchased, remodeled and opened for local artists and craftspersons. An online marketing space is now open on the website www.whiteclayredo.com

Rotary District 5610 project members Ina Winter (Hot Springs), Linda Peterson and Tom Katus (Rapid City Rushmore) worked with building manager Jon Ruybalid to secure a $57,575 global grant from The Rotary Foundation (TRF). The grant, approved in August 2020, will support the artists and craftspeople who will be making use of the new makerspace in Whiteclay, NE.

Polio Plus

"WORLD POLIO DAY IS OCTOBER 24 THIS YEAR AND IT IS MY HOPE THAT EVERY CLUB'S PRESIDENT IN DISTRICT 5610 WILL SHOW AND READ "5 REASONS WHY WE MUST ERADICATE POLIO", USING ZOOM OR MEETING IN PERSON, THEREBY CELEBRATING THIS SPECIAL DAY." Willis Sutliff MD, Polio Plus Chair

Rotary has made the huge commitment to continue giving $50 million a year until polio is eradicated. This shows the level of support our wonderful organization is doing for one of the noblest projects in history. The Gates Foundation has also raised the bar by committing to match every dollar Rotary raises by two dollars. District 5610 is asking every Rotarian to help with a $40 gift a year.

What is your club doing to celebrate

World Polio Day on Oct. 24?

Does your club have a plan to celebrate World Polio Day on October 24? The big day is just five weeks away and it’s time for all clubs to develop a plan to help spread the word about Rotary’s work to end this horrible disease and to celebrate the wonderful work so far.

District 5610 encourages you to do something to highlight the event - a watch party, a proclamation from the city government, a speaker at your weekly meeting, etc. As important as it is to plan your club's event, it's also important to try to promote the event among your club members and in the community. We want everyone to understand that we are so close to eradicating polio from our planet. Please plan something to help celebrate the day.