Rotary Informer September 23, 2026

Rotary Club NEWSLETTER 
September 23, 2026
104 Years of Service Above Self

Welcome to the Rotary Club of Petoskey. President Sharon Schappacher officiated this week’s meeting. 

If you did not get the chance to attend, you can read about it in this newsletter. 

Patriotic Song:  Howard Richards led us in God Bless America

4-Way Test:  Alicia Lane

Invocation:  Neil Bidwell

“If you concentrate on finding whatever is good in every situation, you will discover that your life will suddenly be filled with gratitude, a feeling that nurtures the soul.” Quote by Rabbi Harold Kushner

Calendar Winners Read Off By:  Andrea Coronado

Calendar Winners September 23, 2026

Visiting Rotarians:  Brian Wagner, Megan Zaremba, Sunrise Rotary; Gary Voisin, Cheboygan

Guests:  Spencer Howie, PM; Beth Wemigwase, Speaker

Life Events:  Christine Hammond has just been approved for the new medicine that has been successful in extending the lives by a few months for some pancreatic cancer patients. Chris herself doesn’t need help but in honor of her 70^th birthday, you are encouraged to donate to PanCan which supports research for pancreatic cancer. Please keep Chris and her husband Tom in your thoughts and prayers. PanCan.org

Birthdays:  None

Anniversaries:  

Elaine Keiser – 7 Years

Chelsea Platte – 11 Years

Singing/Song:  Howard Richards led us in Smile

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Rotary Club of Petoskey Centennial Grant — Now Accepting Applications. The Rotary Club of Petoskey has launched its Centennial Grant Program, making up to $277,000 available for a bricks-and-mortar community project in Emmet County. Eligible organizations — including nonprofits, municipalities, educational institutions, and public agencies — are invited to apply. Projects must be shovel-ready and capable of completion within 12–24 months of award. This is a capital investment grant; events, programs, and operational funding are not eligible. Applications are open now through November 1, 2026 at 11:59 p.m. ET via the Petoskey-Harbor Springs Area Community Foundation's SmartSimple grant portal. An optional Zoom information session will be held September 24 at 1 p.m. ET. Visit petoskeyrotary.org to learn more and apply.

Get ready! The Rotary Great Grocery Giveaway Raffle officially kicks off August 26.
Tickets are $25 each, and every Rotarian is asked to sell at least 10 tickets.
1st Prize: $100 a week for a year — $5,200
2nd Prize: $50 a week for a year — $2,600
3rd Prize: $25 a week for a year — $1,300
Tickets and everything you need to start selling will be available at our regular meeting on August 26. Get ready to sell! 

Roadside Cleanup:  Our Rotary roadside cleanup was a success! Thank you to everyone who came out to help. The group collected plenty of trash and found quite a few interesting items along the way.

NCMC Dental Hygiene Program:  Dr. Finley and Chelsea from North Central Michigan College announced a $1.2 million investment in NCMC’s new Dental Hygiene Program. The investment will help purchase the equipment needed to launch the new program.

Rotary Cruise:  The Rotary Cruise was a success, even though the ship never actually left the dock! Weather kept everyone dockside, and then the engine decided it wasn’t going anywhere either. Despite all that, everyone had a great time. Sometimes the best Rotary stories come from plans that don’t quite go according to plan!

Good news! We’ve been approved to set up a Rotary booth at the Downtown Petoskey Holiday Open House on Friday, December 4, from 6:00–9:00 p.m. It is FREE. We’ll have a tent in Pennsylvania Park near the chamber and stage where we can sell grocery raffle tickets and can hand out cookies, cocoa, or another holiday treat. This is just a heads-up for now. I’ll announce it to the full club and put together a volunteer sign-up as we get closer. We’ll need people to staff the booth and some bakers willing to donate cookies. The timing should be great since it’s just a few weeks before the ticket sales deadline and drawing, so hopefully we can move a lot of those last tickets! Just wanted to get it on everyone’s radar and calendars. 

Member–Hosted Community Events

Member Induction:  None

Member Spotlight:  None

PROGRAM:  Beth Wemigwase – Ephraim Shay House

Beth Wemigwase joined us from the Harbor Springs History Museum for a fascinating look at local history and the life of Ephraim Shay.

Beth shared Shay’s story, including his Civil War service, his role in Northern Michigan’s logging industry, and his invention of the Shay locomotive, which became an important innovation for the logging industry.

She also shared more about the Harbor Springs History Museum and the historic Hexagon House, which now features a new museum exhibit.

Thank you, Beth, for sharing some of the people, places, and stories that shaped our community!

https://www.harborspringshistory.org/

Next Week’s Program: David Gerber – Little Traverse Sailors