Success in membership growth and retention, foundation fundraising, youth activities and community support earned Rotary District 5970 a prestigious 2016-17 Presidential Citation. Seven Rotary clubs in the district also qualified for the hard-to-achieve recognition.
Comprised of 53 Rotary clubs located in the northern third of Iowa, D-5970 had the best membership growth and retention in Rotary Zone 28, which encompasses clubs in Iowa, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Nebraska, North Dakota, Michigan and Ontario, Canada.
The district also achieved a record-setting year in giving to The Rotary Foundation in 2016-17. Its youth activities included a successful Rotary Young Leader Awards (RYLA) program for high school students and the introduction of a Young RYLA program for middle school students. Both programs are operated jointly with District 6000, which covers the southern half of Iowa.
District Rotary clubs earning the Presidential Citation were Cedar Rapids, Cedar Valley, Dubuque, Marion-East Cedar Rapids, Oelwein, Rockwell City and Garner. It was the second straight year Garner and Rockwell City received the citation.
Four high school Interact Clubs in the district were also recognized with the award: Pocahontas, Dubuque Wahlert, Dubuque Hempstead and Cedar Rapids Washington. These student service clubs are mentored by local Rotary Clubs in their communities.
“These Presidential Citations are great recognition for all the club presidents and Rotarians who worked so hard to make our district successful,” said Jim Coloff of Cedar Falls, District Governor in 2016-17. “We have clubs doing incredible things in their communities and around the world. It was an honor to serve as their district governor.”
Coloff and 2017-18 District Governor Ralph Smith of Charles City will present the Presidential Citation awards to the clubs.