East Polk Rotary Club

08/26/2026

💙 Sharing Mason’s Light 💙

This morning, had the privilege of welcoming Shanna Sieck, founder and president of Mason's Light House, along with Mason’s Light House board member and Rotary District 6000 Iowa Past District Governor Steve Dakin, to share the incredibly moving story behind this organization.

Mason’s Light House was created in memory of Shanna and Curtis Sieck’s son, “Mighty Mason” Sieck. Mason was diagnosed at just two years old with Gardner Syndrome, a rare genetic disorder that resulted in more than 40 tumors throughout his body.

When Mason was seven and his family learned that treatment options had been exhausted, they tried hospice care at home but quickly discovered they needed a different level of support. With no pediatric hospice home available in Iowa, the family traveled five hours to Crescent Cove, a pediatric respite and hospice home in Minnesota.

There, they found something they hadn’t been able to find at home—a place where they could simply be a family while Mason received the specialized care he needed. They were surrounded by people who helped them focus on comfort, love and making memories during their remaining time together.

Mason passed away in March 2021, but his light continues to shine. ❤️

Shanna and Curtis knew other Iowa families should not have to travel hundreds of miles and leave their support systems behind to find this kind of care. That experience became the inspiration for Mason’s Light House, with the goal of creating Iowa’s first dedicated pediatric respite, palliative and hospice care home—a loving “home away from home” for medically fragile children and their families.

Shanna has also been a tireless advocate for Mason’s Law, which was signed into law in Iowa and created a pathway for pediatric palliative care centers like Mason’s Light House to operate in our state.

We are so grateful to Shanna and Steve for spending their morning with us and sharing Mason’s story, their vision, and the tremendous work still ahead.

Mason wanted to help people, and through Mason’s Light House, that spirit of service continues. What a beautiful example of turning unimaginable loss into hope for other families. 💙

Learn more about their mission, upcoming events, volunteer opportunities and ways to support Mason’s Light House:
👉 https://masonslighthouse.org/

🌟 May Mason’s light continue to shine for Iowa’s children and families.

Soon will be providing hospice and respite care for children in need. Support our nonprofit organization, Mason's Light House, and help us create loving memories and bring peace for these children and their families.

08/25/2026

“Dream more, learn more, care more, and be more.” Dolly Parton, Vanity Fair 2012.

08/23/2026

💥 BRACE FOR IMPACT! 💥

President Tom Bylund and Public Image Chair Marie Stephenson Pipes spent the day learning how to better Tell Rotary’s Story. Inspire Our Community. Grow Our Impact. at the Rotary Public Image Workshop: Brace for Impact sponsored by Rotary District 6000 Iowa.

We had the opportunity to learn from special guest speaker Patrick Harrison, Region 36 Public Image Coordinator, along with Heidi Hopkins Drager, Region 36 Assistant PI Coordinator and District 6000 PI Chair who are both passionate about sharing the impact Rotary makes in our communities.

So many lessons learned to help us share our stories but one of the biggest takeaways was :



Why did you join Rotary?
Why do you stay?
What makes you give your time, talents, and energy to serve others?

Every Rotarian has a WHY, and when we share those stories, we help others see that Rotary is so much more than meetings. It’s friendship, service, leadership, connection, and the opportunity to make a difference—right here in our community and around the world. 🌎💙

What’s YOUR why?

Come join us at East Polk Rotary and .

08/19/2026

🌟 RYLA Leadership in Action! 🌟

East Polk Rotary had a very special program this morning as three of the students we sponsored for Iowa RYLA 2026 — Mackenzie Kokke, Dylan Keene, and Alex Mather — returned to share their experiences with our club.

It was great to hear not only about the fun they had, but also about the friendships they formed and the leadership lessons they brought home.

A few of their takeaways really stuck with us:

💙 Be interested, not interesting. Take the time to genuinely learn about others.

👂 Listen to understand, not just to be understood.

🤝 Lead with empathy. You never know what someone else may be going through.

🙋 Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Leadership doesn’t mean doing everything yourself.

⭐ You don’t need a title to be a leader. Sometimes leadership means working behind the scenes to encourage and lift up others.

💪 Believe in yourself. Constantly comparing yourself to others can make you forget everything you’ve already accomplished.

The students also shared stories about team-building challenges, service projects, Shark Tank, the talent show, small-group conversations, and plenty of RYLA traditions. Most importantly, they talked about how they plan to put what they learned into action through their schools, clubs, community service, student leadership, and everyday interactions with others.

One of the best things to hear? The friendships didn’t end when RYLA did. They’re still staying connected with the people they met during an unforgettable week.

East Polk Rotary is proud to sponsor young people for RYLA and give them an opportunity to discover what Service Above Self and leadership can look like in their own lives.

Thank you, Mackenzie, Dylan, and Alex, for sharing your experiences with us — and for reminding us that the future of leadership is looking pretty bright! 🌟

08/02/2026

We had this month's Rotary Social at Prairie Meadows Racetrack on Friday evening. It was a fun time with our newest member Laura Redoutey hosting the event on the 4th floor viewing room. Laura and her husband Bill had one of their horses in the 6th race and it was exciting for everyone to cheer for their horse.

07/30/2026

🎉 We’re cheering on the next generation of leaders!

This week, East Polk Rotary is proud to support four outstanding students attending the 2026 Iowa Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (Iowa RYLA) at Grinnell College. Our students represent Bondurant-Farrar, Southeast Polk, and Urbandale High Schools, joining 185 student conferees from across Iowa for an unforgettable week of leadership, service, teamwork, and personal growth.

This year’s conference also includes 22 dedicated Rotarians and 23 youth leaders from District 5970 and District 6000 are volunteering their time to mentor and inspire these future leaders.

Our own Marie Pipes is serving as the RYLA Conference Chair-Elect alongside PDG Steve Wieneke, this year’s Conference Chair from the Ankeny Evening Club.

Best of luck to our four students! We can’t wait to hear about your experiences and the leadership lessons you bring back to our communities.

💙💛

07/22/2026

💙 Service Above Self in action! 💛

At today’s East Polk Rotary meeting, our members came together to assemble RYLA Rescue Kits for students from Rotary District 6000 Iowa and Rotary District 5970 attending Iowa RYLA next week.

These kits are filled with essential personal care items like toothbrushes, toothpaste, shampoo, deodorant, sunscreen, lotion, and other necessities to help ensure every student has what they need for a successful week of leadership, learning, and lifelong friendships.

It’s a small gesture that can make a big difference, and we’re proud to support the next generation of leaders as they prepare for an unforgettable RYLA experience.

A huge thank you to everyone who donated supplies and helped assemble the kits. Your generosity reflects the true spirit of Rotary!

07/04/2026

🇺🇸 Happy Independence Day from East Polk Rotary! 🇺🇸

We were proud to represent East Polk Rotary in today’s Altoona Fourth of July Parade! It was a beautiful day to celebrate our nation’s independence, connect with our community, and share a little Rotary spirit along the parade route.

A huge thank you to all of our members, family, and friends who walked, waved, handed out candy, and helped make the day a success. We loved seeing so many smiling faces and celebrating with our neighbors!

At East Polk Rotary, we’re proud to serve our community—not just on the Fourth of July, but all year long through service projects, scholarships, youth leadership opportunities, and community partnerships.

Interested in making a difference while building friendships? We’d love to have you join us! We meet Wednesdays at 7:00 a.m. at Lutheran Church of the Cross in Altoona. Learn more at www.eastpolkrotary.org.

Have a safe and happy Fourth of July! ❤️🤍💙

05/27/2026

🌳 East Polk Rotary is proud to have donated a tree in Bondurant Park as part of Rotary District 6000 Iowa District Governor Norlan Hinke’s initiative encouraging Rotary clubs to help improve our environment and invest in the future of our communities.

This tree represents more than just growth in our park — it symbolizes service, sustainability, and our commitment to making a positive impact for generations to come.

A huge thank you to everyone who helped make this project possible including the City of Bondurant, Iowa Government and to Governor Norlan Hinke for inspiring clubs across Iowa to take action for our environment. 💙💛