Club Information
Welcome to our Club!
SHRC

Rotary Opens Opportunities

We meet In Person
Tuesdays at 7:00 AM
Peace Lutheran Church
06321 Blue Star Memorial Highway
South Haven, MI 49090
United States of America
 
Speakers and Events
Club Assembly!
Mar 19, 2024 7:00 AM
Melinda Gruber
South Haven VB County Visitors Bureau
Mar 26, 2024 7:00 AM
Jennifer Sistrunk, Executive Director
Blessings in a Backpack
Apr 11, 2024 10:30 AM
at North Shore Elementary
Angelica Gallegos-Dickerson
Apr 16, 2024 7:00 AM
Benton Harbor Sunrise Club Presentation re: Guatamala Patzajito Water Project
Our Latest Club News
 
 
 
South Haven Rotary a participant in Ice Breaker 2024
 
 
 
 
 

 
 


 
The South Haven Blessings in a Backpack Steering Committee has entered into a partnership with the Rotary Club of South Haven to ensure the long-term future for Blessings in a Backpack. Many children in our area face food insecurity and hunger every day of their lives. With our help, we can take positive steps to help feed these children on the days that school breakfasts and lunches are not available.
 
 
The South Haven Rotary and Kiwanis clubs worked together to
support the Youth Development Company (YDC) during the Oktoberfest 5K pancake breakfast fundraiser. The fundraiser generated over $2,500 to help YDC continue their mission to young people in the South Haven area. The young people of the South Haven community will benefit in a very meaningful way that provides much needed playgrounds and equipment, proven quality curriculums, and trained staff.
 
 
The Rotary Club of South Haven  achieved the Rotary Citation for 2022-23. It is the most significant award a Rotary club can receive. This past year our members demonstrated a commitment to achieve its goals, which ultimately helps strengthen Rotary and shape our future. The citation is awarded if a Rotary Club achieves a minimum of 13 goals including member engagement, service, Rotary Foundation giving, and public image.
 
 
Rotary and Community Worked Together to Improve Beach Safety.
Rotary grants totaling $13,500 provided additional year round life ring stations located on the piers and three automated external defibrillator AED devices for the city beaches.
 
 
 
Pancakes, Airplanes and Hot Rods; a Recipe for a Day of Family Fun
A successful 50th annual Fly-In Pancake Breakfast ensured our financial capacity to donate funds to area organizations. Last year, Rotary was able to contribute over $70,000 to the local community through the generosity of people attending events like this.
 
 
Generous South Haven Rotarians answered the call to assist the Hope Parent Network in providing a wide variety of much-needed baby supplies. We filled two tables with items! Rotarian Deb Davidson spearheaded the initiative.
 
 
Congratulations to Rotarian Dan Liehr who was recognized by Rotary International as a Paul Harris Fellow at our August 8 meeting. A Rotarian since 2015, Dan was honored for achieving the second level of support. He is pictured with President Melinda Gruber. List of South Haven Rotarians who have received Paul Harris recognition.
 

Pictured, left to right: Dan Thompson, Bob Copping, Melinda Gruber

Bob Copping Honored as Our 2023 Rotarian of the Year
South Haven Rotary celebrated another year of service to the community
with its annual leadership induction dinner and recognition of the Rotarian of the Year at HawksHead restaurant on June 27. The Rotary Club of South Haven is pleased to recognize Robert (Bob) Copping as the 2023 Rotarian of the Year.
 

Pictured left to right are members of the Landers family: Mark Hills Jr; Katheryn Hills; Doug Landers; Dianna Landers; and Rotary President Melinda Gruber.
 
The Rotary Club of South Haven is pleased to recognize ‘Citizen of the Year’ Doug Landers as the recipient of its 2023 community service award. Each year our club recognizes and honors a resident of the South Haven area who makes a significant difference to our community while embodying the spirit of “service above self”. Recipients of this award have demonstrated long-term commitment, service, participation and leadership to the character and well being of South Haven.
 
 
Pictured: Past President Mary Sue Lyon and President Melinda Gruber.

Leadership for the 23-24 Rotary year has been announced.
* President Melinda Gruber
* President-Elect Angelica Gallegos-Dickerson
* President-Nominee Amy Nichols
* Immediate Past-President Mary Sue Lyon
* Treasurer David Campbell
* Secretary Rhonda Wendzell
* Directors: Deb Davidson, Kaileigh Eddy, Todd Heinrich, Paul Hix, Dana Hullinger, GB Richmond, William Roberts, Thomas Ruesink

“We have had a fantastic year,” past president Mary Sue Lyon remarked, “our membership has increased and we have been able to take on more community service projects and continue to contribute over $50,000 to the needs of our community and region. In addition, we saw the completion of a new sanitary water supply system for villagers in Ngoswani, Kenya. This is a club that has accomplished a lot and who demonstrate Rotary’s motto of ‘service above self’ in a very meaningful way.”
 
 
Decades of commitment and personal sacrifice by Rotarian Dr. Marty Graber to help improve the lives of the people of Ngoswani, Kenya was recognized recently when he and fellow Rotarian Steve Larsen journeyed there to join Maasai leaders in celebrating his service and marking the completion of a project designed to provide a safe water resource for the maternal and children's hospital. The trip to Kenya was also an occasion to celebrate Dr. Graber's 89th birthday. South Haven Rotary has for several years supported projects in Ngoswani that included construction of a school and the hospital.
 
The Rotary Club of South Haven is pleased to announce the 2023 Rotary Scholarship recipients. Dene Hadden chairs the Rotary Club selection committee and he notes that the four students were selected
from a field of nearly 50 applicants. The four students demonstrated the Rotary motto, “service above self” in their academic results and their involvement in extra-curricular and civic activities.
 
 
South Haven Rotarians were honored for their support of the
Rotary International Foundation. Welcomed as a Paul Harris Fellow were Deb Davidson, LaRae Odland and Melinda Gruber. Rotarian Bob Copping, a Paul Harris Fellow since 2002 was honored for his continued support. The honorees are pictured with President Mary Sue Lyon. South Haven Rotary has the distinction of being a 100% club for its financial support of the RI Foundation. The Paul Harris Fellow Honor Roll for South Haven now stands at 73 including 31 current members.
 
 
Rotarians Art Ayers (pictured) and Jerry Portman joined fourth and fifth graders from North Shore Elementary planting chinook fingerlings in the Black River at SHOUT Park. Sponsored by South Haven Steelheaders the school project was supported by South Haven Rotarians who donated the chiller used to develop the eggs into fingerlings. The students planted about 150 fingerlings into the river.
 
 
South Haven Rotary hosted its second annual informal Car Show on May 17. In addition to a variety of cars, we were treated to a demonstration by the South Haven High School Robotics team. Enjoy photos by clicking here.
 
 
South Haven Rotarians joined other community volunteers in the annual ritual of planting flowers on the Dyckman drawbridge on May 18. Rotarian Anna Rydecki is pictured placing one of the nearly 2,100 begonias in the 130 planters that line the bridge. Rotarians LaRae and Mark Odland chair this activity.
 
 
Rotary District 6360 held its annual conference this past weekend in Battle Creek. South Haven Rotary was recognized as a 100% Participation Club to the Rotary International Foundation. Our president, Mary Sue Lyon, proudly displays a banner presented to the Club. In photo below Rotarian Mark Odland joins other District leadership for a photo. Mark will be the District Governor in 2024-25. He is joined by current District Governor  Kathy Gallagher, District Governor Elect (25-26) Jackie Huie, District Governor Designate (26-27) Sharalyn Davis. Our club was well represented at the conference (bottom photo).
 
 
 
 
Edwin Velarde has logged thousands of miles cycling on his
EPiC Journeys to raise awareness of Diabetes in the United States, Canada, Europe and Asia. This year he partnered with Rotary International by bringing the tour to Southwest Michigan, including South Haven.

Rotarian Steve Larsen Visits Ngoswani Hospital (May, 2023)
Lifesaving Kenya Water Project Completed
Years of visioning, planning, fundraising and designing is being rewarded with the construction on a 160,000 gallon water storage cistern for the Maternal and Child Hospital in Ngoswani, Kenya. A global grant from the Rotary International Foundation, together with grants from the South Haven Rotary Club, other Rotary Clubs in District 6360 and individual Rotarians, provided $75,000 for the project. Members of the Milimani Rotary Club of Nairobi, Kenya, joined Maasai leaders in a celebrative groundbreaking for the project designed to be a safe water resource to the hospital which serves approximately 300,000 people. Here's a photo gallery showing construction of the cistern.
 
 
 
Pictured, left to right: Rotarian Ross Woodhams, honoree Keri McGarr and Rotary President Mary Sue Lyon.
 
 
A South Haven resident dedicated to helping students achieve success as they begin their college education has been presented with the 2023 Education and Service Award for the Rotary Club of South Haven. Keri McGarr, the Campus Support Specialist and Coordinator for Lake Michigan College’s South Haven campus, received the award during our annual scholarship fundraiser dinner.
 
South Haven Rotarians and kindergarten students from the Maple Grove school celebrated Arbor Day by planting a white oak tree in historic Stanley Johnston Park. This has been a South Haven tradition for five years and celebrates the legacy of Rotary International Founder Paul Harris who more than a hundred years ago spearheaded initiatives to plant Peace Trees worldwide.  Enjoy Photo Gallery
 
 
In a very short time, Angelica Gallegos-Dickerson has made herself an indispensable part of our Club.  We are honored to name her our "Club Hero" for 2023.
 
 
 
Club Executives & Directors
President
President Elect
Vice President
Treasurer
Secretary
Immediate Past President
Sergeant-at-Arms
Board Member
Board Member
Board Member
Board Member
Social Media
Board Member
Board Member
Birthdays & Anniversaries
Member Birthdays:
  • Griffin Graham
    March 4
  • Dene Hadden
    March 12
  • William Roberts
    March 18
  • Thomas Ruesink
    March 24
  • Mark Odland
    March 29
  • Larry Wittkop
    April 1
  • LaRae Odland
    April 6
  • John Mellein
    April 7
  • Paul Tootalian
    April 8
  • Nick Tuit
    April 9
  • Dan Williamson
    April 12
  • Deb Davidson
    April 15
  • Tom Noverr
    April 30
Anniversaries:
  • William Roberts
    Jan Roberts
    March 24