Attendance

Aubree Hanks, Dana Fager, Dave Reed, Dr. Steve Salerno, Elizabeth Grabe, Gary Tree, Keith White, Mark Rooney, Peggy Zalucha, Russ Christian, Sarah Straka, Susan Smith, Tammy Wedig, and Tracy Deihm.

$10K Raffle Update

Keith shared that ticket sales have been extremely successful, with the event essentially sold out! Only a few sponsorship tickets remain unconfirmed, and if those are finalized, all sponsorships and ticket sales will be complete more than a week before the event—the earliest the club has achieved this in recent years. Keith thanked everyone for their urgency and support in promoting ticket sales.

Jim Schmidt has agreed to return as the auctioneer, and the club will sponsor his event ticket as a thank-you for his time. Keith, Heidi, Paul, and Jim worked together to finalize the evening schedule so the event flows more smoothly than last year. The updated schedule moves some activities, including the Final 10 Ball Auction, earlier in the evening to maintain audience engagement. The goal is to have the event program completed well before event day.

Volunteers are still needed for setup and event operations. Setup will begin around 8:00–9:00 a.m. There is typically a lull in activity between 1:00 and 2:00 p.m., so volunteers are encouraged to help early in the day, take a break if needed, and return around 4:30–5:00 p.m. as guests begin arriving.

Keith reminded members that if anyone has questions about ticket holders or whether someone is already on the raffle list, they should contact him directly. The club also has a small "ticket float" available if a few additional requests come in before the event.

$10K Schedule

The 10K officially begins at 5:30 p.m., although guests often begin arriving around 5:00 p.m. Please show up by 4:30 p.m. at the latest on 7/30. Setup starts at approx. 8:30 a.m. with a break between 1-3:30 p.m. if you're available.

The raffle drawing begins at 6:15 p.m. with balls 1–75, followed shortly by the start of 50/50 ticket sales. Balls 76–125 will then be drawn before the first five balls for the Final 10 Ball Auction are sold. Selling these earlier in the evening allows eliminated participants another opportunity to participate while providing additional time to explain how the auction works.

The live auction is scheduled to begin at approximately 7:15 p.m. Around 7:45 p.m., the club will conclude 50/50 ticket sales before drawing the winner. The remaining raffle balls will continue to be drawn, with the second group of Final 10 Ball Auction balls sold around 8:00 p.m. The final four raffle participants will be brought to the stage around 8:40 p.m., followed by the Final 10 Ball Auction winner announcement and conclusion of the event around 9:00 p.m.

$10K Live Auction & Auction Items

Keith reported that the live auction is in good shape, with approximately seven auction packages already secured, including several vacation packages. Gary will follow up with Vortex regarding the possibility of donating one or two beginner firearm classes as additional live auction items. Members agreed these classes would make a unique and valuable auction package.

$10K Flowers & Decorations

Susan shared that the club is simplifying floral decorations this year to reduce volunteer workload. Instead of creating large floral displays, she will prepare three bouquets for the registration table, food area, and podium. Members who have flowers in their gardens are welcome to bring an additional bouquet to place around the venue, but no advance coordination is necessary.

$10K Technology & Event Experience

Members discussed several ways to improve the attendee experience during the raffle.

Aubree will explore creating a QR code that links to a dedicated ClubRunner page displaying live raffle results, raffle rules, and Final 10 Ball Auction information. This would allow attendees to follow the raffle from their phones while also increasing traffic to the club's website.

The club also discussed improving audio throughout the venue. Keith plans to reposition speakers to create a "wall of sound" across the room, while Gary will contact Full Compass to determine whether additional rental speakers would improve clarity in the challenging acoustics of the venue. Members agreed that improving sound quality remains one of the highest priorities for enhancing the event experience.

Additional monitors displaying raffle information were also discussed as a future enhancement.

Keith welcomed continued feedback on raffle announcements and the event experience as planning continues.

Club Leadership & Priorities

Liz discussed her goals as Club President for the coming Rotary year. She emphasized continuing the organizational improvements started by previous presidents while making leadership resources easier to access so future board members and presidents can transition into their roles more effectively.

She encouraged members to consider future leadership opportunities, noting that Rotary provides strong training and mentorship for incoming presidents. Liz also emphasized maintaining an inclusive club culture where everyone contributes their strengths rather than being micromanaged.

PolioPlus & Community Outreach

Liz announced plans for a PolioPlus awareness event on October 24. The club hopes to partner with Interact students and the Outreach Committee to host a community awareness walk promoting Rotary's efforts to eradicate polio. Members will be encouraged to participate by wearing Rotary-branded shirts and carrying informational signage.

Youth Engagement

Liz also emphasized continuing the club's strong commitment to youth engagement. She expressed appreciation for the impact of the recent exchange student, Zandra, and encouraged the club to continue investing in programs that connect younger generations with Rotary.

Discussion followed regarding Rotary Youth Exchange. Members noted that sponsoring an exchange student costs approximately $4,000 and currently fits best into the club's every-other-year budget cycle. While there is enthusiasm about expanding the program to an annual opportunity in the future, members acknowledged the financial commitment and the challenge of recruiting host families.

The Youth Committee was recognized for the significant amount of work involved in coordinating exchange students, particularly recruiting host families. Members discussed beginning recruitment efforts much earlier in the year and incorporating host family recruitment into the club's broader outreach strategy.

Social media engagement surrounding Zandra's experience was very strong, generating approximately 4,500 impressions and reinforcing the value of highlighting Rotary's impact within the community.

Club Outreach

Members discussed the importance of continuing to tell Rotary's story through positive community outreach rather than only promoting fundraising events. Keith noted that the goodwill campaign leading up to the 10K Raffle helped build excitement and likely contributed to strong ticket sales. The Outreach Committee plans to use a similar strategy when recruiting future host families and promoting other Rotary initiatives.

Facilities Project

Gary reported that materials for the fence project have been purchased. The remaining work includes purchasing screws, removing the old cap, installing the new cap, and assembling a volunteer work crew equipped with saws and other tools. The project is expected to require approximately four to six hours and may be completed over two workdays.