Hello District 6600 Family!

Welcome to November! Fall is officially in full swing across Northwest Ohio. I hope everyone had a safe, fun, and happy Halloween! As the air turns crisp and we turn our calendars toward Thanksgiving and the holiday season, it is a natural time to pause, reflect, and count our blessings.

As Rotarians, we have so much to be thankful for—especially the opportunity to serve alongside one another. I am deeply grateful for each and every one of you and for the incredible, lasting impact you continue to make in our local communities and around the world.

November Focus: Rotary Foundation Month

In the Rotary calendar, November is designated as Rotary Foundation Month.

While we were disappointed to have to cancel our October Foundation Dinner, my heart remains full of gratitude for the generosity of our District 6600 family. I want to take a moment to say a very heartfelt thank you to everyone who supports The Rotary Foundation.

Planting Seeds Today for Impact Tomorrow

Our Foundation operates on a unique and wonderful three-year funding cycle:

Harvesting the Past: The District Grants and Global Grants our clubs are executing right now across Northwest Ohio and internationally are made possible by the dollars you donated three years ago. Because of your past generosity, lives are being changed today!

Planting for the Future: Every dollar you give to the Annual Fund this year will return to District 6600 in three years as District Designated Funds (DDF) to power future club grants, scholarships, and humanitarian projects.

When you give to The Rotary Foundation, you are planting seeds today for trees under whose shade we may never sit—ensuring our Rotary service endures for years to come.

How You Can Support

Whether you give through Every Rotarian, Every Year (EREY), become a Paul Harris Fellow, or set up a recurring monthly gift through Direct Giving, every contribution—no matter the size—makes a difference. We simply could not create the impact we do without your support.

Thank you for your generosity, your heart for service, and your commitment to doing good in the world. Wishing you and your families a warm, peaceful, and Happy Thanksgiving!

Cheers,

Each November, Rotarians around the world celebrate The Rotary Foundation and the difference our giving makes, both close to home and around the globe. It’s a good time to thank the members who make that work possible and to invite more Rotarians to join them.

250 Power to Give: Congratulations to Our Winners

Our first-quarter 250 Power to Give Rotary Direct Challenge was a success. Ninety-one Rotarians across District 6600 enrolled in Rotary Direct, increased their recurring gift, or continued their giving. That’s 91 members taking an intentional step to help Rotary do even more good.

Congratulations to our four challenge winners, who each receive 250 Paul Harris points:

• • Gina Wrae Eschke, North Coast
  • Kimberly Danes, Toledo
  • Nancy Riella, Pathways
  • Lisa Hutson, Elyria

Our grand prize winner, Brandon Grigsby of the Ottawa-Glandorf club, receives a $250 credit toward any future District 6600 event.

Thank you to our winners and to everyone who took part. And we’re not done yet: watch for our next Foundation giving challenge, with more chances to participate and celebrate the power of giving.

Make November a Month of Foundation Action

Foundation Month is a chance for every club to put giving and service in the spotlight. Here are three ways your club can get involved:

• • Host a Foundation program before year-end. Share how Foundation dollars support grants, education, disease prevention, clean water, peace and much more.
  • Encourage Rotary Direct. Recurring giving is easy to set up, and every gift builds the resources Rotary needs to change lives.
  • Invite me to visit. I’d love to join your club, share Foundation stories, and help your members connect their generosity to Rotary’s impact. Contact me at diana.savage.rotary6600@gmail.com to schedule a presentation.

A Thank You to Our Donors

Behind every contribution is a community strengthened, a life improved, or a future made brighter. Click the button below to watch a special thank-you from The Rotary Foundation to the donors who make our work possible. This November, let’s celebrate what we’ve accomplished together, inspire others to give, and keep building the resources that make our service possible.

When DG Katherine Eboch rides down Colorado Boulevard on New Year’s Day, she’ll be aboard one of the most recognizable floats in the Rose Parade, and this year’s design is one to see.

Rotary’s 2027 float, “Where Communities Bloom,” features a thriving village carried on the back of a giant tortoise. The design symbolizes the connection between a healthy planet and strong communities, and it celebrates Rotarians as People of Action who restore ecosystems, improve water quality, and protect natural resources. It also fits the Tournament of Roses’ 2027 theme, “Welcome,” which celebrates belonging and community.

The float’s tortoise even has a nickname: "Torry". The float committee has been sharing Torry’s adventures on social media in the lead-up to the parade, including a World Polio Day appearance wearing an End Polio Now bandana.

A Rotary Tradition Since 1980

Rotary has entered a float in the Rose Parade every year since 1980, making it one of Rotary’s largest public image projects in the world. The float is funded by contributions from Rotary districts and hundreds of individual clubs across North America, and bringing it to life takes thousands of volunteer hours of flower-by-flower decorating.

Get Involved

You don’t have to be in Pasadena to be part of the float, you can support Katherine’s ride. Rider positions are funded by personal and club donations. To help Katherine represent District 6600, contact her at keeboch@gmail.com.

Tune in on New Year’s Day to cheer on Katherine, Torry, and the BGSU Falcon Marching Band, who will also be in the parade!

Mark your calendars! District 6600 is gearing up for two great rides benefiting MESA (Medical Equipment and Supplies Abroad) in 2027, running June 12–16.

The 20+ year Rotary Tour for MESA returns as a five-day, loop journey through Rotary clubs across the district’s northeast quadrant — and this year it’s joined by a brand-new event, the MESA 1 Day Ride. Open to the whole community, riders can choose routes of varying length to match their experience level, starting and finishing in Port Clinton.

Both rides kick off together on Saturday, June 12, with a very special guest: John Hewko, General Secretary of Rotary International. He's an avid cyclist and will be riding alongside participants.

The bike ride is MESA’s primary fundraiser, helping fund the shipment of medical equipment and supplies to communities in need around the world. Whatever distance you choose, you’ll be riding for a real cause.

Registration opens in early 2027 — watch this newsletter and rotarymesa.org for details. Start dusting off those bikes!

Last spring, District 6600 rolled out IGNITE, the mobile app from Member Minder Pro, the company behind DACdb. IGNITE runs on the same DACdb database our clubs already use and puts the most-used tools in a simple app on your phone or tablet. It replaces the older DACdb Mobile app, which is being retired, so if you still have that app, now’s the time to switch.

Getting started

1. Open the App Store (iPhone/iPad) or Google Play (Android).
2. Search for “IGNITE” by Member Minder Pro. Look for the red flame icon.
3. Install the free app.
4. Sign in with your existing DACdb username and password. Your username is usually your email address. You don’t need a new account.
5. Forgot your password? Reset it at www.DACdb.com, or contact me and I’ll reset it for you.

What you can do

• • Look up fellow Rotarians and call, text, or email them with a tap
  • Send messages one-on-one or, for leaders, to whole groups
  • View club and District calendars, RSVP or register, and add events to your phone’s calendar
  • Log service hours right after a project
  • Share “Service Selfies” of your club’s work
  • Scan a member’s QR code to swap contact info at events
  • Check your Foundation giving and recognition levels, and donate to The Rotary Foundation
  • Send a membership application to prospective members

Note: Paying club dues in the app works only if your club has added DACdb’s finance module. Ask your club leadership whether it’s turned on.

We’re here to help

IGNITE is designed to be clutter-free, and you’ll be comfortable with it after a few taps. For help with your login or getting started, contact me at sharon@trabbic.com.

Want a live demo? Dianne Brehm and I, your District IGNITE Champions, would be happy to visit your club or board meeting. Contact me at sharon@trabbic.com or Dianne at dianne.brehm@uwloraincounty.org. Let’s stay connected!

Scouting America (formerly Boy Scouts of America) participates in the World Organization of Scouting Movements (WOSM). The Messengers of Peace award is a world wide program that allows Scouts the opportunity to participate or create projects that align with the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). All seven of Rotary’s areas of focus fall under the SDGs. If you are doing a project related to one of Rotary’s seven areas of focus, there is a good chance a Scout could earn their Messenger of Peace badge. Invite your local Scout unit to participate in the project. 

Older Scouts need to design a project. Rotary can assist and encourage Scouts along the way.

For more information, check out this website, https://www.scouting.org/international/messengers-of-peace/ or contact Lee Peters, District Coordinator for the International Fellowship of Scouting Rotarians (IFSR) at lee.peters.apo@gmail.com or at 614-439-8760.

The Community Peace Summit, presented by Rotary District 6600 and the Elyria YWCA, took place on Saturday, October 24, 2026, at the LCCC Spitzer Conference Center in Elyria, Ohio.

Attendance was strong, and the energy matched it throughout the day. About 100 people attended, and roughly half were Rotarians representing about 20 clubs, including several from neighboring districts 6630 and 6690.

Two keynote speakers anchored the day. Pushpi Weerakoon, a frontline peacebuilder who serves with the United Nations through the International Organization for Migration (IOM), spoke about current challenges in humanitarian aid. Steven Volk, Emeritus Professor of History at Oberlin College, spoke about the history and current challenges of immigration in the United States. Both tied their work directly to the Summit’s call to build lasting peace.

Six breakout sessions ran twice during the day, so each attendee could take in two. Topics ranged from peacebuilding in communities and community advocacy to the UN Sustainable Development Goals and more, led by a mix of Rotarians, faith leaders, and community partners.

This year’s Summit continued its multi-district tradition: Districts 6630 and 6690 both participated, and each hosted a breakout session. Rotary Youth Exchange students were also on hand.

Thank you to everyone who made October 24 happen: speakers, breakout leaders, our partners from Districts 6630 and 6690, Rotary Youth Exchange, volunteers, and every attendee. We’re already looking forward to next year’s Summit!

For several years, North Coast Rotary has collected donated medical equipment and supplies for Medical Equipment & Supplies Abroad (MESA), and it recently began hosting community drop-off events timed with MESA pickups. Its October 10 collection, pictured here, turned out to be one to remember.

When the MESA truck arrived, eight North Coast Rotarians had the equipment stored in their garage loaded in just 20 minutes. They were joined by Eloisa Robledo of the Pathways Rotary Club and Pathways’ newest member, Karina, visiting from Mexico. Eloisa has seen MESA’s impact firsthand: clinics she works with in Chihuahua, Mexico, have received multiple MESA shipments, and she had toured the MESA warehouse in Fostoria the day before.

Just as most volunteers headed out for coffee, a couple pulled up in two trucks filled with carefully packed medical equipment and supplies in excellent condition. Their son had needed extensive care and specialized equipment for years. As his health improved, they saw North Coast’s event flyer and decided to pass that equipment on to help others. By the end of the day, the MESA truck was filled to capacity, and it was one of North Coast’s most memorable collections yet.

More Donations at the Peace Summit

Two weeks later, the MESA truck was back in action at the Community Peace Summit on October 24, collecting more donated equipment and supplies from attendees. Thank you to everyone who contributed!

Where Your Donations Go

MESA partners with Rotary clubs around the world to get equipment where it’s needed most. Current projects include four to six in Mexico (Districts 4170 and 4140), along with projects in Zambia, Cambodia, Nigeria, and Haiti. MESA has also been invited to present at the District 6460 Conference, November 13–14, to share its mission with even more Rotarians.

How You Can Help

MESA accepts usable medical equipment and supplies, including wheelchairs, walkers, crutches, canes, hospital beds, sheets, disposable diapers, hygiene items, and other medical supplies.

Please note that MESA does not offer residential pickups and cannot accept expired items, liquids, or medications. To coordinate a donation, email chair@rotarymesa.org.

Thank you to our Rotary partners, donors, and volunteers for helping MESA make a difference, one donation, one partnership, and one life at a time.

Missed October’s Third Monday Public Image Zoom Session? The recording is now on YouTube!  In this session, we explored how to use AI as a public image tool, responsibly, and how to pair it with a simple social media content calendar for your Rotary club so you never go quiet on social media.

Highlights from the session:

• • Rotary’s AI guidelines: Protect people (never upload rosters, member information or photos without permission), protect the brand (never generate or alter Rotary logos; always use the Brand Center), and keep humans in charge.
  • “Can I use AI to…?”: AI is great for drafting Facebook posts, press releases, newsletters and brainstorming fundraiser ideas. It’s off-limits for uploading confidential information, creating Rotary logos, or altering anyone’s likeness without permission.
  • Good AI results begin with a good prompt: Give AI a role, context, a goal and a voice, and keep refining. The best AI content doesn’t sound like AI.
  • Watch for hallucinations: AI can confidently make up facts, quotes and details, so always fact-check before you post.
  • Social Media Content Calendars and batching: Focus on original content (your club’s own stories, projects and members), plan a month at a time around Rotary’s monthly themes, draft with AI, review and add your input and schedule posts ahead in Meta Business Suite’s Planner.

A special thank-you to the Zone 30/31 Public Image team, whose Zone Institute training formed the foundation for the AI portion of this session.

If you’d like to review the handouts that were discussed during the zoom, visit this link to download:

GOOGLE DRIVE FOR D6600 AI RESOURCES

Join us for the next Third Monday Series zoom on Monday November 16 at 6 pm, where PDG and Foundation Chair DIana Savage will talk give some Foundation news. The reoccurring zoom link can be found below, in the calendar section of this newsletter.