It’s hard to believe that we’ve already reached the end of the Rotary year (it seems like it just started yesterday)! As you read this, I’ll be preparing to finish our year at the Rotary International Convention in Calgary. I’m thrilled to be able to represent our phenomenal district and am looking forward to sharing more about what I learn – and spending time with the seventeen other local Rotarians making the trip to “O Canada!”
It’s been another great year for our district – and you are the reason why! Our clubs have done a terrific job of supporting their local communities; some clubs have even supported international projects as well. Our foundation giving continues to be strong (and how about that Gathering for Good Back to the Fifties Night – what fun and more importantly, we were able to raise the most we have raised in our G4G history – WOWSA --- and this was all thanks to the generosity of many --- thank you so much for your continued support of this event)!
In addition, we continue to see Pocket Change for Polio donations trickle into Rotary International, and we hope to finish out the year in this area with over $100,000 to continue our support of eradicating polio (we are this close!). Please continue to send your pocket change donations into RI by using the form at this link. And, of course, don’t forget to send your annual polio contributions as well. All donations for the year (both polio plus and annual fund) should be in by 30 June 2025 to count for the 2024-2025 year.
We also continue to strive to increase membership in our district thanks to the efforts of our co-membership chairs, club presidents, and most importantly, members who continue to encourage friends and family to be part of our magical Rotary organization. We continue the mission of creating new, innovative clubs to meet the needs of our communities as well (if you have any great ideas for a new club type, we would love to hear about them – talk to your local membership chair).
Our Mental Health Task Force continues to plug along and will be expanding next year and become an official part of our district leadership team. Please continue to wear your green ribbon pin (your club presidents should have these if you need one) to emphasize mental health awareness and keep the information paper on mental health (in last month’s newsletter) handy in case you see someone who may be struggling with mental health issues. It’s so very important to ensure folks who struggle know that they are not alone.
As I look back on my time as District Governor, what I’ve most enjoyed is getting to know so many of you while visiting your clubs, 40 club visits in all, traversing through Eastern Kansas. There is so much heart (and magic!) in all you do, and I think that magic is what will keep our organization going strong well into the future as we begin our new year “Uniting for Good.”
I owe so much to so many for the success of our year – first, to our club presidents and their leadership teams, second, the district leadership team, third, our PDGs, fourth, the DG Line, fifth, my family, sixth, my home club, and last but not least and most importantly, Mandy – she was always available for a call or an email and helped keep me straight during the year --- you are all D5710 Rockstars and I thank you so very much for everything and know that with your continued support and leadership, out future is bright.
And speaking of the future, I’m so excited to see all that your incoming District Governor, Chuck Udell, will do! He’s got a lot of great ideas, and I look forward to seeing those come to life (and helping him any way I can).
Thank you again for the opportunity to serve…it’s been an incredible honor to be part of our D5710 Leadership Team.
Tamara Jo Sevcik
District Governor, 2024-2025
Rotary Club of Leavenworth (my biggest supporter-many thanks!)
A good time was had by all at the Monarchs game last week; we had a small but mighty crowd who enjoyed dinner and the game (even though it was a loss for our team). Thanks to everyone who took time out of their busy schedules to attend the game!
As this Rotary Year draws to a close, countless Rotary Members around the world, across the nation, and here in Kansas are donating their expertise, time, and especially their year-end donations to make polio a disease of the past. Through our support of Polio Plus the work we have done collectively is exceptional. In fact, WE HAVE DONE THE IMPOSSIBLE:
The last polio case in India was 01/13/11
Africa has been free of the Wild Polio Virus since July 2020
There are now only 2 Polio Endemic Countries – Pakistan & Afghanistan with just 12 Wild Polio cases so far this year as shown in our “Countdown to History”
Since the introduction of the NovelOPV in 2022, the annual number of cases of cVDPV has been driven to its lowest level ever
Since 1985 Polio Plus has provided over $2.1 BILLION to conquer polio
Saved over $28 Billion in Medical costs to date & another $25 Billion in the next 25 years
Over 3 Billion Children have been immunized
Polio Cases world wide have been reduced by 99.9%
Over 21 Million Children have been spared a life with paralysis
Over 2 Million Children have received Vitamin A doses along with their Polio Vaccine
Over 45 million volunteers have devoted their time to ending polio
Polio Plus has established a world-wide network of health clinics and labs
Harnessed the power of the infrastructure we built to provide life-saving vaccines for other preventable diseases
So, have you & your club been a part of the Amazing Accomplishments of Polio Plus and our Global partners? We only have this month for clubs and members across District 5710 to share your own expertise, time, and dollars to meet our 2024-2025 Polio Plus Goals. The Race to end this terrible disease has been long and we know The Last Mile can be the hardest which is why now, more than any other year, the support of Polio Plus by every District 5710 Club before June 30th is critical to reaching the finish line when there will be no more cases in the world of the Wild Polio Virus!
Thank you for helping to keep the promise we made to children everywhere...a polio free world.
Feel free to email, call or text your District 5710 Polio Plus Co-Chairs if you have any questions, need to schedule a status presentation for your club or want fundraising ideas.
We hope you are enjoying the start of the summer. Summertime can be a very busy time so we want you to SAVE this DATE: 16 August!
District 5710’s next scheduled learning event will be Team Seminar on 16 August from 8:30-1:30 at Maceli’s in Lawrence, KS. All District Rotarians are eligible to attend. Many District Club Leaders will attend-but we encourage all Rotarians interested in sharing diverse perspectives to attend. New ideas can strengthen our Clubs, help us grow membership and retain members.
This is a no-cost event! Attendees can look forward to an engaging and fun ½ day event with presentations, discussions, and a complimentary brunch and beverages (Mimosas and Bloody Marys included)! Let’s “Unite for Good” in Lawrence on 16 August.
(Mandy will be sending out registration information in July so keep an eye on your Inbox!)
Remember to let us know if your club is interested in hosting (providing a conference room/site and access to lunch) for an RLI (Rotary Leadership Institute).
KLC 2025
Please review the 2025 Kansas Leadership Center scholarship opportunities below. These leadership courses provide continuing professional development that will benefit you professionally and personally. Attached below you will find the descriptions of the KLC program sequence of courses and the virtual and in person options and dates. To register for a class, follow the instructions using the link and passcode on the attached pages below.
2025 District 5710 Leadership Transformation Grants
District 5710 and 5680 have each been awarded 25 grants to participate in the programs of the Kansas Leadership Center. The Kansas Leadership Center (KLC) is a non-profit organization committed to fostering leadership for stronger, healthier and more prosperous Kansas communities.
The KLC offers three programs that build on each other:
•When Everyone Leadsis the introductory one-day program that focuses on personal leadership competencies. It focuses on leadership as an activity – recognizing that every individual has the capacity to lead. It helps participants stretch and grow their leadership while addressing their toughest challenges.
•Your Leadership Edgeis the seminal, two-day deep dive into individual leadership for those who have completed When Everyone Leads. It focuses on helping leaders understand how to move out of their comfort zone and engage in meaningful leadership. It centers on the KLC’s leadership framework based on Five Guiding Principles and Four Profound Competencies.
•Lead For Changeis reserved for teams who have already completed the other two KLC courses. It is an immersive, three-day training that must be experienced in a team.
Who Should Attend?
Each club should consider sending up and coming leaders from their club and community. The virtual sessions are an ideal option. Leaders who have done the first program should consider the second program.
How To Register To Sign Up for When Everyone Leads or Your Leadership Edge, we ask that you do two things:
1.Visit the KLC website at: www.kansasleadershipcenter.org. Create a personal account and register using the passcode Rotary2025 to waive the tuition fee.
2.Notify District Learning Facilitators, of your interest in order that we might track Rotarians who are taking advantage of this grant. * If you have a team to enroll in Lead For Change, please contact us before doing so.
From the DHS Center for Countering Human Trafficking:
Human trafficking is the crime of compelling a person to provide labor or services, or to engage in commercial sex acts. It poses grave danger to individual well-being, public health and safety, economic development, and national security and prosperity. Countering human trafficking is therefore a homeland security priority. Every day, DHS components leverage their authorities to impact sex trafficking and forced labor, including the importation of goods produced with forced labor.
The mission of the DHS Center for Countering Human Trafficking (CCHT) is to advance counter human trafficking law enforcement operations, protect victims, and enhance prevention efforts by aligning DHS’ capabilities and expertise. By law, the CCHT advances every aspect of DHS's counter-trafficking work across four functional areas:
identification and screening
enforcement and investigations
victim protection and assistance
training, outreach, and engagement
Led by ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the CCHT also provides comprehensive support – intelligence, subject matter expertise, and funding – to HSI criminal human trafficking investigations worldwide.
Over the last month, we have seen quite an increase in Annual Fund SHARE giving. This is in part due to all the funds from the Gathering For Good fundraiser being recorded by Rotary International. It is also because some of you have given generously to the Foundation in the last month. We have now given more to the Annual Fund – SHARE than we did last year which also means that our District per capita giving has now exceeded that of last year! Our per capita giving for this year is $164.70 which is higher than it has been for the last three years! We still have one more month to increase these numbers even more and I know some of you are planning Foundation fundraising events for June. Your contributions to Our Rotary Foundation (TRF) is greatly appreciated and is the reason we can support our future endeavors with District and Global Grant initiatives.
As of May 30th, we have, as a district, given 124% of what we contributed last year to TRF Annual fund and 85% to Polio Plus. Over 79% of our clubs have donated at least something to one of the Rotary Foundation areas and we are all very delighted you did. If you have not made your contribution to TRF yet this year, I would encourage you to do so before June 30th. We wish you much success in your efforts to raise more funds for TRF. If the Foundation committee can assist in any way, please feel free to reach out to us.
Your District Foundation committee has been speaking to many of our clubs on several Foundation topics, including Endowment/Major Gifts, Global Scholars, Global grants, District grants, Paul Harris Society, Polio Plus, and alternative ways to give a significant gift to TRF. I encourage you to reach out to us if you would like us to present to you.
This will be my last newsletter article as your District Rotary Foundation Chair (DRFC). It has been a pleasure to serve D5710 in this capacity and I know that Roger Aeschliman will be a very qualified and wonderful successor in this role. I thank my incredible Foundation committee this year for all of their hard work supporting TRF in D5710. These individuals have spent countless hours educating members about TRF giving, encouraging members to contribute to TRF, and supporting our many TRF funded initiatives. This year’s committee was:
Faron Barr – DRFC
Roger Aeschliman – Endowment/Major Gifts
Jennifer Berquist – Paul Harris Society Chair
Rebecca Gould – Rotary Peace Fellow Chair
Jim Arnett – Polio Eradication Chair
Steven Graham – Global Grant Scholar Chair
Greg Shondell – District Grants Subcommittee Chair
Thank you for all of your efforts this year! I hope all of your fundraising efforts are successful, exciting, and fun for many years to come!
As the school year draws to a close and our students prepare to return home, we want to take a moment to sincerely thank the incredible host families who opened their hearts and homes to our students. Your warmth, kindness, and generosity have made this journey truly special for everyone involved.
To celebrate this wonderful chapter, we are excited to share some memorable moments captured during this time — moments filled with laughter, learning, and connection.
Thank you for making this year a truly unforgettable experience for our students. Your support and spirit of hospitality are genuinely appreciated.
If you have any questions about the Youth Exchange Program, please feel free to reach out to one of us:
Congratulations to this year's Rotary Youth Exchange students as they transition back to their homes. Especially noteworthy is that no complaints or issues arose (a continuing trend for District 5710). Our next fall's group of exchange students are being processed for arrival in August. Thanks to all the host families and club counselors who helped make this year another memorable one.
As clubs plan and prepare for the 2025-26 group, please keep in mind that the Rotary Youth Exchange policies for protecting exchange students mandates that its training expectations be followed. Those policies can be found at https://www.rotary.org/en/our-programs/youth-exchanges/details
If you have any questions, please contact Harold Frye, District 5710 Youth Protection Officer at hfrye@bakeru.edu.
There is still time to fulfill your Paul Harris Society commitment for this Rotary year! The society’s purpose is to identify, engage, and thank members who have the ability and desire to make substantial annual gifts to help communities close to home and around the world. A PHS member contributes at least $1,000 annually to the Annual Fund, PolioPlus Fund or approved global grants. Since last July, 21 Rotarians have stepped up to make the annual commitment.
I will be following up one more time this month to those who are eligible but haven’t paid in 2024-25. If your circumstances have changed, please do let me know.
Not a PHS member and want to join? You may do so in one of five ways:
Did you know that Rotarians contributed $12.3 million through Rotary Direct last year? The Rotary Foundation (TRF) shared that in an email last month. Whether you donate monthly, quarterly, or annually, we highly recommend using Rotary Direct. It is simple to initiate, and you do not have to think about it again, unless you need to update your payment information.
Please consider setting up Rotary Direct at $84/month and you will achieve a Paul Harris Fellow award annually. Here is the Rotary Direct link for your convenience: https://my.rotary.org/en/rotary-direct.
This year’s grant application deadline to apply for District Matching Grant Funds will be August 31, 2025.
Clubs should realize that they still have time to reach STAR Club status until June 30, 2025. Every club that gives at least $100 per capita to the Rotary Foundation Annual Programs Fund will receive additional district matching funds (currently projected to be about $700/Star Club). At this time, 16 clubs have already reached this level. The remaining clubs still have time to get this bonus for 2025-2026 grants, but contributions must be received by Rotary International before June 30, 2025.
If you have any questions regarding your club’s current giving to the Annual Program fund, please contact Greg Shondell, District 5710 Grants Subcommittee Chair, greg@HeathwoodOil.com.
District 5710 funds a Rotary Global Grant Scholarship every two years. The District interviews were held in Lawrence, KS, on Saturday February 8th. We selected one scholarship winner, Ms. Anna McCartan from Leawood, KS.
Anna just finished her bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry/Data Science and graduated from Notre Dame University in Indiana. Anna will depart in late August to pursue a MS degree in Bioinformatics and Computational Biology at the University College Cork in Cork, Ireland. Anna will represent District 5710 very well.
We finished the online application for Anna’s global grant scholarship in the RI system during the first week of May and received final approval on May 27th. We followed up with requested information about our bank account and should be receiving the money from RI soon.
Thanks to District 5710 leadership for funding the Global Grant Scholarship program. It is always exciting to have an excellent scholar studying abroad and representing District 5710.
June 30 is the end of the Rotary Fiscal Year and July 1 is the start of new club and district leadership. Has your club met all its donation goals? It is not too late to make an endowed gift to Rotary to count in this last month.
Some gifting techniques take time to structure and execute. Others, like cash donations or IRA qualified charitable distributions can be dashed off very quickly. Your club leadership would be very pleased to assist you with a gift to the Rotary Endowment Fund.
Rotary International professionals Eric Thompson (219-712-4852) or Lizzy King (847-866-3017 or Elizabeth.King@rotary.org) are eager to visit with anyone about making a major gift or funding the Rotary endowment. Me too.
District volunteers are eager to come speak to your club membership about major gifts, polio, the annual fund, and the Million Dollar Challenge for District 5710. Please reach out to me so we can schedule a speaker who can talk about the importance of the Rotary Foundation and how your contribution can ensure the future of Rotary in our Northeast Kansas district.
Call me at 785-267-8782 (daytime work) or raeschliman@corefirstbank.com (same) to connect and get energized about the Rotary International Foundation.
The Rotary Club of Emporia was honored to recognize long-time Rotarian, Barbara Wry, for her incredible dedication to our club over her tenure in Emporia. Barb has been the driving force for good and progress in our club, and we are going to miss her dearly. We wish Barb all the best in her next adventure as she moves back home to be closer to family. Thank you for your countless contributions towards Rotary, Emporia, and Service Above Self.
Educators of the Year from Leavenworth USD 453 were honored recently by our club. Pictured in first photo are Educator of the Year Chair, Tamara Sevcik, Jean Marie Hart, primary Educator of the Year-USD 453, and club President, Tiffany Andrews. Pictured in the second photo is Jennie Wooten, secondary Educator of the Year-USD 453, (center) with Tamara & Tiffany. Each awardee received a local Service Above Self Award and a $250 gift card; wishing them both good luck when they compete at state level in the fall.
Student Scholars were recognized at a recent Rotary meeting. Each were awarded a scholarship; 2025 Rotary scholarships totaled $11,000. Pictured left to right are Scholarship Committee Chair, Tamara Sevcik, Noah Siebenmorgen, Pleasant Ridge HS, Jacob Kramer & PJ Wells, Leavenworth HS, Madelyn Lueck, Basehor-Linwood HS, Mikenna Matzeder & Aiden Lessard, Lansing HS, club President, Tiffany Andrews and primary school (USD 453) Educator of the Year, Jean Marie Hart. Big congrats are in order for all!
Rotarian Mike Sevcik was honored to present the Rotary Leadership Award to Cadet (1SG) Kayla Parris at L'worth HS for the Annual JROTC Awards Ceremony last evening; congratulations to this exceptional young leader making a positive difference in JROTC and our community!
Recently, members of the Rotary Club and the Lansing Lions Club hosted an OTC Med Drive in support of the Allways Community Health Center; thanks to everyone who came out to support; with the generous donations of our community we were able to drop off over nine bins of OTC Meds (983 items valued at $7,717.23) and over $635 in cash donations…WOW!
This Rotary year, our Club has been fortunate to host inspiring presentations by the daughters of Rotarians.
· Dr. Molly Disbrow, daughter of Jim Lindquist, gave an insightful talk on small bowel capsule endoscopy.
· Dr. Megan Niederwerder, DVM, executive director of the Swine Health Information Center and daughter of Randy Peterson, shared her expertise on protecting the swine herd and the associated research.
· Dr. Katherine Culbertson, faculty member in the Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management at UC Berkeley and daughter of President-elect Chris Culbertson, presented on rainforest conservation and restoration efforts in Madagascar.
May was a busy month for our volunteers, with cleanup efforts along the Kaw River and traffic control for the Bill Snyder 5K and Half Marathon.
We’re also excited to welcome two new members who joined in May:
· Chris Bunnell, sponsored by Mike Heylin. Chris is the founder of Aggietown Real Estate & Property Management in Copeland, KS.
· Antonina Broyaka, Extension Assistant Professor in the Department of Agricultural Economics. She was sponsored by Steven Graham.
Vice President Shelley Carver presented the April Cup Big Check to Konza Student Table, recognizing their important work in the community.
This month, we celebrate several Rotary milestones: John Armbrust – 25 years, Jim Wright – 33 years, Mel Chastain – 37 years, Brice Horbrook – 39 years and Bill Varney – 65 years.
Finally, we wrapped up the month with a fun Rotary on Tap social at the Arrow Cocktail Lounge in the Wareham Hotel
May is a month full of milestones and meaningful moments, and the Konza Rotary Club celebrates them all. From the joy and pride of college and high school graduations to honoring the incredible women in our lives on Mother’s Day, this month reminds us of the importance of family, community, and reflection. On Memorial Day, we remember and honor those who gave their lives in service to our country. With the unofficial start of summer upon us, May also brings warmer days, outdoor gatherings, and renewed energy for service and connection in our community.
May Cup Collection was for Sunflower Children's Collective. Sunflower Children’s Collective is a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting and advocating for children who have experienced abuse or neglect in the Riley County region. Through a multidisciplinary approach, they work to ensure each child’s physical, emotional, and legal needs are met with compassion and care.
Mark Rose & Ben Kohl greet visiting Rotarian, Kevin Corprew, on May 9.
Each month, the Konza Rotary Board of Directors convenes to advance ongoing projects. During a recent meeting, Sue Maes of the Manhattan Rotary Club presented an opportunity for a Rotary Friendship Exchange between South Africa’s Rotary District 9350 and Kansas District 5710.
The 2nd Annual Little Apple Big Blue Riverbank Clean-up, organized by Friends of the Kaw, took place on Saturday, May 10. This clean-up is a community-driven event focused on removing trash and battery cases from the Kansas River. The initiative promotes environmental stewardship and waterway health while engaging volunteers in hands-on conservation efforts. Ben Kohl & Andy Hutchinson, along with Manhattan Rotary Club member Chris Bailey, helped pick up a lot of trash on the land.
Konza Rotary proudly supported Manhattan-Ogden students by awarding scholarships to two Manhattan High School seniors. Kirk Crabtree and Chris Brandt presented the students with a $1,500 scholarship to assist with their post-secondary education.
On Saturday, May 24, our club members volunteered their time and energy to support the local organizers of the Bill Snyder Highway Half. Their efforts contributed to the smooth execution of this annual running event, demonstrating our commitment to community engagement and support. Our president, Ben Kohl, and his wife completed the race, completing their collection of KSU medals.
On May 30, Riley May was inducted into the Konza Rotary Club. Welcome, Riley!
This month, we heard from a variety of speakers:
May 2
Tracy Anderson, from Anderson Knight Architects, talked about how he became an architect and the growth of his architecture firm.
May 9
Gene Taylor, K-State Athletic Director
Future of K-State Sports regarding NIL, Transfer Portal, and Revenue Sharing.
May 16
Allyn Weddle, Owner of Weddle & Sons, Inc. Roofing
History and growth of Weddle & Sons, Inc. Roofing
May 30
Aaron Wall, Executive Director at First Tee
First Tee Program
June will bring the following guest speakers for our Friday morning meetings.
June 13
Chris Klieman, Head Coach K-State Football
June 20
Brett Jones, Manko Window Systems Inc.
June 27
Ben Kohl & Di Hinrichs, President & President-Elect
Konza Rotary Club Year in Review and Future Plans
This will be the transition of presidency for the Konza Rotary Club. Thank you to Ben Kohl for leading us this year. We appreciate all you have done to make our club even better!
Aaron Westbrook saw an ad for the Life VAC and suggested that the Rotary clubs purchase them for the local schools in case of a choking incident. Don Landoll liked the idea and offered that Landall fund the Rotary project for the Valley Heights and Marysville schools. The school nurses and leadership were very appreciative.
The Overland Park Rotary Club hosted the annual KC Crawfish Festival, raising money this year for Growing Futures Early Childhood Education Center. This is our large annual event, which includes months of planning and coordination with Rotarians and other volunteers. We’re still tabulating final donations coming in, but the event raised over $33k for charity. Another successful year!
The KC Crawfish Festival is a one-night event with over 500 attendees who enjoy all-you-can-eat Crawfish (flown in day-of from Louisiana and prepared fresh on site), along with pulled pork, red beans & rice, and other sides and beverages. Paired with live music and a perfect 70 degree evening, it was a fun night for everyone!
While a one-night event, we had over 80 volunteers help across Friday, Saturday and Sunday to set-up, host, and clean-up. A big shout out to everyone involved!
For more information on KC Crawfish Festival or Growing Futures you can visit the websites at:
Wild Poliovirus Weekly Update
Did you know that Rotarians contributed $12.3 million through Rotary Direct last year? The Rotary Foundation (TRF) shared that in an email last month. Whether you donate monthly, quarterly, or annually, we highly recommend using Rotary Direct. It is simple to initiate, and you do not have to think about it again, unless you need to update your payment information.
The Rotary Club of Emporia was honored to recognize long-time Rotarian, Barbara Wry, for her incredible dedication to our club over her tenure in Emporia. Barb has been the driving force for good and progress in our club, and we are going to miss her dearly. We wish Barb all the best in her next adventure as she moves back home to be closer to family. Thank you for your countless contributions towards Rotary, Emporia, and Service Above Self.
On May 30, Riley May was inducted into the Konza Rotary Club. Welcome, Riley!
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