Shakespeare Garden Restoration - Rotary Presidents Council Project
What is Rotary?
Who is a Rotarian?
Rotary is comprised of community clubs, Rotary International, and The Rotary Foundation. Combined, this structure includes over a million members working together “to take action on sustainable projects” in their respective communities and globally. Members are called Rotarians and “share the ideals of service, friendship, diversity, integrity, and leadership.”
Metro Rotary Clubs and the Presidents Council History
The Rotary Club of Cedar Rapids Downtown was chartered on June 1, 1914, and was the 118th club to be formed. It is the fourth oldest and largest club in Iowa — all Rotary Clubs in the Metro can trace their creation back to this original, local Rotary Club. There are now eight clubs in the area, including Downtown, West, Metro North, Daybreak, Linn County, Prairie Gateway, Sunrise, and Marion.
In the spirit of giving and sharing resources, local Clubs formed the Metro Rotary Presidents Council in 2001. It was created with the vision to allow all the local Rotary Clubs to pool their resources to get larger community-wide projects implemented that might have been beyond the ability of any single club.
Impacts in the Community
Local Clubs, their members, and members’ employers, through personal and private donations, have participated in multiple projects to benefit the Cedar Rapids Metro area. Pooling values and passions to identify and address community needs.
Some of their recent projects are listed to the right.
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Play structures were purchased and installed at Cedar Rapids Elementary Schools.
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Cedar Lake renovations and picnic shelters.
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Cleanup of the lake from the 2008 flood.
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$200,000 commitment over three years of assessment to all members. The market has been a center for retail, entertainment, and community wellness since it opened in 2012.
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$15,700 commitment over two years via assessments to all members.
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$150,000 commitment for this baseball and softball complex. Includes an accessible field for athletes with disabilities and programs for underserved youth.
Why the Shakespeare Garden?
In 2023, the Presidents Council committed to restoring the iconic Shakespeare Garden. This project is possible through $20,000 assessments to Metro Clubs (per member) over two years, as well as the sale of bricks purchased by individuals, clubs, and companies.
The garden was selected in part because of the ability to exact an immediate impact on the community and because of the historical community significance. The garden was once a thriving natural area in Northwest Cedar Rapids, but it was devastated by the 2008 flood and has yet to fully restored.
The Presidents Council is eager to help restore the environment and aesthetic of the Shakespeare Garden. Individual club members will bring their passion and energy to various components of the project, from budgeting and planning, to planting and garden cleanup.
