This week at Rotary
Next Meeting
Thursday, October 1, 2026
Lunch Buffet
Doors Open 11:30 a.m.
12:00 P.M. START
At
Kitchi Gammi Club
This week’s speaker
Katie Sherman, Clinic Director, Tessa Schumann, Alex Lindgren, and Lauren Trygstad
University of MN Medical Students
HOPE Clinic
HOPE Clinic is a free, student-run clinic operated by medical students and pharmacy students from the University of Minnesota - Duluth Campus. Located at the Damiano Center, the clinic provides no-cost care to uninsured and underinsured community members under the supervision of licensed physicians and pharmacists, while offering students hands-on, interprofessional clinical experience.
Clinic director: Katie Sherman (sherm194@umn.edu)
Upcoming Club 25 Events
Club 25 Ladies’ Event
The women of the Club are invited to a cozy backyard bonfire at the home of Natalie Junk on Friday, 10/2, at 6pm. Bring a friend and a snack to share. Beer and wine will be provided. Please RSVP Natalie by 9/28 at njunk283@gmail.com .
Upcoming Volunteer Opportunities
Our regional Alzheimer’s folks visited us a few weeks ago. Rotarian Angel Saczko and her guests mentioned how Rotary has been a part of these walks for years… Check it out.
Second Harvest Northland (2302 Commonwealth Avenue Duluth MN 55808)
Wednesday, October 14th from 1pm to 3pm
We have 5 spots reserved for our group.
Please RSVP to Allison Hanig Landrus at ahanigla@amfam.com.
It's always different what we are doing when we volunteer here, but it all helps ending hunger in our community.
Hi folks! Please save the dates for these 3 great events:
1) Rotary-Life House Thanksgiving Dinner: Tuesday, November 24
2) Boys and Girls Club Decorate The Tree: Tuesday December 1
3) Rotary-Life House Holiday Dinner: Wednesday, December 16
Thanks, Dan and Karen Dock
Highlights from Last Week’s Meeting
By Patra Sevastiades
The room was buzzing until President Dan Maki rang the bell, and we stood and said the Pledge of Allegiance and the Rotary 4-Way Test. Past President Al Makynen delivered the Reflection, remarking that one of the Areas of Focus of Rotary is challenging ourselves to learn about our environment. One way to do that is by engaging in discussions of STEM—science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Today, Club 25 will do just that.
President Dan Maki welcomed everyone to Rotary
Science: Past President Al Makynen studied biology and married a chemist
President Dan then welcomed our guests:
Dr. Arshia Khan, today’s speaker
Judy Sage, guest of husband Allen Anway
This week, Dave Fulda kicked the Golden Can to celebrate the fact that for ten consecutive years, Johnson Carpet One has been voted the best flooring store in the Duluth New Tribune’s annual Best of the Best awards. His father-in-law, Dale Johnson, then tucked some cash in the Can to celebrate having founded Johnson Carpet One “so the kid would have a job!” Patra Sevastiades kicked the Can and admitted that on Saturday, while volunteering at the North Shore Inline Marathon, she went into a nearby gas station wearing her Rotary shirt, poured coffee into two disposable cups—and walked out without paying! Upon realizing her error, she returned and paid, thus avoiding tarnishing the reputation of Rotary.
Dave Fulda’s Johnson Carpet One was again voted Best of the Best!
Dale Johnson, founder of Johnson Carpet One, honored his company and his son-in-law
Patra Sevastiades confessed her ill deed
President Dan Maki announced that the Fundraising Committee will be meeting to discuss this fall’s fundraising event, the Big 50/50 (which replaces the Rose Sale), immediately following today’s meeting. Jeff Fifield reminded all that a handful of Rotary t-shirts are available for free on the table just outside the meeting room. Past President Gary Melander gratefully thanked Angel Saczko for stepping up to head the Fundraising Committee. Thank you Angel!!
President Dan Maki encouraged members to attending the Fundraising Committee meeting today.
Jeff Fifield reminded Rotarians to take a Club t-shirt home
Cue Angel Saczko, who announced that Rotary exchange student Maria Diesel came to Duluth with Brazilian clothing that is no match for the chilly Northland weather in fall, much less winter. (1) Can some members of Club 25 help provide winter attire? Also, owing to a last-minute change in a Rotarian family’s availability, Maria needs two Rotary host families: one for end of November through end of February, and one for end of February through end of May. (2) Can your family be a host family? These are wonderful opportunities to put Rotary principles in action. Please contact Angel about either (angel.saczko@edwardjones.com/)!
Angel Saczko asked Rotarians to help our exchange student, Maria
Inline Marathon aid station volunteers Past President Dean Casperson and lead organizer Allison Hanig-Landrus
Runner happily accepts PowerAde from volunteer Dean Casperson
Chair of the day Past President Elizabeth Simonson introduced a nationally recognized scientist who is developing humanoid therapeutic robots. Dr. Arshia Khan is the director of Graduate Studies of the Department of Computer Science at the Swenson College of Science and Engineering at UMD.
Past President Elizabeth Simonson introduced a cutting-edge robotics developer.
Dr. Khan described her work—and brought a robot!
Dr. Khan oversees, among others, the Dementia and Elderly Care Robotics and Sensing Lab (DECRS) at UMD. It focuses on aiming to help aging patients with dementia by developing robots that can assist them. The reason the need for such robots is so great?
- The world population is aging.
- The number of people affected by dementia is increasing.
- There is a shortage of healthcare workers.
People with dementia need care 24/7. That said, 70% of healthcare workers are women. Meanwhile, 95% of nursing home residents are women, meaning that there are not enough people to take care of women.
Robots already are used in delivery, manufacturing, surgeries, kitchens, and more. It is estimated that by 2033, 39% of household chores will be done by robots. Robots are meant to augment, not replace, human care of the elderly, allowing human caregivers a chance to rest. Robots help create a new model of care that is proactive, sensing problems early. Currently, medicine is reactive, responding when something goes wrong medically. The FDA has approved health related robotic technologies that have saved tremendous amounts of money.
Dr. Khan shared videos of a humanoid therapeutic robot singing to a patient with dementia, reminding her how to brush her teeth; demonstrating to a circle of geriatric patients how to do yoga; talking with dementia patients to stimulate cognition; playing music so that a patient began to dance; demonstrating to a Native American physician how a robot could do the Makarena. Such interactions have been shown to reduce depression and anxiety. One patient, who had been mute for 10 years, suddenly started talking to the robot.
Then, the Club was introduced to Copper, one of Dr. Khan’s robots. Copper led us in doing yoga and in dancing the Makarena!
Dr. Khan was a speaker at the Aspen Ideas Festival (www.aspenideas.org/) in 2023, because her work was considered the number one innovation in health care that year. The United Nations invited her to speak at a forum on AI. She was featured on two separate PBS documentaries and in a segment on CNN.
Dr. Khan in her laboratory at UMD
Dr. Khan noted that, as yet, robots for home use to tend dementia patients have not been developed. Her own robots focus on social interaction versus physical assistance. Dr. Khan is optimistic and said that she anticipates that humankind will absorb AI technology just as it has absorbed past technologies. She added that she would welcome partnering with a businessperson to create a company to develop a broader array of robots.
President Dan thanked Dr. Khan and all of our guests. Tim Mowbray was the lucky winner of the 50/50 drawing, pocketing $57.
Dr. Arshia Khan, Copper the robot, and Past President Elizabeth Simonson
Fundraising Committee at work after meeting: Jon Ohman, Past President Zach Walters, Past President Chana Stocke, Past President Barb Perrella, Chair Angel Saczko, Treasurer Jen Smith, Renee Burns, President Dan Maki, Greg Hansen, Past President Gary Melander
