Welcome to
Rotary Club of Wausau!
The mission of Rotary International is to provide service to others, promote integrity, and advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through its fellowship of business, professional, and community leaders.
Members of the Rotary Club of Wausau illustrate the key principles of Rotary International. That’s Service Above Self, living by the Four-Way Test and a commitment to international understanding. That translates into an engaged membership that cares about local and global issues and is willing to use its talents to help. Come attend a meeting as our guest and see for yourself. We are currently meeting in-person, Mondays Noon to 1 PM CST. Zoom Meeting is also available.
Call Debi at 715-551-0966 to learn more about Rotary Club.
Nearly One Hundred Local Families to Receive Surprise Gift from Rotary Club of Wausau
Posted: Friday, December 22, 2023
By: Kirk Howard
Ninety-eight local families will each receive a $50 food gift card before Christmas
thanks to The Rotary Club of Wausau who helped raise $4,900 for the United Way of Marathon County Hunger Coalition during the past three weeks. The gift cards were presented this morning at Hawthorn Hills, Grant and Franklin elementary schools to Wausau School District social workers, who will distribute them to selected families in need.
“Our club goal was to help 80 families,” said project chair, Patrick Bradley. “Thanks to the generosity of our members, a matching donation from the Hunger Coalition, and plenty of Christmas spirit, we are able to help 98 families enjoy the holidays even more.”
The $50 gift cards can be used to purchase any food items at local stores.
The Rotary Club of Wausau has been a longtime supporter of United Way’s Hunger Coalition through its HungerPlus-Marathon County program and has contributed over $90,000 since 2011. United Way’s Hunger Coalition’s mission is to increase awareness, eliminate hunger and promote programs of self-sufficiency in Marathon County.
Launch of the New Rotary Landing
Posted: Monday, August 2, 2023
By: Kirk Howard
The Rotary Club of Wausau and the City of Schofield dedicated a new $25,000 handicapped-accessible kayak/canoe launch and “Rotary Landing” at 12:30
p.m. Monday and officially opened up the Lower Eau Claire River Water Trail and Eau
Claire Conservancy to the Great Pinery Heritage Waterway at Lake Wausau. Named “Rotary Landing at Drott Street,” funding and installation of the new launch and take-out site was a collaborative effort of The Rotary Club of Wausau, the City of Schofield and the Wausau and Marathon County Parks and Recreation Foundation. The new
kayak/canoe launch conforms with American Disability Act requirements—making it
easier to launch a kayak or canoe for those with disabilities and for older paddlers.
“The Rotary Club of Wausau is extremely proud to have participated in this exciting
project,” said Denis Tan, club president. “The ‘Rotary Landing at Drott Street’ will help
residents and tourists of all ages and physical abilities enjoy scenic kayak or canoe trips on the lower Eau Claire River and the Great Pinery Heritage Waterway for many years to come.”
Bill Bertram, president of the Wausau and Marathon County Parks and Recreation
Foundation, helped Rotary members and City of Schofield officials dedicate “Rotary
Landing” Monday afternoon. “ The Parks Foundation had always envisioned a launch at this key connection point between the Lower Eau Claire River Water Trail and the Great Pinery Heritage Waterway at Lake Wausau, “ he said. “And we cannot thank enough--both the Rotary Club of Wausau and City of Schofield-- for their efforts to make this one of the special spots on the trail. This opens a truly beautiful piece of water for paddlers throughout the Midwest within the heart of Schofield.”
The new kayak/canoe launch and takeout is located next to the historic Brooks and
Ross Dam where the City of Schofield began. The Great Pinery Heritage Waterway
includes 108 miles of the Wisconsin River from Oneida County to Lake DuBay and
connects to the Lower Eau Claire River and Lower Rib River.
Join Us for An Evening with Miss America
Posted: Wednesday, August 2, 2023
By: Debi Traeder
Wausau School Foundation and the Rotary Club of Wausau is partnering to bring you an evening of excellent dining with keynote speech and musical performance by Miss America, Wausau's own, Grace Stanke.
Silent and live auctions take place during the event with all proceeds to benefit youth in our area.
There will also be photo opportunities with Miss America.
Rotary Club of Wausau 2023 High School Senior Scholarship Recipients
Posted: Friday, June 2, 2023
By: John Townshend
The Rotary Club of Wausau has awarded $1,000 scholarships to five Wausau area senior high school students who demonstrated outstanding leadership and volunteered many hours of service at their schools and in their communities. Recipients of these scholarships may use them at any accredited, post-secondary educational entity to help further their tertiary education.
The scholarship recipients are:
- Natalie Townsend – Newman Catholic High School
- Braelyn Beiler—DCE High School
- Caitlin Woller— DCE High School
- Karianna Severson— Newman Catholic High School
- Amber Frostman—Wausau West High School
“These students have taken on many leadership roles in and out of school--and displayed exemplary dedication to helping others by volunteering in their communities,” said John Townshend, Rotary Club of Wausau Scholarship Chair. “Leadership and volunteerism are the foundation of Rotary International as captured in the Rotary motto: Service Above Self.”
Ms America Speaks at Rotary Club of Wausau
Posted: Monday, March 6, 2023
By: Kirk Howard
In 2019, Grace Stanke, a local Wausau West High School student, received one of five $1,000 scholarships from The Rotary Club of Wausau and enrolled at UW-Madison. Today, she’s the reigning Miss America and the recipient of a $50,000 scholarship from the Miss America organization. Stanke, a senior at UW-Madison majoring in nuclear engineering, will speak to the Rotary Club on Monday, March 6, to share her four-year journey since leaving Wausau and her thoughts about clean energy. Also in attendance will be 10 local high school seniors being honored by the club as Uthrotors based on the leadership and volunteerism they have demonstrated.
Each spring, The Rotary Club of Wausau awards $1,000 scholarships to five Wausau metro area high school seniors who have demonstrated outstanding leadership and volunteered many hours of service at their schools and in their communities. Recipients of these scholarships may use them at any accredited, post-secondary educational entity to help further their tertiary education. Applications for 2023 scholarships are being reviewed now, and scholarships will be awarded at the end of the school year. More information about Rotary Club of Wausau scholarships is available at www.wausaurotary.org
“Students receiving Rotary Club scholarships, like Grace, have taken on many leadership roles in and out of high school--and displayed exemplary dedication to helping others by volunteering in their communities,” said John Townshend, Rotary Club of Wausau Scholarship Chair. “Our club members are looking forward to hearing about Grace’s exciting journey after we presented her with a Rotary scholarship four years ago.”
Since its scholarship program began more than 35 years ago, the Rotary Club of Wausau has distributed more than $100,000 in scholarships to area high school seniors.
Debi Traeder Receives Prestigious Rotary Award
Posted: Monday, December 12, 2022
By: Denis Tan
Collecting Laptops for Recycling During 2nd Annual Rotary E-Cycling Days
Posted: Tuesday, October 4, 2022
By: Denis Tan
Residents, businesses and organizations can recycle their unwanted laptops
Chromebooks, MacBooks, cellphones and smartphones for free through the Rotary Club of Wausau. Rotarians will be collecting items at the Good News Project’s Recycling Center at 1106 Fifth Street in Wausau on Friday, October 14 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. during International E-Waste Day. Good News Project normally charges $.45 per pound for these specific items dropped off at their location but will waive the charge on laptops and cell phones October 14 if customers mention “Rotary Club of Wausau.”
Anyone who can’t make it to the Good News Project Recycling Center on October 14 can contact a local Rotarian starting today or visit www.wausaurotary.org to schedule an advance pick-up.
All laptops will be recycled through secure, Wisconsin-certified end recyclers. All proceeds from the Rotary recycling drive will go to the Good News Project to help support the nonprofit organization’s Health Equipment Lending Program, which distributes wheel chairs, walkers, bath benches and other vital home health equipment to those in need throughout Central Wisconsin.
“This is a great opportunity to reduce clutter and recycle your old unused laptops and cellphones for a good cause,” said Denis Tan, president of The Rotary Club of Wausau. “Laptops, Chromebooks, MacBooks, cellphones and smartphones contain valuable metals and components that can be reused but also toxic materials that can contaminate the landfills. It’s good for everybody if you recycle these items.”
Other electronic equipment and devices can be recycled for a nominal charge (usually $.45 per pound) every Friday from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. at Good News Project’s Recycling Center, 1106 North 5th Street, Wausau. For information about Good News Project, visit www.goodnewswi.com
OCTOBER is Polio month.
Posted: Monday, October 3, 2022
By: Denis Tan
World Polio Day is October 24th. But this year, to celebrate, we are having a Pints for Polio fundraiser on October 20th at the Whitewater Music Hall in Wausau. You can find more information about the event here.
What's even better is that you can order your apparel for the event too. This year, we have a great selection to choose from. Click to ORDER YOUR APPAREL.
Unveiling of The Rotary Fence @ The Hagar House
Posted: Monday, August 22, 2022
By: Denis Tan
In May this year, the Rotary Club of Wausau presented a check to The Hagar House to help fund the building of a fence around their property. Today, our club had a chance to have an awesome cookout with the staff and board members of The Hagar House, and to check out the fence that had been installed.
A couple more finishing touches around the property and it will soon be ready for moms and their kids to move in.
Special thanks to Rtn. Kirk Howard and Patti Howard for providing the food, Rtn. Patrick Bradley for being our grill master, Rtn. Rosemary Barnes for the wonderful zuchinni bars, and the staff at The Hagar House for hosting us.
Gov. Dave Anderson, thanks for coming and being a part of this event.
Together, Rotarians continue to do good in our community.
From Tragedy to Amazing Community Service
Posted: Friday, April 1, 2022
Contributed By: Makenna Kampmann, a sophomore at DC Everest High School and participant in the Wisconsin Institute for Public Policy and Service High School Student Journalism Program.
A fifth-grade teacher at Evergreen Elementary school in Rothschild, Cheryl Goetsch, decided to “Be Amazing” after an area shooting, which resulted in the loss of lives in 2017. In response to the shooting, Goetsch talked with her fifth-graders about what it means to be amazing in their school and community. Students concluded that it means to help others.
Goetchs’ fifth-graders gathered a list of people they could help. Then, for the next eight weeks, the fifth graders met for several hours in groups and focused on a person or group of individuals in need of help. Next, they brainstormed ways they could offer assistance including fundraising, increasing awareness, and community service.
The following school year, Goetsch officially started the “Be Amazing” club at Evergreen Elementary, and another teacher with Mr. Wood started the club at the DC Everest Middle school. The club has grown since 2018 with 13 clubs in Everest, Wausau, and Mosinee school districts. The Be Amazing clubs work to raise money to provide other clubs and individuals with funds to do acts of community service.
Tara Lancelle, the club advisor at Riverside Elementary, said she hopes this club can bring kindness and love to the community. Lancelle and the students hope to make life easier for people who are having a hard time.
“There are young people who want to make a difference in the world. It doesn’t matter how small they may be, they have great ideas “ (Tara Lancelle).
Jamie Fischer, whose organization, Beds for Kids, has received funds from Be Amazing, said that the Be Amazing club inspires her with positive energy and determination never to give up.
“The Be Amazing club is a really good example for the rest of us: adults and children alike. They are dedicated, they don’t give up, they encourage good ideas, and they prove that anyone can make a change in our community” (Jamie Fischer).
Goetsch hopes that the club continues to grow and benefit not only schools in the D. C. Everest District but throughout the Wausau area. Be Amazing groups are active only in the central Wisconsin region now, but Goetsch hopes that there could be a club in every school district in the state.
Goetsch was a recent speaker on “Be Amazing” at the Wausau Early Birds Rotary Club.
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