In this month’s message, District Governor Bruce Nearhood shares exciting news — the Rotary Foundation has once again earned Charity Navigator’s highest 4-star rating for the 17th consecutive year! 🌟 DG Bruce explains what this recognition means and why your support of the Rotary Foundation makes a lasting impact — transforming lives through projects in clean water, literacy, peacebuilding, maternal health, and more. Click to Play.
This year's Roger Kozak Award goes to Nancy Moose from the Rotary Club of Madison. The award was presented by the previous winners that were present at the District 5610 Conference. Congratulations Nancy! Well deserved!
District Governor Bruce Nearhood and the District 5610 Nominating Committee are pleased to announce the selection of Jeanelle Lust of the Rotary Club of Sioux Falls West as the District Governor for the Rotary year beginning July 1, 2028. Congratulations Jeanelle!
A heartfelt thank-you to every Rotarian who joined us for this year’s District Conference. Your participation made the event truly special and reaffirmed how important it is for our district to gather, learn, and celebrate together.
A 15-member team from Rotary District 5610 recently traveled to Bucharest, Romania with Hope Haven for a 10-day international service project, arriving on October 21. The team’s mission: to custom fit children with new wheelchairs, providing life-changing mobility and independence.
Bruce and I completed our club visits in October (thanks, Mobridge Rotary, for letting us crash your social on October 23!). We began our journey in July. We experienced the beauty of our district as we crisscrossed the Missouri and Big Sioux Rivers several times.
Our District has received our allocated District Designated Funds! I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate clubs on being awarded a district matching grant. We look forward to the pictures and stories about the positive community impacts you're making in our upcoming District newsletters. Guidelines were sent to each club receiving the matching grant. Please forward pictures with your community projects. They will not only help you in completing your required reporting requirements but also tell your story to the community and the world how your club "Unites for Good"!
Again, CONGRATULATIONS! Please continue reading to see the Clubs awarded these grants.
A Rotary Global Grant project in Whiteclay, Nebraska — supported by our District — has been recognized with the 2025 Heritage Award from the Nebraska Arts Council. This prestigious honor celebrates the project’s outstanding impact on preserving and revitalizing Native American culture through art, education, and community engagement. Watch the video.
Brookings Rotary welcomed the District Governor at its weekly meeting for an interactive program highlighting Rotary International’s 2025 theme, “Unite for Good,” lessons from June’s International Convention in Calgary, fresh momentum for PolioPlus/End Polio Now, and practical ideas to expand membership and engagement across the District.
To kick off, attendees scanned a QR code to join live polls supporting the Governor’s presentation. “We’re an organization of people of action, and today I wanted you to see and shape the conversation in real time,” the Governor said. “When we unite for good—across clubs, communities, and districts—we multiply our impact.”
The Rotary Club of Clark, in partnership with Ken’s Fairway, is once again collecting non-perishable food items to support families in need across the community. This effort is part of the club’s annual Day of Giving project — a cherished Clark tradition that has been making a difference for the past seven years.
Several current and former members of the Rapid City Rotary Club have served in the military. The Veteran Banner project has been a community lead initiative since 2017 and recognizes local veterans by displaying banners throughout Rapid City. Bill Rhode and Ashok Kumar are two of our current members who are honored on banners this year.
Rotary Foundation Month in November is a great time to offer a special thank-you to donors of all levels, including Sustaining Members. A Sustaining Member personally contributes US$100 or more each year to the Annual Fund. These contributions count toward Paul Harris Fellow, multiple Paul Harris Fellow, Paul Harris Society, Major Donor, and club recognition banners.
The Rotary Club of Spearfish is proud to announce its renewed commitment to the Rotary Youth Exchange program. Beginning immediately, the club will take an active role in supporting this life-changing initiative, with plans underway to host an inbound exchange student at Spearfish High School for the 2026–2027 academic year.
Downtown Sioux Falls Rotary showed up big along Rotary Way at Jacobson Plaza—handing out candy and Sioux 52 Mentoring information to more than 3,000 kids during the Not So Scary Trail or Treat. The family-friendly evening, hosted by Sioux Falls Parks & Recreation, delivered a steady parade of costumes, games, and community spirit.
Eight Rushmore Rotarians had a spooktacular time giving back to the community at the Black Hills Children’s Home Trunk or Treat event! The Rotarians handed out treats and shared smiles with approximately 35 children, helping make their Halloween extra fun and memorable.
Danny Cleveland, a senior at Sioux City East High School, was selected as the November 2025 Rotary Club Student of the Month. He was honored during the Rotary Club meeting on Monday, November 10.
November is Rotary Foundation Month, and we’re inviting all Clubs to join the Proud Rotarian Campaign to celebrate our shared impact through the Rotary Foundation! This campaign is a great opportunity to spotlight your Club’s pride in Rotary and inspire others to give.
Retired engineer Carl Hansen was the guest engineer at the Nov. 10 meeting of the Custer Rotary Club. Hansen told the club about his work in weapons systems and designing torpedoes, as well as working for Lockheed Martin. Hansen now serves as a volunteer photographer for the Custer County Chronicle and does numerous odd jobs for businesses in the area.
Members of the Brookings Rotary Club were treated to an inspiring program this week featuring South Dakota State University Women’s Soccer Head Coach Brock Thompson and senior player Shelby Hopeau. The duo shared powerful messages about leadership, community, and the values that define the Jackrabbit soccer program. “What a picture of servant leadership you have for this community,” Thompson said, thanking Rotary members for their volunteer work. “The people that work behind the scenes to make sure some of these community functions happen—it’s really inspirational.”
Marshall Noon Rotary recently hosted a heartwarming Literacy Event aimed at encouraging a love of reading among elementary-aged students in our community. The event took place in conjunction with Parent Teacher Conferences at Southview Elementary, where students were invited to select a book of their choice to take home. The excitement on the students’ faces as they chose their own books was a testament to the power of reading and the joy it brings.
Giving Tuesday is a global celebration of generosity — and a powerful opportunity for Rotarians to create meaningful change with a gift of any size. A donation to Annual Fund-SHARE supports projects you’re passionate about, both in your community and around the world. A gift to PolioPlus helps transport vaccines and immunize children to keep them safe.
In October, members of the LeMars Rotary Club came together to support local students through the Backpack Program, which provides essential food and supplies to children in need. Volunteers packed backpacks with nutritious meals and helpful resources, ensuring that students had what they needed for a successful week.
Cheeks is accepting nominations for eastern SD nonprofits at https://www.scheels.com/rtw/VvexG8/. The top 8 get $5,000. Please nominate your Rotary club by November 18. The non-profit must be a registered 501 (c)(3) organization in the surrounding Eastern South Dakota community to possibly receive a donation from SCHEELS.
Jeff Oldham of Reptile Gardens was the guest at the Nov. 3 meeting of the Custer Rotary Club and spoke to club members about the history of Reptile Gardens and his history with the attraction. He also brought along a special guest, a baby alligator that club members were offered a chance to pet. Some decided to keep their distance from the little guy. Oldham received a Rotary mug from club president Jason Ferguson following his presentation.
In 2024, Rotary District 2520 began planning its 60th anniversary Interact Annual Conference with a bold question: “What can we do that will truly stay in the hearts of young people?” The answer was not a ceremony, but a journey—connecting Japanese and Ukrainian Interactors through ongoing cultural exchange and peacebuilding.
