SERVICE ABOVE SELF

Fargo/Moorhead Rotary Clubs

Provide Direct Community Service

By Marie Laska

There is no shortage of volunteer opportunities in the Fargo/Moorhead area, as even just one quick Internet search will attest to. Hospitals, meal delivery services and mentoring programs―to name a few―are all seeking service-minded individuals to help meet agency mandates and goals. However, when it comes to organizations comprised entirely of volunteers with a focus on building both local “Good Works” as well as supporting and facilitating international projects, few are as established and far-reaching as Rotary.

In the Fargo/Moorhead area alone there are five Rotary clubs: Fargo West, Fargo, Moorhead, FMAM and the newest member of the group, FMPM. Though each club meets in a separate location on a different day and time each week, together they form the Fargo Moorhead Rotary Foundation and are a part of the much larger organization Rotary International which is comprised of over 1.2 million members worldwide providing services throughout 185 countries.

Originally established in Chicago in 1905 by lawyer Paul P. Harris, Rotary has stayed true to its roots as an organization that promotes friendship and networking while striving towards an overarching goal of providing “humanitarian service, encouraging high ethical standards in all vocations, and building goodwill and peace in the world.” In the 100 plus years since its inception, Rotary International has overwhelmingly exceeded this goal through the implementation of various projects across the world, including disaster relief efforts, community development, literacy, micro-loans and even collaborating with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to help eradicate polio worldwide.

Intrinsically connected to Rotary International’s motto of “service above self,” local Fargo/Moorhead Rotarians such as Betty Opheim from the Fargo West Club passionately describe how “Rotarians give back, as we’re a very thankful group of people and we want to make a difference in other people’s lives.” A Rotary member since 1987, Opheim recalled how the club was primarily comprised of male business owners at that time, contrasted with the high level of diversity Rotary enjoys today. Women comprise around half of the membership at several of the local clubs.

Emphasizing the collaborative efforts amongst the five Fargo/Moorhead clubs,

Rotarian Heather Ranck listed how altogether the clubs have raised over $762,000 in the past five years, 100% of which has gone back into the community and global projects. Projects such as Miracle Field in Moorhead (a specially constructed baseball field that allows for the use of wheelchairs and mobility aids), Red River Zoo, Project English, Great Plains Food Bank, several Minnesota State Community and Technical College Scholarships, the Universal Playground and shelter at Lindenwood Park, disaster relief funding support and the sponsorship of Hospice of the Red River Valley (among dozens of others), have immensely helped community members and organizations.

Through Rotary’s many avenues of service, including club, vocational, community, international and new generations, volunteers quickly realize that becoming a Rotarian means being provided with the opportunity to connect with projects that one is passionate about. As Ranck explained, “by its very nature Rotary has volunteers from all walks of life, so you instantly are in an environment where your world opens up.” Member of the FMPM Club and new community member Katie Ehlis also explained how being a Rotarian has helped her to quickly foster connections within the Fargo/ Moorhead community. Ehlis said that though Fargo/Moorhead is a very close-knit community, “Rotary opens doors. The members are all likeminded people with a spirit of giving who are working towards a common goal.”

Though united through a spirit and a desire to provide volunteer service, the Fargo/Moorhead Rotary Clubs all have a unique flavor and Rotarians encourage new members (or those considering joining) to visit the different clubs during their weekly meetings and see for themselves which club might be the best fit.

FOR INTERESTED PARTIES,

club meeting times and locations are as follows: Fargo West: Holiday inn, Mondays at noon; FMPM: Lucky's Pub, Mondays at 5:30; Moorhead Rotary: Hjemkomst Center, Tuesdays at noon; Fargo Rotary: Radisson, Wednesdays at noon; and FMAM: Ramada, Thursdays at 7 a.m.