MARSHALL — When the Sunrise Rotary Club formed in Marshall in 2003, Ted Rowe was looking ahead to new possibilities as a recent retiree.
He joined the club shortly after it was formed. Since then he’s served as a past president and as a leading donor to club projects. At the community level, he also recently started a pledge challenge for the Marshall Area YMCA, in which he provides matching funds for individual donations.
This winter fellow Rotary members chose to recognize Rowe with a special award based on his continued service to Rotary International and the Marshall area.
“Ted is an important part of our club,” said Sunrise Rotary President Sharon Hanson. “He’s been a leader of both our activities and our fundraising. He’s someone who makes a difference.”
Rowe said he joined Rotary as part of his transition into retirement from his work as a Southwest Minnesota State University math professor.
It also coincided with a decision to not seek another term on the Marshall City Council. He served on the council after having a seat on the Marshall Utilities Commission.
“I wanted to step back and put my efforts into some new projects,” Rowe said. “I knew Rotary could be a valuable part of that. I’ve always identified with Rotary’s mission of service, and when I retired I had the time needed to make a meaningful contribution.”
One of his favorite things about being a Rotarian is the fellowship with other club members. The Sunrise Club is one of two Rotary chapters in Marshall, along with a noon club. Both meet weekly to hear guest speakers, talk about club business, and network about community activities.
He’s also enjoyed several international projects sponsored by local Rotary members since 2003. One of them involved the installation of water storage reservoirs in Uganda, which helped to furnish a dependable fresh water supply for Ugandan villagers. The project also included livestock for Ugandan farmers and training in how to handle livestock facilities.
Another example was support for food vendors in an impoverished area of Jamaica. The club also sponsored the purchase of wheelchairs for hospitals and orphanages in Guatemala.
In each case, small groups of local Rotary members visited the locations of their projects to see the results of their service efforts.
“It’s rewarding to go to the countries and to see the ways our sponsorship is helping people,” Rowe said. “We might be small clubs, but by working together we can do things that lead to better living conditions around the world. We can improve lives.”
In addition to his Rotary involvement, Rowe has also served terms since 2003 on the Marshall Area YMCA board and the Marshall Adult Community Center board.
He said he became involved in both of them because he utilizes each facility. His YMCA interest dates back to his childhood in Dayton, Ohio, when he learned how to swim and camp through participation in YMCA programs.
His recent YMCA pledge challenge is the latest of many donations toward community needs. He uses part of the mandatory withdrawls on his Individual Retirement Accounts to donate to a variety of local non-profit organizations.
“I believe in doing what I can to help,” Rowe said. “I’ve been fortunate in my life and I want to give something back. I’m happy to be able to donate.”
He said his greatest role models for community involvement were his parents. Both of them had a history of service as Parents Teacher Association officers and as election clerks.
“They were always interested in what was going on in their city,” he said. “From their example, learned the value of being involved and helping to make the community a good place.”
