Wabasha Rotary Club celebrates 75th anniversary

By Sophie Horgan | Editor
WABASHA—The Wabasha Rotary Club welcomed the community out to Heritage Park on Saturday, Sept. 19, to join them in celebrating 75 years of serving Wabasha. The park filled from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. with members, friends, and family, to enjoy a warm meal, live music, good company, and plenty of activities for the kids.
Grilled fresh and served warm, the Rotary Club offered $5 or $7 hot dog/brat meals as an additional fundraising effort for their organization. The meal came with plenty of value, offering a cupcake, chips, and a drink on the side.
“Call It Karma,” a cover band originating from the Wisconsin/Minnesota region, took the stage under the bridge at 1 p.m., playing for the remainder of the event. Welcoming requests from ambitious young listeners, they delivered a high energy performance that included an assortment of rock n’ roll hits, anywhere from “All Star” from Shrek, to “My Hero” by Foo Fighters, and many more. The band featured five members: vocals by Brandon, Coop on drums, RiZo and Tay playing guitar, and Binky on bass. Band members shared that their show at the Rotary Club celebration would be the first of a few more performances that the band had coming up, after having taken a break for some time due to many busy schedules.
Amidst their show, lead singer Brandon took a pause to ask a question many of the young listeners were likely wondering as well: “What is a Rotary Club?”
Brian Fries, a past rotary president and current active member, stepped up to give a thoughtful response. He stated simply, “We are a service organization. We raise money and we give it back to the community,” explaining that this year marked 75 years of Wabasha Rotary being a rotary club, and that’s the reason for their celebration there on Saturday.
Fries dove briefly into the projects they’ve been spending their time on, and described the process for funding those. “We've got two projects this year, one of which we've helped fund through the Rotary Foundation, which is money that we contribute to the foundation, and then we apply for a grant, [and then] we get it back.” This was the process used for the lighted crosswalk emplaced towards the Wabasha-Kellogg High School.
As for the Music Park Project—which aims to bring weather-proof musical instruments to Beach Park for a creative and educational experience for all ages—phase one is almost fully funded, reaching roughly $14000 of their $20000 goal so far. Phase one focuses on preparing the site and installing an initial three pieces, all metallophones or percussion chime instruments: the serenade, pegasus, and duet. Phase two will work towards expanding the project as community interest shapes future installations. Fries noted that part of the proceeds from their hot dog sales at the event would go towards the project.
Additionally, the club’s Annual Rose Sale has taken off in recent weeks. The sale offers a dozen red or multi-colored roses for $20. Delivery will take place Oct. 9, contact wabasharotaryclub@gmail.com or any rotary member to make an order.
This season is a busy one for the Wabasha Rotary Club, though they’ve continued to serve the community diligently for 75 years, and have many more to come.