St. Paul Rotary

10/02/2026

This week at Rotary, we welcomed Gina Lindquist from The Drawer.

Gina shared the simple idea behind The Drawer: providing new socks and underwear to people who need them. These everyday basics are some of the most needed, but least donated, items.

Since 2017, The Drawer has donated more than 800,000 pairs and serves more than 200 community partners.

It was a great opportunity for our club to learn more about a need in our community and how The Drawer is bringing people together through community, service and action.

Thank you, Gina, for joining us and sharing The Drawer’s story with our club.

09/29/2026

Ski-U-Mah! 🏈

Our Rotary exchange student Klaudia experienced her first University of Minnesota football game, complete with the marching band, a photo with Goldy, and a stadium full of Gopher spirit.

She also learned what *tailgating* means. When she and her host stopped to ask a group about it, they were welcomed with food and offers of soda and water. Klaudia was surprised by the warm welcome, and the group enjoyed asking her about Slovakia and hearing what she thought of American college football.

After buying a U of M hoodie, Klaudia announced that she was now a Minnesotan! She said the game felt just like an American movie. By the end, she was following the action and spelling out MINNESOTA with the crowd.

Experiences like this are a wonderful part of Rotary Youth Exchange: sharing our community with Klaudia while learning about hers. We’re glad she had such a memorable day!

09/29/2026

We're having an Oktoberfest party and guess who's helping us with a 25% discount on our brats and Polish sausages? VonHansen Meats in HIghland Park! Thank you, Dan McDowell, for your generosity, and Matt Manion, for doing the calculations and supporting our fundraiser for youth leadership camp and middle school, high school, and college scholarships. Cheers!

09/18/2026

🌎 Understanding the Science and the Conversation Around Climate Change

At our recent Rotary 5:01 meeting, Kathleen Biggins of C-Change Conversations shared a nonpartisan, science-based look at climate change and its implications for our economy, health and communities.

Kathleen also shared how C-Change is helping people across the political spectrum find common ground, ask better questions and build greater understanding around climate change.

Thank you, Kathleen, for joining us and leading an informative conversation!

09/16/2026

Our St. Paul Rotary member is featured in Minneapolis-St Paul Business Journal. Way to go, Bill Collins!

Established in '49, Alary's is one of St. Paul's most iconic bars. Burlesque dancers, drunk judges and a 6-foot-tall blind lineman were common sights. But it's trading out that seedy history for something more fitting for the current era.

09/15/2026

📚 38 Years. 65 Million Books. Every African Country.

Last week, the Rotary Club of Saint Paul welcomed Patrick Plonski, Executive Director of Books For Africa, the world’s largest shipper of donated text and library books to the African continent.

Patrick shared how Books For Africa ships about 22,000 books at a time in 40-foot containers, helping put books and educational resources into the hands of readers across Africa.

Thank you, Patrick, for sharing the incredible impact of Books For Africa with our club!

09/01/2026

At our recent Rotary lunch, we welcomed Richard Coffey and Zantavious Graham from Ujamaa Place.

They shared how Ujamaa Place helps men move forward through education, stable housing, meaningful employment, and personal development. Its programs include GED preparation and tutoring, higher education guidance, driver’s license exam tutoring, employment support, stable housing assistance, and life-skills development.

Zantavious also shared his personal story and how the support he received helped change the direction of his life. Today, he uses that experience to connect with other men who may benefit from the same guidance, encouragement, and opportunities.

Thank you, Richard and Zantavious, for sharing the important work of Ujamaa Place and the positive impact it has on individuals, families, and our community.

08/30/2026

Rotary Club of St Paul had the great luck to be in the WDGY - The Original Rock & Roll Station booth at the MnStateFair on opening day. And CW Marketing & Communications got to do an interview with the talented Sue Falls to talk about … our fireworks project, Red, White & Boom, our newest $20,000 Centennial Scholar, and our longstanding high school leadership camp, Camp RYLA, held over five days in April. Thank you, Wdgy Radio for the partnership.

08/29/2026

🌎 A Great Start to Their Rotary Youth Exchange!

This year’s North Star Rotary inbound exchange students gathered for orientation at YMCA Camp St. Croix in Hudson, Wisconsin!

It’s exciting to see this group together as they begin a year filled with new experiences, friendships, learning, and plenty of Minnesota adventures.

And representing Rotary Club of Saint Paul #10, you’ll spot our exchange student Klaudia from Slovakia in the front row on the left! 🇸🇰

We’re excited to have Klaudia here and look forward to sharing more of her journey throughout the year.

Welcome to all of this year’s exchange students! 🌎✨

08/24/2026

At a recent Rotary 5:01 meeting, we welcomed Anthony Dann, founder of Biometrica Health.

Anthony shared how the company recently entered the local market with a remote patient monitoring platform designed to help doctors track their patients’ health more effectively. Unlike many monitoring systems, Biometrica Health’s platform is device-agnostic, allowing it to work with a variety of devices instead of being tied to one specific manufacturer.

The company is now looking to expand its reach and help more healthcare providers better connect with and care for their patients.

Thank you, Anthony, for sharing Biometrica Health’s story and vision with us!