Peru Rotary Club

10/10/2026

Peru Rotary presented Voluntary Action Center Executive Director Rick Burchell a check for Meals on Wheels in Peru. More than 300 senior citizens remain on their waiting list. See how you can help at vacdk.com

10/09/2026

These notes compliments of Gene Vogelgesang.

Five Incredible Projects Peru Rotarians learned are underway locally to help people of all ages when they met Oct. 9 at Lou’s LaGrotto.

• The “Meals on Wheels” program operated out of the Peru office of the Voluntary Action Center feeds more than 500 people each day. Peru Rotary is helping out with a $2,532 check that was presented to VAC Executive Director Rick Burchell at the meeting.

• Sabrina Gaeta from the North Central Regional Betterment Association reported that about 2,000 area kids are enrolled in the Dolly Parton Imagination Library program that sends a book to each child once a month. Learn how you can help by going to www.ncrbc.net.

• The NCRBC’s Christian Zamin said 280 area high school students have signed up to tour 12 local manufacturing plants October 20th and then have lunch at IVCC. “We want to prepare young adults to be part of the work force,” said Zamin. Another goal: let students know they don’t have to move far away from home to get a good job after graduation.

• The local iteration of the worldwide Rotary Polio Walk is set for 10 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 24, at Rotary Park in LaSalle. You don’t have to be a Rotarian to participate and you don’t have to pre-register. Mail your check to help eradicate polio worldwide once and for all to Peru Rotary Polio Fundraiser, PO Box 196, Peru, IL 61354.

• One Sunday each month, Peru Rotary donates a meal to feed everyone at the Peru PADS shelter that day. Find out how your church or organization can get your own day to help the homeless by going to www.ivpads.com.

10/02/2026

These notes compliments of Gene Vogelgesang

Five Heartfelt Facts about Catholic Charities as presented by Sister Clare Key at the October 2nd meeting of the Peru Rotary Club

• Catholic Charities, a ministry of the Diocese of Peoria, cares for homeless people and other low-income individuals and families by following the teachings of Jesus Christ, specifically his directive: “Whatever you do for the least of my brethren, you do for me.”

• Catholic Charities currently provides services in 10 of the 26 counties encompassed by the Peoria Diocese. Sister Clare, who is aided by a staff of five, hopes her ministry can eventually be brought into the rest of the diocese.

• The Soup Kitchen operated by Catholic Charities in Peoria has served 30,000 meals since January. The Hope Wrapped in Love Christmas Program distributed 10,000 presents last year. The Catholic Charities mobile unit, St. Nicholas Charity on Wheels, is a van that delivers basic household necessities to those who need them.

• Peru Rotary was the first group to hear publicly about the “Fill the Heart Campaign” coming in 2027. Sister Clare said the campaign will be an annual effort to raise funds to help Catholic Charities increase the number of people it can help each year. The 2027 goal is $100,000.

• Sister Clare said Catholic Charities hopes to one day open an office in LaSalle.

09/26/2026

This post is compliments of Gene Vogelgesang

Five Amazing Facts
about the visit District 6420 Governor Tina Curtis made to Peru Rotary’s Sept. 25th meeting at Lou’s LaGrotto

• She came to congratulate the club on its work for our community. Curtis complimented Peru Rotary for contributing drivers to the Meals on Wheels program and for its long-running Dictionary Project. She said Peru Rotary’s local projects align with Rotary International President Olayinka Babalola’s 2026-27 slogan “Create Lasting Impact.”

• She encouraged participation in the World’s Largest Polio Walk October 24 at Rotary Park in LaSalle. “How do we eradicate a disease no one seems to know about?” she said. Although polio has been absent from the United States for the past 60 years, many younger Americans (including younger Rotarians) have no knowledge of the danger it still poses in other parts of the world.

• She asked the club to consider the question: What will Peru Rotary become known for five, ten or even 20 years from now? “Rotary is the world’s best kept secret,” Curtis said as she encouraged members to get better at telling the Rotary story.

• She said she wasn’t leaving until someone volunteered to be Peru Rotary’s Literacy Chair. Simon Kampwerth, who’s already in charge of the Dictionary Project, volunteered for the job.

• Tina Curtis is a member of the Walnut Rotary Club. She attended the Rotary International Convention held earlier this year in Taipei, Taiwan. District 6420 includes 48 Rotary clubs in northwestern Illinois.
Love

09/21/2026

09/18/2026

This article compliments of Amy Toraason

After Steve Hanson moved up to become the new Principal of LP High School, longtime assistant coach Coltyn Lazzarotto seamlessly took the reins as LP High School’s new Athletic Director in July of this year. He was introduced at today’s Friday Sept. 18th Rotary meeting at LaGrottos by Rotarian Mike Porter.

Part of his new role as the new Athletic Director, Lazzarotto also gets the coveted role as Transportation Director.

Lazzarotto’s main goal and challenge is improving the communication among coaches and staff within the athletic department.
With a current stale and outdated mission statement, AD Lazzarotto is hoping to revamp its mission to focus not only on athletics, but also character building within the entire student body, “Building Champions, not just Championships”.

AD Lazzarotto overseas a number of team sports that aren’t just limited to the “big ones” like football, basketball, and volleyball….. but also include bass fishing, bowling and swimming...over 30 sports and counting.

Already this school year, he has seen uptick in girls’ sports like tennis and golf and a newly profound interest in flag football, with the hopes the latter may eventually become a sports team at LP.

09/13/2026

Notes are compliments of Jon Steben

Dr. Abby Schenck, the EL (English language) coordinator for the Peru Elementary school district was the featured speaker at the Peru Friday club Rotary on Sept 11th. She was introduced by school Superintendent (and Rotarian) Ryan Linnig.

Home language surveys at registration trips a language assessment - to determine which students need assistance.

There are 86 total students in the Peru EL program … speaking Spanish, Albanian, Gujarati, Japanese, Vietnamese, Polish and more!

Cultural and social routines are also taught in EL programs - as part of the personalized instruction for each student.

“No one size fits all” is key to successful learning. And multiple teachers are now EL certified.

General timeline for zero to becoming fluent is 5-7 years - depending on learning and circumstances.

09/08/2026

09/04/2026

This write-up is courtesy of Gene Vogelgesang

Five Fun Facts About Dogs used by Law Enforcement

Brian Zebron, the Peru Police Department’s school resource officer, talked about the dogs used by law enforcement when he presented the program at the September 4th meeting of the Peru Rotary Club at Lou’s LaGrotto. He was introduced by Rotarian Chadd Kreofsky. We learned:

• Haven, the Peru Police certified therapy dog, is a 145-pound St. Bernard who has a disposition like a couch potato. Zebron said the best therapy dogs are lazy and easy-going. Haven is 2 ½ years old and goes home with Zebron every night.

• Police dogs are the exact opposite of therapy dogs. They need to have high energy and be great sniffers whether they’re searching for drugs in a car or looking for a missing person. Peru Police are looking forward to the arrival of Turbo, a drug dog being trained at the FBI Academy

• Therapy dogs make abused children feel more comfortable and easier to talk to. “They bring out the best in a lot of these kids,” said Zebron.

• The Peru Schools have a Haven’s Heroes incentive program that rewards kids who demonstrate good behavior with Haven merch donated by a local women’s organization.

Officer Zebron is a certified professional dog trainer who has a private consulting business.