April was another busy and productive month. Check out the President's Comments for a summary of our amazing community service achievements in April, including the completion of a water project in Nepal (lead image). This Newsletter provides information on April activities and upcoming programs and events in May, including installing flags before Memorial Day, attending Rotary Family Day at the Ball Park at the end of the month, and everything in between.
Because our Club engaged in impactful service internationally and locally, April was a strong reflection of Rotary’s guiding principles: “Service Above Self” and “One Profits Most Who Serves Best.”
International Water Project in Nepal
We joined Rotarians around the world in celebrating the completion of the Dhakalthok Drinking Water Project in Nepal (lead image and image below). Through a Rotary Global Grant, clean water is now delivered from a source 1.5 kilometers away, providing reliable access and transforming daily life, especially for women who no longer bear the burden of long journeys for water.
District Literacy Grant Project with WORDUP and Parents as Teachers
Closer to home, our Rotary Literacy Grant is helping build a foundation for lifelong learning. In partnership with WORDUP of Central Illinois, we acquired 270 board books (image on left) and delivered them to Parents As Teachers (images below), a Springfield Public Schools program serving families with children ages 0–3. This effort supports early development and helps ensure children enter school ready to succeed.
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Parents as Teachers gave us a tour of their facilities (first image below) and allowed us to observe and participate in a classroom session for parents and children. Club members enjoyed participating in an interactive song about parts of the body (second image below), and Ken Gilmore read one of the books we donated to the families (third image below). Each child received a copy of the book Ken read at the end of the class (fourth image below). Children participating in sessions will receive a total of four board books though our project (firth image below).
District Club Grant Project with Kumler Outreach Ministries
Our commitment to families continued through a District 6460 Club Grant in partnership with Kumler Outreach Ministries. We purchased the supplies for the layettes with funds from our grant (image to left). We assembled the materials for the layettes during two club meetings (images below) and had a great time doing the work.
We delivered 10 baby layettes filled with essential items to Kumler Outreach Ministries (images below), offering critical support to families welcoming newborns.
Community Service for the Springfield Hosing Authority
We also participated in United Way of Central Illinois’ Spring Day of Action, enhancing the Springfield Housing Authority’s Hildebrandt Hi-Rise (image above) with fresh mulch, new plantings, and a revitalized community garden (images to left and below). These small, noticeable improvements make a meaningful difference in residents’ daily lives.
We enjoyed working with the Springfield Housing Authority crew (first image below) and were happy to complete all the work that was planned for us (second image below).
Community Service through the Ridgely Micropantry and Little Libraries
In addition, our ongoing service projects remain a steady source of support in the community. We continued stocking the micro-pantry at Ridgely Elementary School, with generous provision of food and hygene items from the Springfield Civic Garden Club and the SPI Micropantry Helpers (image below). We also replenished Little Libraries across several locations using book donations from an individual who donated books to the SPI Micropanrty Helpers (on right in image below) and a larger donation of books from the Village of Jerome, both of which help keep our book supply fresh.
Upcoming Service
As we look ahead to May and Rotary International’s Youth Service Month, we will both maintain and build on this momentum. Our Flag Service Project (image below) will once again bring our community together in a visible display of patriotism while raising funds for local grants.
We also look forward to learning about opportunities to participate in environmental and climate initiatives that will be shared with us by our very own Jim Applegate.
Through all of these efforts, our Club demonstrates that meaningful service, whether across the globe or in our own neighborhoods, creates lasting impact.
Together, we continue to strengthen our community and live out Rotary’s ever lasting mission to better serve others and enhance lives.
info@spirotary.org changed the Webex meeting information for Rotary Year 2025-2026.
When it's time, join the Webex meeting here.
Club meetings scheduled for Maldaners Upstairs generally occur on Mondays from 5:30 PM to 7:00 PM, (UTC-05:00) Central Time (US & Canada)
5:30 PM | (UTC-05:00) Central Time (US & Canada) | and last for 1 hr. 30 mins. These meetings are accessible online by using the link provide below. We will be scheduling some noon meetings at Maldaners and some off-site, evening social hours during 2026. Check the website Home Page (spirotary.org) , Facebook, and Upcoming Programs and Events in the Monthly Newsletter for locations and times of club meetings.
When we meet at Maldaner's, please submit your reservations for dinner! Click on the link embedded below and enter the date, your name, dine in/carry out and number of meals being consumed in the restaurant and/or carried out prior to each meeting. Preferably, everyone will fill out the form by noon on the Friday before the upcoming meeting. We have given staff at Maldaner's access to the view, so it will help them with planning. As always, we will direct him to have a few additional servings available for members who forget or last minute guests.
The same link will work for the entire Rotary year and will be shared within each Newsletter, so do not delete the Newsletter until you have submitted your dinner information. Please remember that the three most recent Newsletters can also be accessed from the Website Home Page (www.spirotary.org) so you can also access the link for reservations from the Website Home Page (www.spirotary.org).
Editors Note: We have updated this article from our March Newsletter to supplement the Presidential Comments on our Nepal Water Project in this Newsletter.
Bob Stuart (image to left), our Club's International Director and former Rotary International Director, was the featured speaker for our March 2 Club meeting. He provided an inspiring and timely update on our global grant project in Nepal during Rotary International's World Water Month. Bob took the lead for this project for our club, and we worked with the Rotary Club of Dhulikhel in Nepal, Rotary District 6460, and the WASH Action Group to create a gravity-flow water system that brought sustainable, clean water access to a village in need for the Dhakalthok Drinking Water Project—changing lives for generations to come.
This International Project took place in Nepal and was completed and turned over to the village on April 21, 2026. Located between China and India, Nepal is one of the poorest countries in world with a GDP per capita of $470. Nepal is dominated by the Himalaya Mountains, and many communities struggle with getting potable water. This problem was aggravated by the 7.8 Earthquake in 2015, which killed over 9,000 individuals, destroyed thousands of homes and schools, and devastated infrastructure.
The village includes 350 individuals and 50 houses and is located on a mountain. Their closest source of potable water had been a river at the bottom of the mountain, 1.5 kilometers, downhill from the village. In the past, women and girls walked down the mountain, filled containers with water, and carried them back up the mountain to the village.
The Global Grant Project (GG2570330) team built a 500 liter storage tank at the water source and an a 50,000 liter storage tank in the village to provide a continuous flow of water from the water source to the village. The water piping system from the river to the village was buried to prevent damage from mudslides and forest fires. The gravity flow system from the storage tank in the village provides potable water to every house. 70 taps have in installed in homes and one school. The water system has regulating valves and meters for safe and affordable water use. The project also provided community-based water and sanitation training.
The water system was officially turned over to the village on April 21, 2026 (images below). District Governor Elect Vishnu Karki attended as the chief guest, along with the President Dr. Anish Joshi and members of the Rotary Club of Dhulikhel-Nepal. Special thanks were extended to Past President Ranjeev Shrestha of the Rotary Club of Dhulikhel and to Past Rotary International Director and member of the Rotary Club of Springfield Bob Stuart for making things happen.
On April 6, we heard from WORDUP Founder & President Linda Johnson (image on left), who shared how reading aloud strengthens language development, supports family bonding, and fuels brain growth, 80% of which happens before age 3. With more than 21,000 board books distributed locally, WORDUP continues to make a meaningful difference for young children and their families. WORDUP of Central Illinois has been helping Sangamon County children ages 0–3 build a love of reading since 2017.
We partnered with WORDUP to provide 270 board books through a Rotary literacy grant. With their guidance in selecting engaging, age-appropriate titles and connecting us with Parents As Teachers (PAT), these books are now reaching families who need them most. See Presidents Comments for more information on this project.
Elisa Fox from the Kidzeum
Our Club was excited to welcome Elisa Fox (image below in center), Director of Development, and Faith Valenti (image below on left) Administrative Assistant, from the Kidzeum of Health and Sciencein downtown Springfield during our April 20 luncheon program. Elisa gave an inspiring update on the museum’s growing impact in our community.
Since opening in 2018, Kidzeum has welcomed over 175,000 visitors from 48 states, creating hands-on learning experiences that spark curiosity and discovery for children of all backgrounds and abilities. They are still on the lookout for visitors from South Dakota and Rhode Island!
Through interactive exhibits like Healthy Earth, Healthy Community, Healthy Body, and the ever-popular Route 66 experience, Kidzeum brings science, health, and history to life. Their Migrating Mural project also continues to enhance downtown Springfield while promoting conservation and pollinator awareness.
Looking ahead, Kidzeum is taking an exciting leap forward with a nearly $500,000 National Science Foundation grant to develop a new STEAM Education Center. This initiative will connect science, technology, engineering, art, and math to students’ everyday lives. It will help improve learning outcomes across Springfield and surrounding communities. The center is currently being co-designed with community input and is expected to open within the next three years.
Elisa highlighted Rotary’s support of the important work Kidzeum, from a landmark $20,000 gift in 2022 to ongoing support for the Migrating Mural program. Partnerships like this are what help build stronger, healthier, and more vibrant communities.
We look forward to seeing Kidzeum continue to grow as a hub for innovation, education, and opportunity for the next generation.
Ashley Dillingham, Project Manager, Clinical Trials, Prairie Education and Research Cooperative
Even a tornado siren couldn’t stop our meaningful Rotary conversation at our April 27 club meeting.
At Monday’s meeting, Club President-Elect Ashley Dillingham, who is a licensed social worker and clinical research professional, led an important discussion on advance directives and how we communicate our healthcare wishes. Midway through, we paused and headed to Maldaner’s basement for tornado safety (image below shows Ashley with her notes in the wine cellar), but Ashley didn’t miss a beat in keeping the conversation grounded and impactful.
Ashley emphasized a simple but often overlooked truth: talk with your loved ones about your healthcare preferences before a crisis and put those wishes in writing. In Illinois, that includes documents like a Healthcare Power of Attorney and Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST). While most adults agree these conversations matter, fewer than one in three have actually had them or documented their wishes.
She encouraged us to be clear about what matters most, our values, goals for care, beliefs, and who we trust to make decisions if we cannot, and to share that with family and healthcare providers.
We thank Ashley for having this conversation with us, and we hope everyone will take a step in the very near future to make their wishes known. It is one of the most meaningful gifts you can give your family and loved ones. She certainly earned her Rotary mug.
Ryan Bye, the Director Strategy and Partnerships for the Office of the Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs, has attended several of our club meetings.
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At our April 13 meeting, he agreed to speak about the upcoming 2026 Prairie Stars Volunteer Trip through the ImaginingGuatemala program (image above). A participant in last year’s trip, Ryan will return this May and noted that openings are still available.
The May 10–18, 2026 trip is a non-credit, community-based learning program hosted by the University of Illinois Springfield (UIS) in partnership with ImaginingGuatemala. Participants work alongside local masons in Antigua to build safe cinderblock homes for families living in makeshift shelters.
The $2,400 program fee includes airfare, housing, meals, and local transportation. Volunteers stay with Guatemalan host families, with breakfast and dinner provided.
The link below provides more information on this exciting program.
We thank Ryan for informing us about this excellent program and opportunity. We hope that he will continue coming to our meetings. He is clearly a Rotarian at heart!
Our community services were well received by community organizations. We are sharing a Thank You Card note from Parents as Teachers for the donation of the board books (first image below) and a Facebook Post Thank You from the United Way for our participation in their Spring Day of Action (second image below).
Please remember that we are including some noon meetings at Maldaners and social night meetings at locations other than Maldaners. Please pay attention to the meeting schedule listed in the Newsletter, on our website home page (www.spirotary.org), and on our Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram pages for the dates and locations of the meetings.
May 1, 2026 Fabulous "Finnish," Illinois Symphony Orchestra
First United Methodist Church, Springfield, IL
2941 S. Koke Mill Rd., Springfield, IL 62711
Rotarians participating must have their tickets!
6:30 p.m. Preconference Discussion in Sanctuary with Music Director Taichi Fukumura, Pianist Janice Carissa, Composer Michelle Isaac with host Mark McDonald
7:30 p.m. Symphony Performance
May 4, 2026 Rotary Club Offsite Social Night, 5:00-7:00 p.m.
Gabatoni's Italian Restaurant and Cocktail Lounge
300 E. Laurel Street, Springfield, IL 62703
Join us in this hometown restaurant. Founded in 1951, it has been it is current location since 1959. It's known for it's home-made thin crust pizza, authentic Italian-American cuisine, including pasta dishes, salads, sandwiches, and more. Social Nights are always fun and provide a great time to chat with your Rotarian friends.
$60 Tickets can be obtained through the District 6460 Website
The round-trip bus for participants who bought a bus ticket will leave from the United Methodist Center (Illinois Great Rivers Conference Center), 5900 S. 2nd Street, Springfield, Il 62703. It will be available for boarding at 1:45 p.m. and will leave promptly at 2:15 p.m. This bus was arranged through the Springfield Sunrise Club with Rod Buffington collecting monies for riders from our club.
Bill Sturm is handling arrangements for another bus that will leave later in the afternoon from a different Springfield venue..
Memorial Day is Monday May 25. On Wednesday May 13 we will begin the 2025 Rotary Flag Project deployment. The process should be complete by Friday May 22. We need volunteers to deploy the flags. Many of you have helped in the past and your services will be needed again. But I also hope we can get some new volunteers this year, so I am contacting all members.
The task involves being part of two person teams that deliver the flags from our warehouse to our customers. We use routing software to create routes of approximately 25 homes. The flags are dropped into plastic conduits in the customers lawns that have been previously installed by other volunteers. They are topped with a bright red plastic cap. Your heart will burst with joy when, after several minutes crawling on the ground, you spot that red cap and can deploy a flag. And a solar powered light. Then move on to the next address.
One member of the team must have a vehicle capable of carrying ten foot flags. A route can take 4-5 hours to complete.
The flags will remain out until after the September 11 holiday. They will need to be picked up and returned to the warehouse in the week starting Monday September 14.
We also need volunteers to install the conduits for new customers. This involves physical exertion. First select a spot on the customers property usually five feet from a sidewalk and five feet from a driveway, Then, using a sledge hammer you must drive a one inch diameter lead pipe 16 inches into the ground. After removing the pipe replace it with a 16 inch tube of PVC conduit. Then place a heavy metal washer around the conduit. (Sometimes it is necessary to use a metal detector to find the conduits.) Then place a bright red plastic cap on the conduit.
If you can return as a volunteer or want to be a new participant, please let me know. It can be a lot of fun and we raise $30,000 from the effort.
We hope you have your tickets for the 6:15 p.m. Cubs-Cards game on May 30, 2026 in Busch Stadium in St. Louis because it is Rotary Family Day at the Ball Park. If you don't have tickets, you can still score $60 tickets through the Rotary District 6460 Website. Please join us to observe the long-time rivalry between the cards and cubs and their fans in the flesh and celebrate Rotary. We always have fun at these games.
The Sunrise Rotary Club has arranged for a round-trip bus from Springfield to St. Louis. You should have already paid for your seat on the bus. Mr. Baseball (Rod Buffington) says all the seats are taken. This bus will leave from the parking lot of the Methodist Conference Center (Illinois Great Rivers Conference Center), 5900 S. Second St., Springfield, IL 62711. It will be ready for boarding at 1:45 p.m. and will depart promptly at 2:15 p.m. It will not wait for stragglers. We will arrive at Busch Stadium early enough for you to have dinner inside or outside the stadium. This information is repeated in the Upcoming Programs and Events section of this Newsletter.
Bill Sturm is arranging for a different bus that will leave from a different venue in Springfield later in the afternoon. If you are on Bill's bus then you need to be certain that you have the details for that bus.
We hope to see you at Rotary Family Day at the Ball Park! Please remember that the proceeds from ticket sales support our Rotary District's Literacy Grants!
You can sign up to volunteer to fill the Ridgely Micropantry by using the Signup Genius App. Just download the app and sign up for a one week or two week timeframe that works best for you or you and a friend. What a great way to make a difference. Thank you!
Ridgely Micro-Pantry: Spring and Summer Dates Added to SignUp Genius
Please consider signing up for a two-week commitment to stock the pantry or partner with a friend. The link provided takes you to the sign-up sheet located online using the SignUp Genius program. The Signup Genius link is listed below to sign up and allows you to reserve those dates and to also shows which timeframes are unfilled. The app will also send you a reminder closer to your volunteer date.
I know, I know, the weather is making it hard to "think spring" right now but lion or lamb, beautiful spring weather is coming, I promise! The beautiful spring will be worth it. So, with a warm sunny smile, I wanted to let you know the summer schedule is now posted on Sign-up Genius for the Ridgely School Micropantry.
Special thanks are due to Harry Mitchell for stocking the Micropantry in March!
Thank you to the following people for signing up for the micropantry:
March 30-April 1 Ross Hodel
April 6-9 Ashley Dillingham
April 20-May 3 Sheila Mack
After that, it is open season for volunteering by yourself, with your family or by partnering with another Rotarian. Also, if you have friends or acquaintances who would like to volunteer, please share the sign-up link and we will give them lots of praise for making a difference.
You can sign up to stock the Ridgely Micropantry using the new Sign-Up Genius online system featured in the above article by Ken Gilmore.
Please sign up. There are numerous empty slots.
I appreciate your help!
Thank you for signing up for a micropantry volunteer shift. Your time and effort are greatly appreciated by the community we serve.
Members who have supported this program realize the price of food and other products stocked in the pantry have become more expensive. Under a new program, a member may be reimbursed up to $100 when a purchase is made for the food pantry. Funding for this reimbursement was made possible by donations in the amount $1,739, which were received at the Rotary Open House in December 2024 that I hosted at my home
Below are the details including the location of the pantry, and suggestions on items to collect and distribute. If you are unable to complete your shift, please reach out and we'll work on a better period of time to meet your needs. If you have suggestions for future volunteers, please let me know and we'll adapt the program along the way.
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Ridgely Elementary School
2040 North 8th Street
Springfield, IL 62702
Main entrance to the school (look for the yellow and purple pantry by the front doors).
The image below shows the location of the pantry at the entrance to the school.
These suggestions came from people who use food pantries to help feed their families.
1. Everyone donates Kraft Mac and Cheese in the box. They can rarely use it because it needs milk and butter, which is difficult to get from regular food banks. 2. Boxed milk is a treasure, as kids need it for cereal, which they also get a lot of. 3. Everyone donates pasta sauce and spaghetti noodles. 4. They cannot eat all the awesome canned veggies and soup unless you put a can opener in too or buy pop tops.* 5. Oil is a luxury and needed for Rice a-Roni, which they also get a lot of. 6. Spices or salt and pepper would be a real Holiday gift. 7. Tea bags and coffee make them feel like you care. 8. Sugar and flour are treats. 9. They fawn over fresh produce donated by farmers and grocery stores. 10. Seeds are cool in Spring and Summer because growing can be easy for some. 11. They rarely get fresh meat. 12. Tuna and crackers make a good lunch. 13. Hamburger Helper goes nowhere without ground beef. 14. They get lots of peanut butter and jelly but usually not sandwich bread. 15. Butter or margarine is nice too. 16. Eggs are a real commodity. 17. Cake mix and frosting makes it possible to make a child’s birthday cake. 18. Dishwashing detergent is very expensive and is always appreciated. 19. Feminine hygiene products are a luxury and women will cry over that. 20. Everyone loves Stove Top Stuffing.
The image below shows a fully stocked pantry.
The image below shows the empty micropantry before I stocked it in January 2026. This is why you need to sign up! The pantry is almost always empty when we show up to stock it. The need for nutritious food is great in the community surrounding our micropantry. .
Feel free to contact me.
Micro Pantry Coordinator: Allie Montney with assistance from John Webb
Phone 217-494-6901 (for the quickest response, please text)
Things I've noticed that may be helpful: Stocking the pantry on a weekend or after 4:00PM during the weekdays means less people and easier to get a parking spot. Ask friends and family to donate unused household items for the pantry that you can collect. If purchasing bags of fresh fruit or veggies, stock them individually so that more in need can take what they need. It's going to be freezing outside soon, so consider if the items will no longer be good if frozen. ALDI grocery stores have prices that cannot be beat.
At our January Club Assembly, Youth Services Director Travis Magoulias (image above) spoke about the need for more help with the Rotary Exchange Student Program. Our Club has traditionally agreed to sponsor Inbound and Outbound Foreign Exchange students. These are high school-age students who live with a host family and attend high school in the community where they reside. Most of you know that we are currently sponsoring Eve, an inbound exchange student from Taiwan. Over the past few years we have had an increasing difficult time finding host families for these students. For example, we were unable to find host families for Eve for the 2025-2026 academic year. Fortunately Rotarians Barb and Lee Malany agreed to host her for both semesters. We also need Rotarians who are willing to counsel and spend time with these students. We thank the club members who have spent time with Eve, agreed to give her rides when needed, spoken with her when she comes to our club meetings, and gone to some of her performances in the Springfield Youth Symphony, but we need more help.
If we are going to continue sponsoring inbound exchange students, then we need members who are willing to serve as host families or help recruit host families, and to spend time with these students. Please contact Travis if you are interested in helping with exchange students, think you might want to serve as our Youth Exchange Counselor, want to get more involved in Youth Services, or have thoughts on the future of these programs.
Do you know or are you someone who has a passion to give back to your community? The Rotarians in this image are helping pack essential items for the Illinois Police Department to give to homeless individuals in our community. As a Rotarian, you adhere to the principles of the 4-way Test., which are:
Is it the Truth?
Is it Fair to all concerned?
Will it build Good Will and Better Friendships?
Will it be Beneficial to all concerned?
If you find value in these ideals and want to be part of a great organization, right click on the attached link to open our online Membership Applicationin a new window. You can also click on this link to download an electronic copy of the Membership Application from our Club's website Home Page (www.spirotary.org) in the Download Files section. You can send the completed application to the Membership Committee at hmitchell11@comcast.net. We look forward to hearing from you!
Please remember to report your service hours and related contributions. You will be able to enter your hours and correctly assign them to the correct Rotary Calendar year. Just follow this link:
Please email images of service activities to Bonnie Styles at bonstyles@yahoo.com. It's easy to take pictures if you have a smartphone, but even an old style camera works just fine. Send me an email (bonstyles@yahoo.com) to let me know when you will be volunteering for a service project, and I will come out and take some images.
Be sure to turn in your hours for any volunteering that you do on behalf of Rotary.
We offer special thanks to Harry Mitchell for stocking the food pantry at Ridgely School during March 2026. These images show the near empty pantry before stocking and the full pantry after stocking. Harry added that the items left in the pantry were not items that he had previously stocked. Ridgely staff and other community members sometimes add items to the pantry. Please sign up to help stock the pantry, it is vitally important in the community surrounding the school.
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We thank Sheila Mack for stocking the pantry during April!
Closer to home, our Rotary Literacy Grant is helping build a foundation for lifelong learning. In partnership with WORDUP of Central Illinois, we acquired 270 board books (image on left) and delivered them to Parents As Teachers (images below), a Springfield Public Schools program serving families with children ages 0–3. This effort supports early development and helps ensure children enter school ready to succeed.
Our commitment to families continued through a District 6460 Club Grant in partnership with Kumler Outreach Ministries. We purchased the supplies for the layettes with funds from our grant (image to left). We assembled the materials for the layettes during two club meetings (images below) and had a great time doing the work. 
We also participated in United Way of Central Illinois’ Spring Day of Action, enhancing the Springfield Housing Authority’s Hildebrandt Hi-Rise (image above) with fresh mulch, new plantings, and a revitalized community garden (images to left and below). These small, noticeable improvements make a meaningful difference in residents’ daily lives.
Bob Stuart (image to left), our Club's International Director and former Rotary International Director, was the featured speaker for our March 2 Club meeting. He provided an inspiring and timely update on our global grant project in Nepal during Rotary International's World Water Month. Bob took the lead for this project for our club, and we worked with the Rotary Club of Dhulikhel in Nepal, Rotary District 6460, and the WASH Action Group to create a gravity-flow water system that brought sustainable, clean water access to a village in need for the Dhakalthok Drinking Water Project—changing lives for generations to come.
On April 6, we heard from WORDUP Founder & President Linda Johnson (image on left), who shared how reading aloud strengthens language development, supports family bonding, and fuels brain growth, 80% of which happens before age 3. With more than 21,000 board books distributed locally, WORDUP continues to make a meaningful difference for young children and their families. WORDUP of Central Illinois has been helping Sangamon County children ages 0–3 build a love of reading since 2017.
Gabatoni's Italian Restaurant and Cocktail Lounge
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