Regular Club Meeting
February 9, 2010 Original Pancake House

President Lisa Carlson called the meeting to order on Tuesday, February 9, 2010, at the Original Pancake House at 41st and Kiwanis.

Members and guests attending: Ron Boutch (guest speaker), Lisa Carlson, Carla Cooey, Lib Duffy, Eric Denure, Kris Isakson, Trish Garcia, Sandy Gregg, John Kittelson (guest), Karen Roth, Jack Stengel, Linda Stengel (guest), Kimberly Stockinger, Mike Tolzin, Bill Zortman

President Carlson informed the club of the "Tents for Haiti" project that was highlighted in the Argus Leader. The Argus is partnering with Lewis Drug Stores and Nyberg's Ace Hardware stores in Sioux Falls and Tea which will serve as drop-off points for new and used tents. They are hoping to collect 1000 tents for survivors of Haiti's Jan. 12 earthquake. K&J Trucking of Sioux Falls is donating their services to transport the tents to Louisville, KY. G.O. Ministries, a nonprofit Christian organization that has been operating in Haiti for 20 years, will transport the tents from KY to Haiti. President Carlson encouraged our club members to support this project. Tents are being collected through Feb. 20.

Mike Tolzin congratulated the four winners of our Super bowl Squares fundraiser, which raised $500 for our Guatemalan Shoe Drive. Winners are Q1 - Trish Garcia, Q2 - Jack Stengel, Q3 - Tom Wegner, Q4 - Andrea Gunner. Congratulations to the winners!

Mike Tolzin reminded the club of our Pizza Ranch fundraiser on Monday Feb. 22 from 5:00 - 8:00 p.m. We have enough workers signed up to bus tables on that night but we need to be sure to pass out the coupons inviting people to join us on that night. We need to have 20 coupons turned in by customers on that night to receive a portion of the profits. Our club will receive 10% of the net proceeds that night, so it is important to get the word out and have a great turnout. Come enjoy the pizza buffet on the 22nd! If you have signed up to work, be sure to wear your DKC polo shirt.

Carla Cooey updated everyone on the progress of the shoe drive. We currently have the approval to have collection boxes at the following locations: Tel-Drug, YWCA (both locations), Minnehaha County Courthouse, Excel Achievement Center, Downtown Kiwanis Club, Gloria Dei Church, Spirit of Peace UCC Church, Westminster Presbyterian Church, First Baptist Church and preschool. Fliers will be going out to all of the parents with children at the YWCA and First Baptist Church day care/preschool/afterschool centers. We want to thank Wanda Promes for printing out these fliers. Carla will be organizing a date at the end of February to decorate collection boxes for these locations and will need volunteers to be in charge of the collection boxes at each site. Please email Carla if you are interested in helping with this project. Carla has been visiting each of the other area Kiwanis clubs to promote this project. Nicole Anderson has contacted the SD Innkeepers Association about obtaining hotel soaps and shoes to stuff inside the shoes that we ship.

We had a wonderful speaker, Ron Boutch, who recently returned from a trip to Haiti (Jan. 19-25.) Ron has served in the Army National guard for over 25 years and has served one tour of duty in Iraq. His background includes being a Black Hawk and Huey helicopter pilot, Black Hawk helicopter instructor, and flying business jets. Ron currently flies a c-23 cargo plane and recently flew a medical team from Sanford Hospital down to Haiti. Although, due to technical difficulties, we were not able to view the photographs of his recent trip, Ron gave a moving talk about his experience in Haiti, from the trials of actually getting the medical crew and equipment to Haiti, to becoming an ambulance driver while there picking up victims and bringing them to the location where the medical crew was operating on patients, to actually assisting on several operations. The club enjoyed hearing about Ron's experience and invited him to come speak to our club again, as the time allotted him did not leave enough time to fully tell his story.

Our next meeting will be on Tuesday January 23 at the OPH.

Carla Cooey
Co-Secretary