Fort Collins Breakfast Rotary is a diverse group of service-oriented individuals of all ages who work together to make our community and world a better place. We believe in having fun while expanding network opportunities, learning from weekly programs and uniting to solve problems. We are dedicated to creating lasting change—and find that endeavor richly rewarding.

Our Club’s culture is defined by five core values:

  • Service—We act with compassion to improve lives.
  • Adaptability—We embrace open-mindedness and lead the changes required to broaden our impact.
  • Community—We support each other through life’s ups and downs, having fun along the way.
  • Diversity—We see our differences as a source of strength.
  • Integrity—We live our lives individually and as a club according to Rotary's Four-Way Test

Rotary’s Four-Way Test applies to the things we think, say and do in our personal and professional lives:

  1. Is it the TRUTH?
  2. Is it FAIR to all concerned?
  3. Will it build GOODWILL and BETTER FRIENDSHIPS?
  4. Will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned?

If you want to make connections, find purpose and give back to the community, then attend one of our weekly meetings. We meet on Thursday mornings at Ginger & Baker, 359 Linden St. Fort Collins. We gather at 6:45 a.m., with every meeting wrapping up by 8 a.m.

Check us out and see if we’re a fit for you.

Club News
October 15, 2026 Rotary Impact Newsletter

Inspiration:   Dave Marvin - Einstein said, "I have no special talent; I am just passionately curious.” Dave has felt the same about the bar-tailed gotwit, an Alaskan shorebird that makes the longest known nonstop flight from AL to New Zealand - 8K miles over 11 days. They leave their young who follow a few months later even though no one has taught them the migratory pattern.   Curious, indeed!

Guests: 

  • Ellie Benjamin, Dolly Parton Imagination Library
  • Dallas Brown, Dolly Parton Imagination Library
  • Julia Winter, prospective member

Idea Quote:       “It contributes greatly towards a man's moral and intellectual health, to be brought into habits of companionship with individuals unlike himself, who care little for his pursuits, and whose sphere and abilities he must go out of himself to appreciate.”~ Nathaniel Hawthorn

Future Programs: Please see the side panel for upcoming speakers and be sure to invite your friends. 

Rotary Cares:  If you are aware of a fellow Rotarian who is going through a challenging time (i.e., personal or family health, family death, etc.) please let Sara Murphy know so we can let them know we are thinking of them and provide whatever support we can.  Sara.jane.murphy1@gmail.com

 

Program:

  • United Way is the local affiliate for Dolly Parton Imagination Library (DPIL)
  • Dolly established the program in 1995 in honor of her dad who was “the smartest person she knew, but he couldn't read.”   Now an International program.
  • The Dollywood Foundation prints and mails the books; the United Way funds the books and enrolls the kids
  • Gives a book to every child under 5 monthly if they register, regardless of income
  • They always receive The Little Engine that Could (1st book) and Look out Kindergarten, Here I come! (last book) and Coat of Many Colors
  • All books are now in Spanish
  • The goal is to foster the love of reading and to close the gap between advantaged kids and disadvantaged kids; 80% of children below the poverty level fall behind in reading by the 3rd grade, which impacts their long term success.
  • 90% of brain development happens before age 5.
  • 38% of parents say DPIL books are primary souce of books for their children
  • The goal is to enroll 60% of eligible children; currently only enrolling 40%; closing that gap will cost $151K/year
  • Partnering in ways to try to enroll more children
  • To date, our club has donated $28, 570 to DPIL (over 750 kids have gotten free books for a year)

 

Announcements:  

  • Saira Haifez - got her blue badge!
  • John Sheltren (Foundation Chair) gave red badge awards to Saira Haifez (her first), Dan St. John (+2), Carrie Broughton (+6), Steve James (+7) and Walt Grady (+8)
  • Lisa Boesch promoted the joy of being the Club Secretary and invited someone to step up to take on this role before she transitions out at the end of June; not difficult or time consuming; activities mostly can be done at home on your own time (approx. 10 hours/month); for more information, contact lmboesch@yahoo.com; this is a great job for a new member because you get to know everyone in the club

Save the Date!

  • October 21 - Noon at Bauder Elementary to witness book delivery and to read to kids.  To sign up: Book Celebration 10/21/2026 Bauder Elementary School
  • Oct. 22 - Rotary program with Patience Peabody, CEO of Book Trust
  • Oct. 22 - Books on Tap - Book Trust - social event and fundraiser for Book Trust
  • Dec. 9th - Mujeres de Colores Gift Giveaway - stay tuned for details from Becky de la Torre

Good News: 

  • Phil Murphy:  Saturday morning - Rendez Vous Trail volunteer opportunity
  • Joe Kiley:  curious about why John HIntzman is  the way he is! Joe brought back promotional materials from Menomoni WI (John's hometown); all were either promoting cheese or inviting you to "visit your local brewery”
  • Gary Turner - back from London, the Cotswolds and Scotland; watched KU play AZ State at Wembley Stadium; saw Les Miz (now at Candlelight)
  • Andy Chaffin -  Oct. 15 is official end of his tax season and he will be a great grandfather!
  • Joe McCarthy - welcome back from a month in France

 

 

 

Dolly Parton Imagination Library 

United Way of Larimer County in association with the Dolly Parton Imagination Library was awarded a check for $5570 to go to purchasing books for kids ranging from new borns to age 5.

The Imagination Library was Launched in 1995 by Dolly herself in East Tennessee, to foster a love of reading for young children. It is a book-gifting program that mails free, high-quality books to kids 0-5 regardless of income.

A recent survey in Larimer County has found:

  • 96% of families agreed the books are preparing their child(ren) for Kindergarten
  • 90% of families said that their child(ren) is/are exposed to a wider variety of books through DPIL
  • 80% of families said the "reading tips" included gave them ideas for how to support their kids' literacy
  • 70% of families reported they are reading more often to their child(ren)
  • 75% of families reported their child has an increased interest in reading books
  • 38% said DPIL books are the primary source of books for their child(ren)

For more information go to: https://uwaylc.org/dpil/

 

September 10 Club Meeting

Erik Johnson, Associate Professor of Music Education at Colorado State University, presented the program this morning (September 10) on the BRAINY Program. BRAINY is a program of the Colorado State University Art Museum with assistance from Department of Art and Art History, and the School of Music, Theatre, and Dance. BRAINY was conceived to provide arts opportunities for students from Title 1 schools in northern Colo.

For more information: https://theatre.colostate.edu/brainy/

 

2026 Pass The Gavel

The Annual Pass The Gavel event was help Sunday night at the Ridgen Farm Barn. Out going 2025-2026 President Joe McCarthy recognized many members of the club that have provided extraordinary service over the past year. Rotarian Bob Waltermire was given the Rotarian of the Year award for his service to International Service and providing support and guidance throughout the year.

President Joe was recognized for his service to the club by incoming President Bob Melrose.

EPIC Day of Service

The four Rotary Clubs in Fort Collins got together today for an EPIC Day of Service. Approximately 50 Rotarians descended on the Colorado State University's Environmental Learning Center to do fire and invasive plant mitigation projects. Members from the 4 Clubs in Fort Collins along with members of the Colorado State University Rotaract Club were in attendance. John Chandonais from Colorado State set up the projects and at the end of the day stated that it “would have taken him a whole year to do the tasks Rotary accomplished in a few hours.”

Finally Home Kit Project

Several members of the Breakfast Club spent Saturday morning putting together Toolkits for Big Emotions for the Finally Home organization.

Children and youth who have experienced trauma often feel big emotions. The first step in being able to safely work through overwhelming emotions is to name them. We created a Finally Home Toolkit for BIG Emotions for children and for youth. The Toolkits equip parents, teachers, and caregivers to help young people correctly identify their emotions and establish calming strategies. Each Toolkit contains a Family Guidebook, Quick Reference Guide, and eight different concrete items that assist children in emotional regulation. Items in each kit are tailored to the two different age groups.

Since 2008, Finally Home has been equipping foster, adoptive, and kinship families to build healthy homes where children and youth can heal and thrive. For more information: https://finallyhome.net

$10K No Sweat Raffle Enables Rotary to do Good 
 
 
Rotary Club of Fort Collins Breakfast’s  $10,000 No Sweat Raffle 
 
Buy a ticket for $100 and you just might win $500 or $1000 or $10,000. ONLY 500 tickets will be sold. And you don’t need to be present to win!!!  
 
This is a WIN NO-MATTER-WHAT opportunity! Funds raised from ticket purchases will be used to serve more people in our local community and around the world: 
  • Award grants to area non-profits such as Neighbor2Neighbor, Coats & Boots, Food Bank of Larimer County and MORE
  • Support our youth through scholarships, leadership awards and international exchanges!
  • Address community needs, particularly underserved areas and populations
Drawing will be conducted Saturday, March 28, starting at 6:00 p.m. at Innosphere Ventures in Fort Collins. Again, no need to be present, we will notify you if your ticket is drawn. Only one winner per ticket.
 
To give back to our community and our world and to have a chance to win $10,000, purchase your No Sweat ticket TODAY at https://rotaryfcbreakfast.org/
Breakfast Rotary Members Receive Paul Harris Recognition

 

Chair John Sheltren presented the following members with their Paul Harris recognition pins from The Rotary Foundation: Sam Preuss (her first!); Connie Sheltren (her 6th) and Walt Grady (his 7th). The Rotary Foundation recognized Rotary members with a Paul Harris (Rotary's founder) with a pin for every $1000 they donated to the foundation.

 

 

Becky Niemiec PACT Presentation

Becky Niemiec,  Associate Professor at Colorado State University and Founding Director for PACT Colorado (People and Animal Companions Together), presented a program to the Breakfast Club on January 22 on providing assistance to families in need so they can care for and keep their pets. 82% of pet owners consider their pets family, but 27% of pet owners have had to give pet away. Pets have been found to be good for one's health - exercise, blood pressure, mental health, fun! However, sometimes people delay healthcare services because they have no support for their pets (63% of hospitalized pet owners worry about their pets)

Mission of PACT is to provide assistance to human and animal families in need so they can care for and keep their pets through:

  • House Call program - people come and provide walks; mobile vet care (vaccines); help with grooming; help with pet deposits
  • Temporary Foster Care

For more information visit: https://www.pactcolorado.org

 

Rendezvous Trail Cleanup

Six hardy souls, 4 Rotarians and 2 guests, cleaned up a section of the Rendezvous Trail near Fort Collins High School. This hands on activity is a monthly event and part of the Community Service Committee of the Breakfast Rotary Club. In addition to cleaning the trail, the other on going hands on activities include Meals on Wheels, and the Food Bank for Larimer County.

Our Meetings
When: Thursday at 6:45 am 
Where: Ginger & Baker
Location: 359 Linden St
Fort Collins, CO  80524 USA
 
All Meetings are both Live and Zoom.
 
Mail address:
PO Box 272728 Ft Collins, CO 80527
Club Executives & Directors
President
Bob Melrose
President Elect
Tom Strause
Past President
Joe McCarthy
Treasurer
Bob Loosley
Secretary
Lisa Boesch
Director - Club Administration
Sara Murphy
Director - Public Relations
L. Wilton Lyles
Director - International Services
Robert Waltermire
Director - Membership Services
Leighanne Alford
Youth Exchange Officer
Connie Sheltren
Foundation Chair
John Sheltren
Foundation Treasurer
Andy Chaffin
Executive Secretary/Director
Sara Murphy
Speakers
Patience Peabody CEO
Oct 22, 2026 7:00 AM
What's the current news with Book Trust?
Ron Catterson, Facilitator
Oct 29, 2026 7:00 AM
OFFSITE: 2026 RYLA Participants' Experiences
Bob Melrose
Nov 05, 2026 7:00 AM
Club Assembly
Bob Melrose
Nov 05, 2026 7:00 AM
Club Assembly
Mike Griffith to confirm the speaker
Nov 12, 2026 7:00 AM
High Plains Honor Flight
Brooke Cunningham
Nov 19, 2026 7:00 AM
NOCO Foundation - New housing report
NO MEETING - Thanksgiving Day
Nov 26, 2026 7:00 AM
Sara Catania
Dec 10, 2026 7:00 AM
Public health in Fort Collins
Santa Claus
Dec 17, 2026 7:00 AM
Christmas Party
NO MEETING - MERRY CHRISTMAS!
Dec 24, 2026
NO MEETING - HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Dec 31, 2026
View entire list...
Breakfast Rotary Download Files

New Members

Jeaneen Kappell

I am a securities and government enforcement attorney by trade, but am currently with a Denver-based nonprofit, GlobalMindED, as their Regional Director of Partnerships for Colorado. 

 

My husband Tim and I moved to Fort Collins in a process that spanned April 2025 to February 2026. We have zero kids, four cats (Gatsby, Gilley, Gigi and Evie), and hope to get a cat-tolerant dog in the near future. We grew up in Dallas-Fort Worth, TX, 

 

Rotary is a fantastic way for me not just to network, but also to get involved and give back to my new community while I take a pause in my law practice.

 

I am staying busy during this “in-between phase”: running, hiking, and yoga are my staples. I have also joined my neighborhood book club as motivation to move to fiction reading after years of nothing but case law.

Joel Reimnitz 

Joel moved with his wife and dog from Los Gatos, California two years ago.  During the settling-in period he met Bob Melrose and Joe McCarthy and decided to give Rotary a try.  Presently he is interested in environmental issues, food-shortage issues, and international projects.  He is excited about meeting the breakfast club Rotarians and finding ways to get involved with club activities.

 

Joel enjoys bicycling, traveling, golf (9 holes is best) and acrylic painting.  With his wife Charlene as playing partner he is a silver life master at bridge.  He is a retired anesthesiologist.  His daughter and son-in-law and their children are settled in Fort Collins and he is grateful for the opportunity to know his grandchildren as they grow up.

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