Count on us for monthly news and inspiration from around District 6600!

In This Issue

Welcome to a new Rotary Year, District 6600 Family!

The wait is finally over, and July is officially here! I am thrilled and honored to begin serving as your District Governor for the 2026-2027 Rotary year. Each July, the Rotary world changes leadership, allowing us to kick off a new chapter filled with renewed energy.

Before we look too far ahead, I want to extend my gratitude to our immediate Past District Governor, Pam Brumbaugh, for her phenomenal leadership over the past year. Because of her dedication and the hard work of so many across our district, we are stepping into this new year on a rock solid foundation. I hope you all have taken a moment to celebrate the incredible wins of 2025-2026, where we truly proved what it means to Unite for Good.

The Power of the Reset: Creating Lasting Impact

I have always appreciated the two yearly "resets" we get in life: July 1 and January 1. July 1, in particular, lets me contemplate what the next half of the calendar has to offer and challenges me to think about how we can make a real difference through the summer and fall.

This year, RI President Yinka. Babalola has challenged us all with a powerful theme: Create Lasting Impact. At the International Assembly, President Babalola reminded us that "change is only the beginning. Impact is what endures." He called on us to not only look at the outcomes of our projects, but to think about how Rotary transforms us and our communities.

As we transition from uniting for good, our goal for 2026-2027 is to harness those strong connections and turn them into sustainable, long-term change.

To Our District Leaders: Thank You

An impactful year doesn't just happen from the top down—it happens from the ground up. To our club board members, Presidents, Presidents-Elect, Assistant Governors, committee chairs, and every single Rotarian putting Service Above Self: THANK YOU! Your leadership, time, and heart are the engine of District 6600. I am eager to collaborate with each of you.

Hitting the Road in Northwest Ohio

Looking ahead at the busy months to come, I hope your clubs are ready for your upcoming meetings, fundraisers, and community events. Please invite me to your events, I will try my absolute best to attend! One of the things I am looking forward to most is traveling over the next several months for my official club visits, enjoying the breathtaking beauty of Northwest Ohio, and celebrating your successes firsthand.

To help me maximize my time with your club and understand how the District can best support your unique goals, you will receive a brief survey with some quick questions about your club prior to my visit. Please take a few minutes to share your insights with me so we can shape our focus for the year together.

So, here’s to the start of Rotary Year 2026-2027! Let’s bring our passion, our creativity, and our dedication to the table to build a future that endures.

Cheers!

The countdown is on. Tickets sales for our End Polio Now night with the Cleveland Guardians close July 31st — and this is one you don't want to miss.

Three Rotary Districts — 6600, 6630, and 6650 — are taking over Progressive Field on Wednesday, August 19 as the Guardians face the San Francisco Giants. Last year we raised $7,000 with 300+ Rotarians in the stands. This year, we're chasing something bigger: hit 150 participants and we march the field in a pre-game parade.

We're close. Get your tickets now and help push us over the line.

Two ways to join in the fun:

Private Pennant District Event — $70/ticket
Dinner 5:30–7:30 PM · Unlimited snacks through the 7th · Exclusive raffles & auctions · Upper Box Outfield seating

Ticket Only — $46/ticket
View Box, Section 454

Gates open at 5:30 PM · First pitch at 6:40 PM · Every ticket supports End Polio Now.

Deadline: July 31st.
Contact Stewart Buchanan at stewb1898@aol.com or 330-607-1442, or visit the link below to buy your tickets from District 6630.

If you've been meaning to register for a Zone 30/31 Summer Leadership Seminar, the window is still open — but it's moving fast. Four locations remain, running through August 8th.

These seminars are worth the trip. Every attendee gets three focused sessions covering membership recruiting and retention, public image, and the Rotary Foundation — practical, bring-it-back-to-your-club content delivered alongside Rotarians from across the zone. Add in the social event the evening before each seminar and you've got a full experience, not just a training day.

Remaining dates and locations:

• July 18 — West Chester/Liberty Township, Ohio (just north of Cincinnati — the closest Ohio option!)
• July 25 — Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
• August 1 — Franklin, Tennessee
• August 8 — New Orleans, Louisiana (axe throwing the night before. Yes, really.)

Talk to your club president or district officers about attending — and don't sit on it. July 18th is closer than it looks.

If you've been thinking about making the trip to New Orleans for the Zone 30/31 Institute, now's the time to stop thinking and start packing. Registration closes August 10th — and this is one you don't want to miss from the sidelines.

This year's Institute brings together Rotarians from across Zones 30 and 31 for three days of leadership development, connection, and — let's be honest — one of the best cities in the world to do it in. New Orleans isn't just a backdrop; it's an experience, and the Institute team has built a program worthy of it, including a Kids Camp option for families making the trip.

District 6600 will have representation there — scholarship winners Rob Kuenning and Noah Fox are heading down courtesy of the Zone Emerging Leader Scholarship. Will you be joining them?

Whether you're a seasoned Institute attendee or this would be your first time, the Zone Institute is one of those experiences that consistently delivers — new ideas, new friendships, and a fresh perspective on what Rotary can be.

Could the next District Governor be someone in your club... or could it be you?

District 6600 is seeking an inspiring, service-minded leader to serve as District Governor for 2029-2030.  This is your opportunity to help shape the future of Rotary in Northwest Ohio, strengthen clubs and create a lasting impact across our district and beyond.

if you know a Rotarian with vision, enthusiasm, and a passion for helping others succeed, encourage them to apply.  Self-nominations are also welcomed!

Key Dates:

• • Nominations Deadline: Saturday, October 31, 2026
  • Tentative Interview Date: Saturday, November 21, 2026, 10 am

To nominate a candidate or submit your own nomination, please send the necessary information to Nominating Committee Chair PDG Deb Cheney at debcheneyrotary6600@gmail.com. The official nomination form is attached below, along with qualification requirements and FAQ's.

Let’s ensure our district has the strong leadership it needs for a powerful future.

You may remember Public Image Power Hour from last year — our monthly Zoom sessions covering everything from Canva basics to building event flyers. This year, we're evolving that idea into something even better for the whole district.

Starting this month, Membership, Foundation, and Public Image will take turns hosting the District 6600 Third Monday Series — a one-hour Zoom session, every third Monday evening, rotating between the three legs of the Rotary stool.

Same useful, practical content you've come to count on, just spread across all three areas so every part of your club's work gets some attention throughout the year. And yes, we'll keep recording each session and posting it to the District's YouTube channel, so you'll never have to miss one.

First up: Public Image, Monday, July 20th at 6 pm.

Click the link below to join us for a session built to help your club kick off the new Rotary year strong. Return to this space each month for details on the next session!

If not, now's the time. A new Rotary year is the perfect moment to put someone in place to tell your club's story — and it doesn't need to be complicated.

Public Image isn't just flyers and Facebook posts. It's how your community sees Rotary in action: the service projects, the fundraisers, the people behind them. A Public Image Chair (or small team) gives that story a home, which makes everything else your club does this year — membership growth, fundraising, service — easier to share and easier to celebrate.

You don't need experience to take this on, just an interest in helping your club show up well. And you won't be doing it alone: the District 6600 Third Monday Series kicks off this month with a Public Image-focused session on July 20th [see story above], plus ongoing support throughout the year.

Don't have a Public Image Chair yet? Talk to your club president about stepping into the role — and reach out to the District's Public Image Chair, Jen Allred, at jenallred@me.com.

One of the greatest gifts we can give our Inbound and potential Outbound Rotary Youth Exchange (RYE) students is a true taste of local Ohio culture, hospitality, and hometown pride. Every community in District 6600 has something that makes it special—and we want your club to show it off!

We are looking to build a calendar of 4 to 6 unique, fun activities throughout the year where clubs can sponsor and host our exchange students for a day.

What does a Host Day look like? Ideally, the day would blend Rotary fellowship with local fun! For example:

• The Meeting: The exchange students visit and present at your weekly club meeting (sharing a bit about themselves or their home countries).
• The Adventure: After the meeting, your club hosts the students for a quintessential local activity.

What counts as a local favorite? Anything that makes your town unique!

• Fall: Taking the students to Cedar Point’s Halloweekends, visiting a local cider mill, or exploring a pumpkin festival.
• Winter: An afternoon of outdoor ice skating, a holiday light display, or a local high school/college basketball game.
• Spring/Summer: A town festival, an outdoor community concert, a local museum tour, or a day at the lake.

How your club can get involved: Does your club have a favorite town activity you'd love to share with the future leaders of the world? We want to hear your ideas!

Interested in hosting? Reach out to RYE Chair Mary Aufdenkampe, mary_aufdenkampe@hotmail.com, with your club's name, your proposed activity, and the time of year it takes place. Let's work together to create lasting impacts and unforgettable memories for our exchange students this year!

As our nation celebrates America's 250th Anniversary, let's honor this historic milestone by celebrating the power of service, generosity, and hope through The Rotary Foundation.

We're inviting every Rotarian in District 6600 to join our "Celebrate 250" Rotary Direct Challenge!

Here's how you can participate:

• • Become a new Rotary Direct recurring donor, donating a minimum of $20 per month, or
  • Increase your current Rotary Direct giving by 10% for the coming year. That's just 2.50% each quarter—a simple way to make a lasting impact while celebrating America's 250th birthday.

Every Rotarian who participates in this challenge during the campaign will automatically be entered to win!

• • One winner from each Area will receive 250 Paul Harris Recognition Points to use or share.
  • One Grand Prize Winner will receive $250 to apply toward the Rotary event of their choice—whether it's district training, a conference, or another Rotary experience.

The Rotary Foundation turns our generosity into scholarships, clean water, disease prevention, peace building, education, and local and international projects that change lives every day. By choosing Rotary Direct, you're making a commitment that continues to create hope and opportunity long after the fireworks have faded.

This Independence Day, let's celebrate not only our nation's history but also Rotary's promise to build a brighter future.

This contest will end on October 15. Contest winners will be announced at the Foundation Dinner to be held on October 23.  If you have questions, contact the District Foundation Chair, Diana Savage, at diana.savage.rotary6600@gmail.com. 

Join the Celebrate 250 Rotary Direct Challenge today—because small monthly gifts create extraordinary impact!

Freedom to Give. Power to Serve. Celebrate 250!

Big news for District 6600: two of our most meaningful events are coming together for the first time under one roof — or at least, one zip code. The Rotary Foundation Dinner and the District 6600 Peace Summit are consolidating into a single weekend, making it easier than ever to attend both without doubling your travel.

Mark your calendars for October 23–24, 2026 in Elyria. The Foundation Dinner kicks things off on Friday, October 23, followed by the Peace Summit at Lorain County Community College on Saturday, October 24. The theme for the annual peace summit will be "Create Lasting Peace: Think Globally, Act Locally."  Whether you've been a regular at one event or the other — or have always meant to make it to both — this is your year. Details on registration, speakers, and venues are coming soon, but for now: hold the weekend.

World Polio Day is closer than you think, and the best club events don't plan themselves. Need a little inspiration? District 6600 clubs have shown us how it's done — Purple Pinkie Donuts, Pints for Polio, Olio for Polio, Polio Walkathon, Pours for Polio — creative, community-friendly events that raise awareness and funds while having a little fun. Pick your idea, rally your club, and start planning today. Every dollar gets a 2:1 match from the Gates Foundation. That's three times the impact.

Reach out to the District’s Polio Chair, Peggi Ignagni with any questions at fleurdelysfarm@hotmail.com.

There's a moment somewhere around mile 40 of day two when you stop thinking about your legs and start thinking about why you're out there. For the 21 riders and 2 support drivers who completed the 2026 Rotary Tour for MESA, that moment arrived early — and it stayed.

From June 19–24, the 21st edition of the Tour rolled out of Findlay and through some of the best of northwest Ohio — Ada, Lima, St. Marys, New Bremen/New Knoxville, Celina, Van Wert, Delphos, and Ottawa — before looping back to where it all began, approximately 220 miles later. Along the way, riders of every experience level shared roads, meals, and stories with local Rotary clubs, building the kind of goodwill and fellowship that doesn't happen in a meeting room.

This is what MESA looks like in motion. Every pedal stroke supports Medical Equipment and Supplies Abroad Foundation — the District's international project that maintains a warehouse in Fostoria and sends dozens of shipments of life-saving equipment and supplies around the world each year. The Tour generates one-third to one-half of MESA's annual operating budget, working toward a $60,000 goal that keeps those shipments moving.

Ask any rider what the Tour means to them, and you'll hear the same thing: it's the most meaningful and fun week of the year. This year's group proved it all over again.

Plans are already underway for the 22nd Tour in 2027, when riders will explore the northeast quadrant of the District. If you've ever thought about joining — as a rider, a sponsor, or a host club — now is the time to start thinking seriously. Your legs will thank you later. Probably.

District 6600 celebrated the launch of a new Rotary year in style on Friday, June 26th at the Toledo Zoo's Malawi Event Center — and the evening got off to an unforgettable start. Guests gathered on the Africa Overlook for cocktails and giraffe feeding, where six-month-old Eugene, the Zoo's newest and most charming resident, made a scene-stealing appearance.

Inside, the evening unfolded with the presentation of flags by our Rotary Youth Exchange students, the RLI graduation recognition, and the Youth Exchange Investiture for outbound students. The highlight of the evening was a newly introduced ceremony honoring the district's legacy of leadership — ten Past District Governors were recognized and called forward, and the incoming DG pin was passed hand to hand down the line, traveling through years of service until it reached Immediate Past District Governor Pam Brumbaugh. Pam then stepped forward to swear in Katherine Eboch as District Governor and pin her jacket in a moment that brought the room to its feet. Later, there wasn't a dry eye in the room as Katherine surprised her closest friends and family with Paul Harris Fellow awards in recognition of the support that made her journey to the Governor's chair possible.

It was truly a night to remember! You can view photos from the evening at the link below

With the start of a new Rotary year comes a fresh roster of district leaders. Committee chairs, Assistant Governors, and district officers have been updated for 2026-27. Visit the District 6600 website to see the full leadership directory and find out who your go-to contact is this year.

If you were at the District Investiture this year, you witnessed one of the more memorable moments of the evening — two of District 6600's outbound Rotary Youth Exchange students stepping to the microphone and introducing themselves in both English and the language of the country they'll soon call home. Alex Freeland, sponsored by Maumee Rotary Club and heading to the Czech Republic, and Raquel Graber, sponsored by Hicksville Rotary Club and bound for Spain, gave the room a glimpse of the adventure ahead. A group photo with the District's Leadership followed — a snapshot of two young Rotary ambassadors ready to represent District 6600 on the world stage. Also on hand was Kai Toton of Elyria Rotary Club, freshly returned from a year in India and already paying it forward. This July, Kai will be at Otterbein University helping lead the final training session for the 22 outbound students in our multi-district, multi-state group before they depart in August. Coming up on the RYE calendar:

• July 10–12 — Final outbound training, Otterbein University
• August — 22 outbound students depart for their host countries
• August 22–23 — Inbound student orientation at Rotary Camp

Thinking about 2027? Now is the time. Whether your club is interested in sponsoring an outbound student or hosting an inbound student, the planning process starts a full year in advance and spans two complete Rotary years. Reach out to your district Youth Exchange Officer to learn more — and give a young person the experience of a lifetime.

July marks Rotary’s focus on Maternal and Child Health, one of our core Areas of Focus and a powerful reminder of the impact we can make through The Rotary Foundation. Around the world, millions of children under the age of five die from preventable causes such as malnutrition, poor sanitation, and limited access to health care. Mothers also face significant risks during pregnancy and childbirth—challenges Rotary is working to change.

Through Foundation-supported projects, Rotary clubs improve access to essential medical services, including prenatal care, immunizations, and life-saving treatments. We support maternal health through clinics, screenings, and education, while empowering communities by training local health care workers to sustain these efforts long-term. Innovative solutions like mobile clinics and telehealth are reaching families in even the most remote areas.

In the Rotary calendar, August is designated as Membership and New Club Development Month. This month is dedicated to focusing on membership recruitment and retention within Rotary clubs worldwide. It's also a time to celebrate the contributions of existing members and the positive impact Rotary clubs have on their communities.

To learn more about these events and to get instructions on connecting by zoom, visit the DACdb District Calendar.

“Sunrise” describes a new beginning with new opportunities. That is the case for The Elyria Sunrise Rotary Club. Created in 1996, the club reached a peak of more than 50 members in the early 2000’s. But after COVID, the retirement or moves of many members, and other factors, the club found it difficult to maintain a chain of leadership succession.

The answer was found by uniting with the Pathways Rotary Club, a District 6600 online club, and reformatting the club as a Service Companion or IMPACT club under the governance of Pathways. Although the Sunrise club was formally dissolved as an independent club effective June 30, 2026, its continuing members will be registered as Pathways members and will continue to meet in person and plan local projects, carrying on the Sunrise legacy as The Elyria Sunrise Rotary IMPACT Club, a Service Companion club of the Pathways Rotary Club. 

In the featured photo, Sunrise Club charter member Sam Speck rings the bell to close the final meeting of the Elyria Sunrise Rotary Club.

For more information on Service Companion clubs, see the links below:

The Rotaract Club of Toledo took their June 17th meeting somewhere a little different — the newsroom of local ABC affiliate 13abc WTVG. The station hosted the club for a behind-the-scenes tour and a guest presentation from station executives, continuing a partnership that has become one of Rotaract Toledo's most distinctive community connections. Not a bad place to hold a meeting.

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