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The Rotary Club of Niwot
PO Box 20
Niwot, CO 80544 

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The Rotary Club of Niwot
Niwot, Colorado, USA
Est. 2008

We are now on Facebook! Search for "The Rotary Club of Niwot" and become a fan!

  • Empty Bowls Project: We are supporting the students of Niwot High School in a new project. See the story below.

Niwot High School and The Rotary Club of Niwot are proud to announce our first annual EMPTY BOWLS PROJECT Friday, April 23rd at the Left Hand Grange Hall in Niwot. (It will be a late afternoon to evening event. The exact times are still being determined.) 

This event includes a soup dinner and a silent art auction.  All money raised will go to to Heifer International, an organization that provides live animals to third world villages to help provide for and feed the people (see www.heifer.org). The cost of the dinner is $10 per person. Tickets will be available ahead of time, as well as sold at the door. The $10 fee includes a hearty soup dinner, plus a handmade ceramic bowl. Everyone gets to view and bid on the artwork, and will take their handmade empty bowl home after dinner as a reminder that there are empty bowls all over the world that need to be filled.

Artwork donations are currently being accepted. Any pieces (new or used), including interior decorations, photography, jewelry, artistic/interior services, etc will be included in this auction. Please contact Julie Webster at (790) 396-1247 for delivery or to arrange pickup.  (Donors will receive one free event ticket per piece.) For additional information about The Rotary Club of Niwot please go to www.niwotrotary.org, or become a fan of the Rotary Club of Niwot on Facebook to keep updated on our activities.

Haiti Relief NOW - In response to a special appeal at the Jan 14th meeting, members and guests at the meeting collected and pledged $2,550 to the ShelterBox program. With the added club donation we have now sent 3 Shelter Boxes and will have the serial numbers and know the actual recipients shortly. The club's prompt and generous action in this crisis literally brought tears to some eyes. Even more support is anticipated as this opportunity becomes known. How great can you imagine* this help can become?
*"Imagining" was the first of the 3 steps RI President John Kenny spoke about in the process of making things happen in his talk at the Rotary Foundation Dinner on January 8th. Let's see how big this can get.
The Shelter Box program provides boxes (plastic tubs) that contain a several essentials for shelter, cooking, and safe water, tools, sleeping mats, and other necessities sufficient to house 10 people for 6 months. It's incredible what they get into the 49 gal. box. They cost $1,000 each, but are in stock and many are already on the way to Haiti.
Visit their website at www.shelterboxUSA.org.

Rotary International Foundation Dinner with RI President John Kenny

On January 8, this region of Rotary held a multi-District dinner to thank and celebrate all the generous donors to the Foundation of Rotary International. The Featured speaker was RI President John Kenny of Grangemouth, Scotland.

The Niwot Rotary Club took to one table and was seated together. Jo, Kirk, Maryann, Scott, Margaret, and John Olson were the Rotarians at our table. Four spouses joined us. Jo and Kirk were able to have their picture taken with President John Kenny and his wife Jane. Of course, Kirk wore the tradition formal Scottish Regalia  (kilt and Prince Charlie jacket) in honor of President Kenny. (President Kenny did bring his kilt and was planning to wear it the following week.)

The evening included introductions by all of the represented district presidents, a very good choral show by the Meister Singers, and of course, the talk by President Kenny. His message was clear and to the point. Many people can "imagine" a better world, but the point of being a Rotarian is to turn that imagination into action. That is what the many donors tot he Rotary Foundation have done and are continuing to do. Our biggest thanks to them all.

HEADLINE:    Oktoberfest
Our 1st Annual Oktoberfest in Niwot was a huge success!

The Oktoberfest was held in front of The Niwot Market in Cottonwood Square, on October 3. It featured Left Hand Brewery beer, brats and dogs, three bands, and a lot of fun.

The Attendance was more than double what we expected, but with some scrambling, we were able to throw more brats on the grill, pour more beer, and talk and dance peoples' tails off while the little ones bounced to the beat of the bands in the air castle. We are happy to announce that this will become a regular annual event. Plan to join us every year on the first Saturday of October for future Niwot Oktoberfests.

The event was financially successful, as well. The Club raised over $3900 for community and Rotary service projects. $270 will be directed to the International Rotary eradication of polio efforts and the rest will be coming back to our projects in and around Niwot. Since they helped so much in making this inaugural event as big success, please take a look at the sponsors that worked with us and thank them for being in Niwot.

Spotlight on the Oktoberfest Organizer

Margaret Hix was a Gunbarrel resident for eight years before moving to Erie to support her daughter's ice skating. This past February she found herself returning to the area when she joined the Rotary Club of Niwot. She had been looking to join Rotary and learned that the new Niwot Club was looking for members.

Margaret Hix and Rotary President Jo Kirkenaer are shown pulling fencing along the Niwot Trailhead earlier this year. Scott Stockert is in the background.

Hix's membership in Rotary gave her the chance to help organize Niwot's first annual Oktoberfest. She was the planning chair and organized and coordinated the other members. She and her committee obtained sponsorships, hired the bands, produced and posted the fliers, got permits for  the event, set up the stage, organized the vendor booths, and coordinated the food. In her words, "We were in charge of just making sure it was a fun time for all, including the kids."

Margaret also credits and thanks her fellow Niwot Rotarians. Nearly everyone in the small club contributed hours, energy and ideas to making the event such a great success.

Oktoberfest Sponsors

For meeting information, time and place, including good directions, planned programs, and speakers see the first link to the left. Our regular mailing address is under the 'HOME' button label.

We are organized along the traditional Rotary International club lines and are now into our second year service to the community of Niwot, District 5450, and international participation. We chartered with RI in December, 2008, and hold our annual dinner in February. You are welcome to join us. For meeting information use the link to the left.

We recently installed officers 2009-2010 club year. Mr. Jo Kirkenaer is now the club president and is looking forward to further strengthening our administration, project and fund raising. (For further leadership and projects information see the links to the left.)

Some of the projects we have already or are currently performing are:

  • Student-of-the-Month Recognition Program at Niwot High School (Current and Previous Awardees)

  • Organizing and running the annual Niwot 4th of July Parade (financial assistance provided by the NBA)

  • Niwot Nostalgia Days participant--pancake breakfasts help purchase the railroad car for Whistle Stop Park

  • Support for the Niwot Grange and the Grange Hall restoration.

  • Crutches4Africa--over 150 canes, crutches, walkers collected, so far

  • Dictionary Project--Free dictionaries to be provided to all Niwot Elementary 3rd, 4th and 5th grade students on Oct. 16, 2008. Dictionaries for ELL students at Niwot High School will also be donated later this year.

  • Rotary Youth Leadership Award--We sponsor local high school students to the week long RYLA camp at the YMCA of the Rockies in the summer.

  • West Slope Peach Sales--to help fund the above projects

  • Joined Boulder Rotarians at Boulder Creek Festival beer tent to fund projects

  • Niwot Clean-up participation and Rotarians-at-Work Day clean-up of Niwot trailhead and downtown.

  • Citrus Sales in November--to help fund club projects.

  • Niwot's own Annual Oktoberfest.

  • Habitat for Humanity

  • Food Share project labor on a quarterly basis

  • A spring "signature" fund-raising event (e.g. spring fling, street fair, adult prom, etc.)

Our club has been assisted in formation by other Boulder Rotary and area clubs. We are currently seeking additional members who are interested in community service and affiliation with local leaders in the Rotary avenues of service.

The Rotary Club of Niwot is responsible for the content of this web site and we promote community and international service to help make our home a better place. Latest update: Jan 16, 2010.
The Rotary name and logo are the exclusive property of Rotary International
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