City of Lakes Rotary
The Minneapolis City of Lakes Rotary Club was chartered in 1985. The new club began as a breakfast club at the Normandy Hotel in downtown Minneapolis. Today, the club still meets for breakfast every Wednesday, but now calls the Minneapolis Club its regular home.
It didn’t take long before the club was involved in a number of community service projects and supporting the Rotary International Foundation. The club established its own foundation in 1987 to support local organizations, provide scholarships and fund other worthwhile causes. That same year, COL Rotary raised more than $110,000 in support of Rotary’s Polio Plus campaign.
In 1991, COL began another unique tradition, the Knicker Open Golf Tournament, which raises money for the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Twin Cities. Inspired by the legendary Golfer, the late Payne Stewart, COL member King Bavender founded the unusual tournament, which requires all participants to wear ‘knickers’. The tournament is held the first Monday in June and hosts hundreds of golfers.
City of Lakes Rotary has accomplished a great deal over the years, but as all Rotarians know, the best years are yet to come. Through the fellowship and focus of Rotary, we can work to make the world a better place both today and tomorrow.