Category: Latest News

  • April 5, Dale Ogden, Chief Curator of Cultural History, Indiana State Museum & Historic Sites

    April 5, Dale Ogden, Chief Curator of Cultural History, Indiana State Museum & Historic Sites

    2016  is the bicentennial of Indiana’s statehood and the Indiana State Museum (ISM) is producing a major exhibition in recognition of this anniversary.  Indiana in 200 Objects; A Bicentennial Celebration will introduce significant moments, events, artifacts and people from Indiana’s past and present, as well as present our state’s amazing  natural history.  The experience will showcase the breadth and depth of Indiana’s history including its contributions to the nation and the world. The exhibition will run from April 30, 2016 –  January 29, 2017 at the ISM.

    In addition to nearly 140 artifacts from the museum’s permanent collection, contributions from institutions, museums, libraries, corporations and private collections from throughout the nation are to be utilized to tell Indiana’s story.  The National Archives, NASA, Indiana Historical Society, Rolls-Royce, The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis, Cummins Inc., the National Museum of the American Indian, the Cranbrook Institute, and Butler, Indiana, Notre Dame and Purdue universities are among our some 40 partners on this project.

  • Volunteers needed for the month of May!

    INDY500_100thRunning_Logo

    Start your engines and help us celebrate the 100th Running of the Indy 500. This is a historic event for Indianapolis locals and visitors, and we need volunteers. Volunteer registration for events and programs fueled by the 100th Running Host Committee is now open and we look forward to engaging an amazing team of ambassadors.

    Click here to volunteer!

    Download the Guidelines

    See the Shirt Options!

  • March 29, Leonard Hoops, president & CEO of Visit Indy

    March 29, Leonard Hoops, president & CEO of Visit Indy

    The Why, How, and What’s Next for Indy’s $4.5 billion tourism economy
    Four decades ago, civic leaders set out to make Indianapolis a premier destination for conventions, major sporting events, and tourism.  The effort to draw big meetings and events to Indy has been wildly successful but Indy still has much room to grow as a tourism destination.  Visit Indy CEO Leonard Hoops will share why tourism is critical to the region’s economy (hint: it’s about jobs and tax revenues), how Visit Indy has been doing, and what still needs to be done for Indy to become a must-see destination.

    DETAILS FOR GUESTS

  • Charles A. Johnson

    charles-johnson

    March 1, 1926 – March 12, 2016

    Past President of the Rotary Club of Indianapolis (1994-1995)

    Born on March 1, 1926, in Carmel, IN, he was the son of J. Grant and Goldah Roberts Johnson. He was predeceased by his wife of 61 years, Virginia Williams, and his grandson John David Downing. He is survived by a daughter, Joanna Lynne Downing, Knoxville, MD; a son, Gregory Charles, Willis, VA; a grandson, Corey Charles Downing, and a brother, James, Richmond, IN.

    Charles graduated from Earlham College, Richmond, IN, and earned a master’s degree from Hartford Theological Seminary, Hartford, CT. He was awarded honorary doctorates by Indiana University and Marian College.

    Prior to his retirement in 1994, Charles was vice president of Lilly Endowment, a family foundation in Indianapolis, which provided funding for a wide range of charitable organizations in Indiana and nationally. During his eighteen years on the staff he served as an advisor to many charities and was deeply involved in the founding of the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy at Indiana University, the National Committee on Planned Giving, and in developing an initiative to encourage the growth of community foundations throughout the state of Indiana. In 1993 he was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Society of Fund Raising Executives.

    Earlier in his career, Charles was development officer for Earlham College, Richmond, IN, Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit, MI, and the American City Bureau, Chicago, IL. After Charles and his wife retired to Tucson in 1996, he was president of the Board of Trustees of the Carondelet Foundation, a member of the Board of Directors of the Oro Valley Community Foundation, and a volunteer at the Community Foundation for Southern Arizona. Charles never stopped working; in his 80’s he was instrumental in founding the scholarship program for employees at Splendido Retirement Community in Oro Valley.

    Charles was an avid golfer with many friends at Skyline Country Club, and a lifelong car enthusiast, focusing on Ford Model As and early V8s. Charles was a member of the Society of Friends (Quakers). He was the third of the four Johnson brothers, JW, Phillip, Charles, and James. Their extended families brought him great joy. Charles was very fond of his son-in-law, Jim and step-grandsons, Jeremy, Ben, and James; his daughter-in-law, Colleen, his step-granddaughters Karen and Diane, and his great-grandsons Brody and Riley. – See more at: http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/indystar/obituary.aspx?n=charles-a-johnson&pid=178090468&fhid=20175#sthash.ajuNORGq.dpuf

  • March 22, Anucha Browne, Vice President, Women’s Basketball Championships

    March 22, Anucha Browne, Vice President, Women’s Basketball Championships

    Anucha Browne Sanders is the NCAA’s vice president of women’s basketball championships. In this role, Browne Sanders sets the strategic direction for, and oversees the operation and management of, the Division I, II and III women’s basketball championships. The NCAA’s Women’s Final Four is just around corner on April 3 and 5 and is set to take place right here in Indianapolis, so this is the perfect time to learn more about the championship!

    Browne Sanders was previously the University of Buffalo senior associate athletic director and senior woman administrator, where she supervised men’s and women’s basketball, volleyball, softball, swimming, diving and rowing. She was also responsible for marketing and ticket sales efforts, corporate partnerships, community relations, event presentation and operations for revenue sports.

    Prior to her service at Buffalo, Browne Sanders was the senior vice president of marketing and business operations for the NBA’s New York Knicks. In her collegiate career, Browne Sanders was a highly decorated women’s basketball student-athlete at Northwestern University, earning all-Big Ten team honors three times and Big Ten Player of the Year twice. Browne Sanders holds the all-time conference records for scoring (2,307 points) and rebounds (951). In 1985, she led all Division I women’s basketball players in scoring average with 30.5 points per game. We are excited to welcome this champion to Rotary!

  • March 15, Ann Murtlow, President & CEO, United Way of Central Indiana

    March 15, Ann Murtlow, President & CEO, United Way of Central Indiana

    On April 1, 2013, Ann D. Murtlow became the 13th executive to lead United Way of Central Indiana. She was chosen following a national search and has extensive corporate and nonprofit board experience.

    Prior to joining United Way of Central Indiana, she was an independent consultant providing advice on strategy, execution, growth and leadership. Previously, Ann was an AES Corporation executive and president & CEO at Indianapolis Power & Light Company (IPL) where she became one of the few female chief executives in the electric utility industry. During her nine-year tenure at IPL, she focused on providing value to company stakeholders through operating excellence in the areas of safety, environmental performance, reliability, customer service, financial performance, employee engagement and community leadership.

  • March 8, Brian Payne, CICF

    Listen to the audio:

    Brian Payne100 Years of The Indianapolis Foundation: Looking Back and Charging Forward

    The Indianapolis Foundation, which began in 1916, is one of the oldest community foundations in the world.  It was founded by Evans Woollen who was also the entrepreneur who started the Fletcher Savings and Trust Company and was a candidate for the Democratic nomination in the United States Presidential election of 1928.  Founding Trustees of the Board included J.K. Lilly and Vice President of the United States Charles Fairbanks.

    Brian will talk about how The Indianapolis Foundation and the Central Indiana Community Foundation will celebrate throughout the year by engaging and “wowing” the community including the establishment of two exciting “Ben Franklin Funds!”

  • April 23, Tree Planting at Garfield Park

    April 23, Tree Planting at Garfield Park


    A lot of us are starting to think about spring and tree planting! Can’t wait to get out? Then, check out the Garfield Park Tree Planting event. This is a Rotary-supported event along with Keep Indianapolis Beautiful and the Friends of Garfield Park.

    Sign up today! We are targeting 150 volunteers to plant 140 trees. And, a tree planting demo will be provided along with the required tools and refreshments at the event. Kids are welcome.

  • Rotary Golfs in the Winter!

    Rotary Golfs in the Winter!

    On a cold February day (25 degrees), 12 Rotarians met to play golf in the warm inside confines of Golftec (70 degrees).  We divided into 3 teams and played a scramble format golf tournament coordinated on 3 simulators to be the exact course.  Rotarians got to swing their own clubs on the high tech simulators for a chance to play golf in the depth of winter.  The simulators were advanced Trackman launch monitors and High Definition monitors that showed the flight of the ball and provided distance, club head speed and many other statistics.  The simulators even allowed for putting on the greens which seemed to confound many of the participants.

    The consensus of the group was that it was a fun experience and we were glad to have an opportunity to swing a club with fellow Rotarian in the winter. Afterwards we met at a local brewery for fellowship and discuss our golf prowess (or lack thereof).  Thanks to Jerry Clifford for the attached picture of the group.

  • April 16 – Join the Rotary Racers Team!

    April 16 – Join the Rotary Racers Team!

    On April 16, 2016 our Rotary Racers Team will walk or run for the Cure! Plus, there will be Tutus and lots of pink adorned Rotarians to recognize cancer survivors, loved ones, family members and friends. It’s a great cause and our club can be proud of our Rotary Racers! Won’t you join us? Sign-up by joining the Rotary Racers Team!

    Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure® Series is the world’s largest and most successful education and fundraising event for breast cancer ever created.

    The event raises significant funds and awareness for the breast cancer movement, celebrates breast cancer survivorship and honors those who have lost their battle with the disease.

    This Race is unique in the fact that 100% of the net proceeds are allocated to our mission. 75 percent of the net income stays in our community to help fund local programs offering breast health education and breast cancer screening and treatment. The remaining 25 percent of the net income supports the Susan G. Komen® Grants Program.