The Rotary Club of Ankeny wishes all Rotarians, families, and friends, a Merry Christmas, and may 2026 be a great New Year for all!
Dr. Erick Pruitt - Ankeny CSD Superintendent
Mar 03, 2026
Update from Ankeny Community School District
Welcome to the Rotary Club of Ankeny!
Service Above Self
We meet In Person
Tuesdays at 11:45 a.m.
Ankeny Golf & Country Club
314 SW Irvinedale Dr.
Ankeny, IA 50023
United States of America
Ankeny, IA 50023
United States of America
The Club gathered at the Ankeny Golf & Country Club on December 2nd. They were treated to a great meal and the music of the jazz trio, The Drama Kings.
Welcome to our newest member, David Grantham. Dave recently moved to Ankeny from Bradenton, Florida where he was an Insurance/Investment Advisor. He served as treasurer of the Kiwanis for several years and was a Board member for 18 years. We’re so excited to welcome David to the Rotary Club of Ankeny family Dave!
The scheduled Sheriff/Greeters for the next couple months are as follows:
December 2 - No Noon Meeting - Evening Xmas Social
December 9 - Wendi Lane
December 16 - Andrew Larson
December 23 - No Meeting - Merry Christmas!
December 30 - No Meeting - Happy New Year!
January 6 - Jerod Lee
January 13 - Damon Miller
January 20 - Del Mohler
January 27 - Peter O'Tool
The following Ankeny Rotarians will celebrate birthdays in December:
12th - Rich Job
14th - Tim Cox
16th - Doug Ripley
19th - Rich Bergez
21st - Doug Beech
The Club's monthly board meetings are held on the 2nd Thursday of each month at noon at Wig & Penn, 2005 South Ankeny Boulevard. The December meeting will be on Thursday, December 11th. All members are invited to attend, especially new members. Not only is it a great way to learn more about Rotary and the projects the Club is involved in but it also counts as a makeup for attendance.
Did you know you can get a listing of all of our members, including a picture, or send an email to all members through our ClubRunner web site? Or maybe you would just like to update your profile on our web site. Beginning in December, District Governor Nominee, Gretchen Nollman, will be holding Zoom sessions every 3rd Monday at 3:00PM and 7:00 PM for one hour for every Rotarian in our district to strengthen their knowledge and confidence in using ClubRunner. The session will feature tips, tools, and guidance to help everyone and every club get more out of ClubRunner and to use it more effectively. The first sessions will be on December 15th. To register click one of the links below:
3:30 PM - https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/2rDq8AEmTwqiZE5g
RNcmiQ#/registration
7:00 PM - https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/WMFu11hISV-TILY2PiFMHw#/registration
The Ankeny Rotary Clubs 2026 fundraiser, "The Roaring 20s", a decade of music and fashion, will be held on Saturday, April 18, 2026. Sponsorship are needed as well as auction items. Tickets can be purchased on line. Check out the web site for more details, Rotary – Just another Bid Partner Network
David Grantham became the newest member of the Rotary Club of Ankeny when he was inducted on November 25th. Dave recently moved to Ankeny from Bradenton, Florida where he was an Insurance/Investment Advisor. He was also a member of Kiwanis for several years and served as their treasurer and a Board member.
Welcome to Ankeny and Rotary David!
Discover Ankeny is a yearly event featuring Ankeny Area Chamber organizations, product & service vendors, and restaurants. This fun-filled annual vendor fair showcases the best of our community including local businesses, family-friendly activities, entertainment, & more!
The exhibitors included the Rotary Club of Ankeny. Thanks to Nate Burnham, Brandon Converse and Hans Hoesksma for manning the booth.
Rotary International will have a float in the 2026 Rose Parade for the 46th consecutive year. The Rotary Rose Parade Float is one of the most visible images of Rotary since more than 28 million television viewers and 700,000 in-person parade attendees will be watching the parade. The theme this year's parade is "The Magic of Teamwork" which perfectly aligns with our Rotary and float theme, "Unite for Good".
Tune onto the Rose parade and watch for the Rotary International float.
District Governor Norlan Hinke and his wife Cindy made their official visit to the Club on November 4th. Prior to the meeting he met with the members of the Club's Board. Norlan discussed several areas he would like us to emphasize during this year including foundation, membership and public relations. During his presentation he challenged the club to plant a tree for each member, hold a mental health awareness event and to continue our support of the PolioPlus
campaign. He also reminded us of this year's District Conference which will be in the Coralville Hyatt Regency Hotel Conference Center May 1-2, 2026 and will have a Kentucky Derby theme. Very special guests and Keynote speakers will be Immediate Past Rotary International President Stephanie Urchick and Rotary International Director Elect Tom Gump.
Following his presentation, President Brandon presented Norlan and Cindy with a gift basket containing a bottle of wine and several snacks to enjoy during their travels as they visit all the clubs in District 6000.
The Board has approved an application for membership for David Grantham. Dave has recently moved from Bradenton, Florida where he was an Insurance/Investment Advisor. He was also a member of Kiwanis for several as their treasurer and a Board member for 18 years.
Comments regarding Dave's proposed membership may be submitted to any Board member.
Assistant District Governor Marie Pipes was in attendance at the Rotary Club of Ankeny's meeting on November 4th and Kent Patterson with two certificates from Rotary International for 2024-2025 when he was the Club president. One certificate was in appreciation for our financial support of the "End Polio Now: Countdown to History Campaign". During the 2024-2025 Rotary year the Club and it's members contributed $8,125 to the campaign.
The second certificate was for a "Club Excellence Award". This certificate stated: "Honoring the Rotary Club of Ankeny for fostering a positive experience for its members and reflecting the values of Rotary". It is signed by Stephanie Urchick, President, Rotary International, 2024-2025 and Mark Daniel Maloney, Chair for The Rotary Foundation. The Club Excellence Award recognizes Rotary clubs that support Rotary's strategic priorities by completing certain activities during the year. This marks the tenth consecutive year that Ankeny has received this honor.
The Rotary Club of Ankeny has traditionally been a strong supporter of the the Ankeny Service Center. Currently, the need for their services is great. Bourbon & Buzz Cuts, Todd Eipperle, is sponsoring a Bourbon tasting event at his home on November 18 at 7:00 PM. A donation of $50 is suggested with all donations will go directly to the Ankeny Service Center. Snacks will be provided in addition to the opportunity to taste whiskey, scotch and bourbon. RSVP to Todd at 515-250-5539.
Did you know November is Rotary Foundation month?
The mission of The Rotary Foundation is to help Rotary members to advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace by improving health, providing quality education, improving the environment, and alleviating poverty. The Rotary Foundation is OUR FOUNDATION. It was established in 1917 by Rotary International's 6th president, Arch C. Klumph during the Convention in Atlanta, Georgia. The first donation was $26.50 from the Rotary Club of Kansas City, MO.
The Rotary Foundation is organized as a public charity operated exclusively for charitable purposes and governed by a Board of Trustees.
For the 15th consecutive year, The Rotary Foundation has received the highest rating — four stars — from Charity Navigator, an independent evaluator of charities registered in the U.S. The Foundation earned the recognition for adhering to best practices in the nonprofit sector and executing its mission in a financially efficient and responsible way, demonstrating strong financial health and a commitment to accountability and transparency.
--Excerpt from Rotary Magazine, January 2024
The following Ankeny Rotarians will celebrate birthdays in November:
4th - Nate Burnham
11th - Laura Murphy
12th - Jim Foreman
12th - Tony Mills
25th - Jan Franck
25th - Del Mohler
25th - Melissa Riesenberg
26th - Kathy Sibbel
The Club's monthly board meetings are held on the 2nd Thursday of each month at noon at Wig & Penn, 2005 South Ankeny Boulevard. The November meeting will be on Thursday, November 13th. All members are invited to attend, especially new members. Not only is it a great way to learn more about Rotary and the projects the Club is involved in but it also counts as a makeup for attendance.
Several Rotarians came to the meeting all dressed in their Halloween costume on October 28th. They were cat women Shar Dunlap, Princess Amy Ratkin, King Nate Burnham, Sally Schroeder the Devil, and Sara Wilson the Lion.
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On October 15, the Greater Des Moines Rotary Multi-Club Committee, CIVITAS, held it's 9th annual event bringing Rotarians, their guests, and interested citizens together for education and networking. This year's program focused on ending human trafficking throughout greater Des Moines. Prior to the program, 80 police officers were trained on the signs of human trafficking by Dan Nash, Founder of the Human Trafficking Training Center. Over 100 Rotarians and guests attended the program where Dan Nash was the keynote speaker. He spoke on the myths about human trafficking, how it can endanger our children, and where do the victims come from. Did you know 30% of girls that are trafficked start within their own family?
Thank you Rich Job for representing our club on the committee.
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2026 Annual Fundraiser
FFA Enrichment CenterApr. 18, 2026
5:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. -
2026 District 6000 Conference
The Hyatt Regency Hotel Conference CenterMay 02, 2026 – May 03, 2026
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Rotary International Convention
Taipei, TaiwanJun. 13, 2026 – Jun. 17, 2026
Interested in being a sponsor?
Download the website sponsorship guide
Download the website sponsorship guide
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