Dr. Ben Barton is the Superintendent of the School District of Onalaska. He brought over 25 years of experience in education and leadership to his role, having served as Superintendent of Princeton Public Schools for seven years, Superintendent of Caledonia Area Public Schools for six years, and Principal of La Crescent Middle School for nine years. Ben joined Valley View Rotary on October 26, 2025, and we look forward to learning more about him!
Johann is our club-sponsored long-term inbound exchange student for 2026-2027. He will be living with three host families (arranged by Nancy Schmidt) for the 11 month exchange period. Johann is from Germany and will be arriving in mid-August. He will attend school in West Salem. We still need our third host family for the time period of March 17-July 17, so please contact Nancy if you have any leads.
We are also looking to assemble a team of 8–10 club members to assist with transportation (similar to what we did for Ana from Mexico). Drivers will take turns driving Johann to and from Rotary meetings, West Salem High School, and various special events There may also be opportunities to drive other local Rotary Youth Exchange students to district events. Please note that a simple background check is required. If you are interested in joining the driver team, contact Nancy Schmidt at nkschmidt4965@gmail.com and she will send you the link to initiate the background check process.
3 FUN FACTS GAME: SUBMIT YOUR FACTS & PHOTO
We want to get to know you better! On the 5th Wednesday of the month, we play the Three Fun Facts game where we try to guess which set of three facts go with which club member. If you haven’t already submitted three fun facts about yourself (and a picture too), please do so! Make sure your facts are generic enough that they won’t identify you. Email your facts & photo to Kate Dunnum at dunnum.kate@mayo.edu. The next game is scheduled for July 29!
Please mark your calendars for our 16th annual golf outing August 3 at the Golf Club at Cedar Creek in Onalaska! Foursomes are welcome for golf, and anyone can attend the dinner and silent auction. Proceeds benefit the La Crosse Area Boys & Girls Club and IHP medical facilities in Tanzania. Contact Bob Newberry for registration or any questions!
Cortona Santa Maria Nuova Lighting Project
Last fall several Valley View Rotarians participated in an RFE to Cortona, Italy. As a result of that trip, we learned of the Cortona Rotary Club's project to light up the historic Santa Maria Nuova church. The church is located on a hillside just outside the walled city of Cortona. Construction of this church started in 1550, and it has been a cherished landmark for many communities in the region. Valley View helped raise funds in support of the project to light up this important regional treasure for all to see. The lighting ceremony was held on Saturday, June 27, as part of the 25th anniversary celebration for the Rotary Club of Cortona Valdichiana. See the beautiful results of this complex project in the link below.
We have many opportunities remaining for shifts at Moon Tunes this season. Use the link below or log into ClubRunner and click on Volunteers then View Sign-up Lists. Check out the remaining dates and sign up for fun!
The 2026 Rotary Avenues of Service Dinner is a major event for local Rotary Clubs. Amy Bettis has already been named Valley View Rotary Club's Rotarian of the Year and Nancy Schmidt has been nominated for the Lifetime Achievement Award. See the flyer below for information about the dinner, including food options. Deadline to register is July 30. Please join us in supporting Amy and Nancy at this event by using this link to register: https://portal.clubrunner.ca/4812/Events/2026-avenues-of-service-event
DISTRICT 6250 GRANTS - DEADLINE 7/31
If you are working on a District Grant please get your application submitted soon. The DistrictGrants Committee has received eight applications for projects for the 2026-27 Rotary year, with a total request for $44,000 out of an expected $75,000 of DDF available for districtgrants. With that in mind, a second round of applications for districtgrants has been opened. The deadline for District Grant project applications is July 31.
KABARA CANCER RESEARCH INSTITUTE TOURS
Tours are available on these dates:
Tues, July 14 11 am - 12 pm, room 2076
Mon., Aug 4 3 - 4 pm , room 2076
Thur., Sept 24 9 - 10 am, room 2076
Valley View Rotarians are welcome to attend the tours. To sign up for a tour contact Valley View Rotarian Monica Herman: monica.herman@gundersenhealth.org or call 608-775-8472 or 608-863-1871.
rotary works foundation
The Rotary Works Foundation was founded in 1982 with the purpose of awarding grants for qualified activities. Through generous gifts from local Rotary Clubs (including VVR) and others, the Foundation makes a difference in the quality of life in our communities. Please click on the link below for more information. Grantees of RWF funds are listed in the ABOUT section after the list of sponsors.
