Burnsville Breakfast Rotary

10/07/2026

Imagine Kevin Costner remaking Field of Dreams... But with pumpkins instead of corn!
"If you build it, they will come." (And by "it," we mean a giant patch loaded with pumpkins, and gourds for your fall decor!)

Stop by the Pumpkin patch across from River Hills UMC to pick out your autumn favorites, take a few family photos, and support some incredible community organizations.

Event Details:
Dates: September 28 – October 31, 2026
Hours: Open Daily | 10:00 AM – 7:00 PM
Location: Corner of Hwy 13 & River Hills Dr (Directly across from 11100 River Hills Dr, Burnsville, MN 55337

Where the Money Goes:
100% of proceeds from pumpkin sales support local charity and youth programs, including:
• Living Well Disability Services
• Simpson Housing Services
• Local Youth Missions
Bring the family, grab your porch decor, and make a difference right here in our community!

05/15/2026

The Burnsville Breakfast Rotary Club welcomed Cary J. Griffith, who’s an award-winning Minnesota-based author known for thrillers and non-fiction focusing on the natural world, survival, and wildlife, including the Sam Rivers Mystery series. He has won the Minnesota Book Award and a Midwest Book Award. Cary shared with us the story of one of his latest books called “Gunflint Falling” (Jan. 2024 release), which tells the story of a camping trip by three friends gone awry during the blowdown in the Boundary Waters of Northern, MN. on July 4th., 1999. Cary is an amazing storyteller who captivated our attention as he told the story of these three amazing women and their close call with death! Thank you, Cary, for sharing your time with our club! If you’d like to learn more about Cary and the several books he’s written, please visit his website at: https://www.carygriffith.com

If you'd like to learn more about Burnsville Breakfast Rotary Club and what we do, or how you can become a member, please visit our website at:
https://www.burnsvillebreakfastrotary.org/

03/28/2026

The deadline to order spring plants through our Gertens fundraiser is THIS THURSDAY, April 2nd at 10 PM.

Every order makes a real difference for the Burnsville families and organizations we support year-round.

03/26/2026

The Burnsville Breakfast Rotary Club welcomed Hamde Daoud who is the Community Engagement Coordinator for Burnsville's District 191 School District. Homde shared with us her passion for supporting underserved communities and bringing her experience growing up in a multicultural home to help Somali immigrants adjust to living in America, and how to navigate and attain resources to make the adjustment to their new homeland. Some of the key things we learned are as follows:

- The largest migration began after the Somali Civil War in the 1990's
- Many arrived as refugees/first generation immigrants legally
- Navigating housing, employment & education has been difficult
- They’re are somewhere between 80-100k Somali's living in MN, with the vast majority of them living in the Twin Cities (2% of states population. Preferred communication style within Somali culture is talking/in person communication vs e-mail or texting
- Majority of Somali families are Mulim. 5 daily prayers, modesty in dress, and dietary restrictions (Halal) i.e. Food must be blessed
- There are approx. 4,900 Somali residents in Dakota County, with the highest concentration living in Apple Valley, Burnsville, & Eagan.
- Somali culture is deeply rooted in community, respect & hospitality. Family takes priority.

If you'd like to learn more about Homde and the type of work she does, please watch this video which is about 4 min. in length. https://fb.watch/G4-cckaM6H/

If you'd like to learn more about Burnsville Breakfast Rotary Club and what we do, or how you can become a member, please visit our website at:
https://www.burnsvillebreakfastrotary.org/

03/18/2026

The Burnsville Breakfast Rotary Club welcomed Alica Crudup who's the Executive Director of Kids 'n Kinship to their recent club meeting in February. Our club donated $1,000 to help support the mission of this amazing non-profit that provides community-based mentoring programs for children aged 5-16 years, primarily serving single parent household in Dakota County. They match volunteers (individuals, couples, & families) with youth to help foster positive relationships, improve self-esteem, and provide role models through fun and low-cost activities.

Pictured from left to right is Tony Stuppnig, Rotary member and Kids n' Kinship volunteer, Alicia Crudup-Executive Director of KNK, and our 2025-26 Club President Greg Ludvigsen. If you’d like to learn more about volunteer opportunities with Kids n' Kinship, please visit their website by visiting this link: https://www.kidsnkinship.org/ If you'd like to learn more about Burnsville Breakfast Rotary Club and how you can become a member, please visit our website at: https://www.burnsvillebreakfastrotary.org/

03/10/2026

Give Mom flowers that do more than just look pretty!

The Burnsville Breakfast Rotary Club is officially launching our Mother’s Day Plant Fundraiser with Gertens! Whether you’re brightening up your patio or looking for the perfect gift, your purchase directly supports local groups like ISD 191 schools, our Police and Fire personnel, Can Do Canines, and more.

30% of all plant sales stay right here in our community to fund vital programs.

How to order:
1. Visit: www.gertensfundraising.com
2. Enter Store Number: 1142
3. Order by: April 2nd (10 PM)

Pick up your blooms on Saturday, May 2nd, at 200 West Burnsville Parkway.
Let’s beautify Burnsville together! Brighten your home this spring with gorgeous plants while celebrating Mom and supporting our local community!

Why Your Support Matters
The Burnsville Breakfast Rotary Club Foundation proudly donates to local causes, including our Police and Fire personnel, ISD 191 schools, Can Do Canines, The Drawer, MOMs, the YMCA, Warm Hands and Warm Hearts, and more.
As part of the world’s second-largest volunteer organization, our members dedicate their time to make a difference.

With your help, 30% of plant sales and 15% of plant card sales will fund vital community programs

01/18/2026

The Burnsville Breakfast Rotary Club welcomed Ryan Hentges, CEO of Dakota Electric, to their January 8th club meeting. Dakota Electric is a member-owned, not‑for‑profit electric cooperative serving parts of Dakota, Goodhue, Scott, and Rice counties. Some of the key points he shared about the cooperative are as follows:

- Founded in 1937, headquartered in Farmington

- 118,000 members, 200 employees

- $250M in revenue, $500M in assets

- $190M in power costs

- Governed by a Board of Directors and regulated by the MN Public Utilities Commission

🗺️ Service Area
They serve a large portion of the south metro, neighboring utilities like Xcel Energy and Minnesota Valley Electric Cooperative.

📈 Key Issues Highlighted
- Rising costs and stagnant sales

- Recent rate increase (first since 2019)

- New facility in Lakeville due to space constraints at the 1977-built headquarters in Farmington, MN.

- Data centers as a major future opportunity for rate stability

- Dakota Electric’s approach to data centers has been approved by the MN Public Utilities Commission.

📊 Sales Trends
Annual kWh sales have remained relatively flat over the past decade, with residential customers consistently around half of the total usage. Membership growth continues, but energy use per member is not increasing at the same pace.

If you'd like to learn more about the Burnsville Breakfast Rotary Club and what we do, or how you can become a member, please visit our website: https://www.burnsvillebreakfastrotary.org/ or RSVP to Greg Ludvigsen-Club President at [email protected] Our club meets on the 2nd. and 4th. Thursdays of each month commencing at 7:00 a.m. and ending at 8:00 a.m. sharp! Please come and check us out!

12/12/2025

12/12/2025

The Burnsville Breakfast Rotary Club welcomed two guests to their bi-monthly Rotary meeting on 12/11. We first welcomed and heard from two recipients of Camp Enterprise which is an organization that offers a three-day camp for high school juniors and seniors designed to introduce students to the free enterprise system and encourage entrepreneurship and ethical business practices. The young ladies shared with us how impactful their experience was and thanked us for our continued sponsorship of the program. If you would like to find out more about Camp Enterprise, please click the link: https://campenterprise.org/
Secondly, we welcomed Doug Cummelin who's a professional photographer from the Twin Cities. He shared with us how he was first introduced to the hobby and then transitioned to a professional career from a class project he had in high school. Doug shared with us many of his favorite photos he’s taken over the years and some of his “tricks of the trade” he uses to create special effects.
If you'd like to learn more about the Burnsville Breakfast Rotary Club and what we do, or how you can become a member, please visit our website: https://www.burnsvillebreakfastrotary.org/ or RSVP to Greg Ludvigsen-Club President at [email protected] We meet on the 2nd. and 4th. Thursdays of each month commencing at 7:00 a.m. and ending at 8:00 a.m. sharp! Please come and check us out!

11/27/2025

The Burnsville Breakfast Rotary Club assisted DARTS with a fall yard clean-up at one of their clients' homes on Saturday, November 15th. We raked, trimmed bushes, and stored and covered yard furniture to get one of our senior Burnsville residents ready for the winter season! This is just one of the many things that Rotary does to give back to our community.
DARTS has been in existence since 1974 and is a community-based nonprofit serving caregivers, older adults ages 55+, and their families in the SE metro. Services they provide include light housework, outdoor chores, home repairs, caregiving resources, resource connection, and transportation. Their goal is to allow seniors to age in place in their own home vs. moving into an assisted living facility. If you'd like to find out more about DARTS, please visit their website at https://dartsconnects.org/about-us/ or call their office at 651-455-1560.

If you'd like to learn more about the Burnsville Breakfast Rotary Club and what we do, or how you can become a member, please visit our website: https://www.burnsvillebreakfastrotary.org/ or RSVP to Greg Ludvigsen-Club President at [email protected] We meet on the 2nd. and 4th. Thursdays of each month commencing at 7:00 a.m. and ending at 8:00 a.m. sharp! Please come and check us out!