"The greatest leader is not necessarily the one who does the greatest things. They are the one that gets people to do the greatest things."
— Ronald Reagan
The Harley Davidson company was started in Milwaukee 123 years ago and Milwaukee remains it’s global headquarters. Harley Davidson Suburban dealership was started over 50 years ago in Thiensville by Wayne and Joan Houpt. and it remains a family held company today. We’re exited to have two speakers who will give us a perspective on this important local company, both past and future. Todd Berlin, has worked with the Houpt family for the past 20 years and is currently the general manager. Aaron Houpt, is a third generation member of the Houpt family,. He has been officially working in the business for six years, but has been participating in Harley Davidson events since childhood.
We have been nominated for this award and would LOVE a representative at this event.
Ozaukee Nonprofit Center is excited to announce the return of the “Ozaukee Impact Awards”—an award ceremony that celebrates individuals, groups, and companies that epitomize the spirit of giving in 2026. The Ozaukee Impact Awards seek to recognize local change-makers and the impact they have had within our community.
Recognize local change-makers and the impact they’ve had on the community in any or all of the award categories listed:
One of the major projects of the Thiensville-Mequon Rotary Club has been the City of Mequon Rotary Park, which was officially launched September 17, 1987 marking the fiftieth anniversary of the club's existence.
The site encompasses approximately 95 acres and is located on Highland Road near the Milwaukee Area Technical College's north campus. The Thiensville-Mequon Rotary club donated the site to the City of Mequon in 1991 and has remained actively involved in its development as a recreational resource for residents across the Thiensville-Mequon community.
In 1992, the T-M Rotary was awarded a "Significant Achievement Award" by the President of Rotary International, Rajendra K. Saboo, as a result of 5 years of effort in turning the club's vision for an active use park in the City of Mequon into a reality. District Governor Rick Luedke was so impressed by T-M Rotary's success with City of Mequon Rotary Park that he petitioned Rotary International to present this highest honor. Our club, and District 6270 is deeply honored by this award, as it is rarely awarded. Since the award was presented to our club, many additional improvements have been added to the park, including 2 pavilions and the gazebo, three baseball fields and two playgrounds.
A Letter From Our Leaders:
Dear Friends,
Parks have the power to bring people together. They positively impact a community by promoting economic development, a higher quality of life, and improved mental and physical health. Parks that accommodate all users—not just children, but people of all abilities and ages—are more important than ever.
With a motto of "Service Above Self," the two Rotary Clubs that serve Mequon and Thiensville have improved our local communities for over 100 years. Construction of an All-User Playground is a critical addition to Mequon Rotary Park. With the community's support, Rotary is committed to making it their signature project for all to enjoy.
The decision to pursue an All-User Playground was not made lightly. It was initially identified as a need in the City of Mequon's 2019 master planning efforts. COVID put the project on hold. Since July 2022, a significant amount of time has been spent discussing, studying, planning, and determining that it is sorely needed.
Most of the playground equipment in Mequon parks is over 30 years old. Some of it had already been used when donated. When speaking with other communities about their all-inclusive playgrounds, they overwhelmingly indicated that those playgrounds are their most popular, not just for children with special needs but for all users.
We are excited about this new, state-of-the-art, accessible, fun playground that will enrich the lives of our residents and be a place that Mequon and Thiensville residents can use and be proud of. When asked to contribute, we hope you reply with a resounding "yes" and a generous gift to address this unmet need.
A Message From the Port Washington Rotary President: Our club has arranged a tour of the Vantage Data Centers Lighthouse campus in Port Washington on Wednesday, August 12 at noon. Given the scale of this project and the impact it's having across Ozaukee County and the wider region, I'd like to extend the invitation to your clubs as well. It seemed only right to share the opportunity beyond our own membership.
A few details:
Date and time: Wednesday, August 12, at noon
Location: Vantage Lighthouse campus, Port Washington (exact meeting point to follow)
Vantage requires a confirmed attendee list in advance for site access, so registration is required.
Space may be limited, so before opening registration widely I'd appreciate a rough sense of how many from your club might be interested. If you could gauge interest and let me know, I'll coordinate with Vantage on capacity and then share registration details and the meeting location.
The first District Minute has been uploaded: https://youtu.be/Noi0mFD91so?si=RmjeYlVjhFGZTq08. These will go live on our district YouTube page https://www.youtube.com/@RID6270 every first and third Sunday of the month. Be sure to subscribe and check in regularly for the latest District 6270 information and highlights from clubs across our district!
🐶 Dogs' noses are so powerful, they can sniff out medical conditions! Some dogs are trained to detect diseases like cancer, diabetes, and even COVID-19, just by smelling a person’s breath or sweat. Their sense of smell is up to 100,000 times more sensitive than ours!
Bonus weird fact? Dogs have a special organ (called the Jacobsen’s organ) that helps them “taste” smells too. Wild, right?
