Join Rotarian friends and guests in volunteering to clean up a small section of the White River. We’ll work both the shoreline and the river (in canoes). Families are welcome. When we did this last year, we had a blast! And we pulled about 3,000 pounds of junk and litter from the river.
Join us Sat., Sept. 17 from 9 am till 1 pm or any portion thereof. The precise location is yet to be selected by Friends of the White River. All are welcome.
RSVP on EventBrite. Email NormMelzer@gmail.com with any questions.
Please join your friends from the Environment & Beautification Committee at a Tower clean up for the Indiana School for the Blind and Visually Impaired.
We will be weeding, planting shrubs and perennials, and mulching at the INSBVI Tower on June 18th from 9am to 12pm. Looking forward to a nice, summer day of service. Families and guests are welcome to attend.
On the northeast side of Indianapolis, much of the land has been developed for residential and commercial use. One particular 25-acre parcel located at Sargent Road and 82nd Street represented an opportunity to protect a rare, undeveloped, high quality, urban natural area. Mud Creek Conservancy purchased this property in April 2021 after fundraising for two years.
Now MCC is organizing volunteers to improve this site, named the Sargent Road Nature Park. On Saturday, March 19th from 9 am until 1 pm, Rotarians will work to remove invasive species from the site. We’ll get dirty. We’ll sweat. We’ll grunt. And we’ll have loads of fun.
Be a part of it! Email Norm Melzer at normmelzer@gmail.com and reserve yourself a space. Families welcome. Guests welcome. Join us!
Join us for the Environment & Beautification Committee’s Indy Do Day Service Project at the Indiana School for the Blind and Visually Impaired on Sunday, September 19 from 9 a.m. till 1 p.m. You do not have to be a member of the committee to participate.
Volunteers will be clearing brush and some trees along the school’s property, removing a daylily bed and weeding one of the dorms.
Water, snacks, sunscreen, and bug spray will be provided. Please bring the following if you have it: chain saw, pole pruner, loppers, gloves, hoe, soil knife, weed digger and knee pads! Contact Marie Koenig at koenigmarie55@gmail.com or 317-509-0525 by Saturday, September 11 to participate.
On Saturday, June 26, 17 Rotarians and 8 guests used 7 canoes and 1 dumpster to pick trash from the White River in the area upriver from 10th Street. Removed were a sofa, two ottomans, a shopping cart, a wooden pallet, six tires and too many cans, plastic bags and styrofoam cups to count. Altogether this group invested about 80 hours into the project that was both productive and fun. Friends of the White River Executive Director Kevin Hardie was impressed.
Looking for a way to show off your Rotary love? Order your Rotary Volunteer shirt today! The logo is on the back of the shirt and offered in sizes adult small through adult 5x. Orders can be shipped directly to you or picked up at a Tuesday program from Rotarian Erin Smith with Spotlight Strategies. Click here to order yours today!
During March, the Rotary Club of Indianapolis is hosting our March Membership Mania Tournament! We have planned special events to showcase the Best of Rotary during March. If you have been interested in ramping up your Rotary engagement, now is the time! Most events require advance registration, but are free to attend. Below are the links to our special events.
March 8 Indiana Historical Society Conservation Lab Presentation with the History Committee Indiana Historical Society, 12 p.m. Lunch in the Stardust Cafe and 1 p.m. Presentation Contact Phyllis Geeslin at phydster@comcast.net to register.
March 9 March Mania Meet Up Informal coffee and conversation for current and/or prospective members of the Rotary Club of Indianapolis Neidhammer Coffee Co, 2 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. Register here
March 13 Celebrity H-O-R-S-E Tournament Join local personalities for this BIG fun networking and social event. Winner of the tournament will receive $500 for their favorite charity. Hinkle Fieldhouse, 5:30 p.m. – 7 p.m. Register here
March 16 Classroom Makeover Project The 2019 Classroom Makeover top prize for the Indianapolis Teaching Fellows was awarded to Jennifer Elmore with KIPP Indy Unite. Join us to help makeover Jennifer’s classroom. KIPP Indy Unite, 1740 E 30th Street, Indianapolis Contact Greg Albright at galbright@marian.edu to participate.
March 21 Volunteer at Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana, 3737 Waldemere Ave., 5 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. Register here by March 18 to participate.
March 22 NCAA Bracket Party Join friends and guests in a private room at Scotty’s Dawghouse to watch NCAA basketball. Beverages, food, basketball and Rotarians! Scotty’s Dawghouse, 4702 Sunset Ave., Indianapolis, 12 p.m. – 4 p.m. Register here
March 23 Teach for America Classroom Makeover Project The 2019 Teach for America Classroom Makeover top prize was awarded to JaVaughn Hardaway with Longfellow Middle School. Join us to help makeover JaVaughn’s classroom. Longfellow Middle School, 510 Laurel Street, Indianapolis Contact Greg Albright at galbright@marian.edu to participate.
March 23 Indy Animal Care Services Volunteer Opportunity Help spruce up the exterior of Indy Animal Care Services. Indy Animal Care Services, 2600 S. Harding Street, Indianapolis, 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. Contact Marie Koenig koenigmarie55@gmail.com
March 27 Coffee & Conversation at the Colts Complex This is a rare, behind the scenes access to our very own Indianapolis Colts complex. Our speaker will be Stephanie Pemberton, Vice President of Marketing for the Indianapolis Colts. Colts Complex, 7001 W 56th Street, Indianapolis, 8 a.m. – 9 a.m. Register here
March 27 Live After Five Live After Five is an interactive young professionals networking event where Indy connects! On Air Personalities from Hot96.3, RadioNOW100.9 and La Grande 105.1 will be in the mix and broadcasting live on location. There will guest speaker to give career advice in different areas. We will be collecting donations of toiletries for Dove Recovery House. Gavel, 902 Virginia Avenue, Suite 102, Indianapolis, 5 p.m. – 8 p.m. Register here M
April 3 5:31 Club at Ale Emporium Join Rotary friends and guests at The Ale Emporium for fun, frivolity, conversation, beverages (over 200 domestic and imported beers) and food (home of Honest Pizza and famous Hermanaki Wings). Ale Emporium, 8617 Allisonville Road, Indianapolis, 5:31 p.m.- 7:00 p.m. Register here
Rotary celebrates Arbor Day and welcomes Linda Broadfoot, Indy Parks
Linda Broadfoot, the Director of Indy Parks, is our speaker at Rotary on Tuesday, April 18!
With just over one year under her belt, Linda is bringing a new energy to her role and to the Parks Department. Linda wants the city to think big- she knows the important role parks can have in both community and economic development. She expects all 200 parks, trails and nature areas- which comprise about 11,250 acres across the county- to step up and serve the city in big ways, in part through a five year master plan and city approved $5 Million bond set aside for parks.
The Parks Department is also stepping up their community engagement- last year, they hosted almost 20 Indy Do Day projects around the city and plan to keep the momentum again this year through the It’s My City campaign that helps reduce litter in parks and the community. For more info on Linda and her vision, check out this fantastic IBJ article: https://www.ibj.com/articles/62900-parks-director-wants-city-parks-to-spark-change.
Tuesday is also our Club’s celebration of Arbor Day so you’ll get to take home a native plant to add to your garden or brighten someone’s day!
Join the Environment and Beautification committee and be a part of making our city look good! From cleaning up the MLK Greenway, planting trees in our city parks, to building a Gazebo and providing landscaping at Progress House.
We are a hands on group, not afraid to get a little dirty.
We meet the first Monday of each month at 4pm at The Rathskeller. Join us and join in! Who wouldn’t want a chance to spend more time with Norm Melzer?
On Saturday, August 20, Environment and Beautification committee members braved rain to plant and mulch five large, 15 ft. tall trees at Progress House, a short-term residence for those men afflicted with drug and alcohol addictions. We would like to recognize and thank Rotarian, Chris Gonzalez and his company, Mainscape for providing a flatbed truck, forklift, auger, two staff members and mulch to complete the project. The Environment and Beautification committee members included Anne Gioe and spouse, Jim Kienle, Mike Shanley, Marie Koenig and spouse and brother, and Chris Gonzalez for helping with this project. Several Progress House residents and Joe Gaafar prepared and loaded the trees at a different location.
Next spring, Progress House hopefully will be the recipient of a few more trees, shrubs, and benches through a Keep Indianapolis Beautiful grant to help beautify this multi-use recreational and reflective area.
