Perrysburg Podcast

What does Rotary do in Perrysburg, and how is the Perrysburg Rotary Club different from the Perrysburg Rotary Community Foundation?   In Episode 157, I talk with Hallie Nagel, President of the Perrysburg Rotary Club, and Jack Sculfort, Executive Director of the Perrysburg Rotary Community Foundation. Hallie is a 25-year Rotarian who began her term as club president in July 2026. Jack has served the foundation in several roles since 2000 and became its Executive Director in 2024.   Hallie and Jack explain that the Perrysburg Rotary Club is a service organization whose members contribute their time, talent, and treasure. The Perrysburg Rotary Community Foundation is the club's philanthropic arm. As a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, the foundation receives and invests donations, reviews grant requests, and supports projects and organizations in Perrysburg, throughout Wood County, and beyond.   We talk about the foundation's impact, including more than $2.5 million in contributions since 2000. Its support can be seen in Perrysburg Rotary Community Park, local scholarships, Way Public Library, Owens Community College, the 577 Foundation, food-security programs, and Perrysburg's America 250 celebration. Jack also explains how tools such as donor-advised funds, directed donations, and planned giving can help community members support causes that matter to them.   Hallie shares the club's 2026–2027 theme, "Create Lasting Impact," and describes its monthly Impact Box collections. We also discuss youth programs, including STRIVE at Penta Career Center, Interact at Perrysburg High School, and Rotaract for college students and young professionals.   You'll also hear about several 2026 service projects and community events: September 19: Community Picnic at Fort Meigs Historic Site (PRCF is a Sponsor) https://www.perrysburgoh.gov/353/America-250  September 20: Perrysburg Rotary volunteers at a Garmin Marathon water station along Front Street. October 17: Rotarians, Interact students, and community volunteers build beds for Northwest Ohio children through Let's Build Beds. October 25: Fall into Rotary Park, a free family-friendly event planned for 11:30 a.m.–2 p.m. at Perrysburg Rotary Community Park.   Hallie and Jack also explain how someone can visit a Rotary meeting, explore membership, and build genuine relationships while serving the community. Their message is simple: there are many ways to be a good Rotarian, but each one starts with a desire to help.   Links from this episode Perrysburg Rotary Club: https://perrysburgrotary.org/ Perrysburg Rotary Community Foundation: https://www.prcf.org/ Let's Build Beds: https://letsbuild.org/ Rotary Community Park Garmin Marathon Toledo Perrysburg Rotary Club on Facebook Perrysburg Rotary Community Foundation giving information Perrysburg Rotary Community Foundation on LinkedIn  Fort Meigs Historic Site Events https://fortmeigs.org/events/  Community Picnic at Fort Meigs Historic Site Sept 19, 2026 https://www.perrysburgoh.gov/353/America-250  Email the Host - [email protected] Sign up for our weekly newsletter on https://www.perrysburgpodcast.com/newsletter Follow the podcast on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@perrysburgpodcast   Contact information Hallie Nagel (419) 779-8773, [email protected]  Jack Sculfort 419-343-5920, [email protected]

Mark your Calendar for October 24, 2026! In Episode 156 of The Perrysburg Podcast, Joy Studer and Caroline Hoffmann from Historic Perrysburg, Inc. return to the show to preview Sips & Stories. This free, family-friendly event will take place Saturday, October 24, 2026, 12-6:30 PM as part of Perrysburg's America 250 Celebration. Sips & Stories is part history tour, part live theater, and part citywide adventure. Two vintage-style trolleys—one red and one white—will travel around Perrysburg from noon to 4 p.m. The white trolley offers accessibility accommodations. Local historians Gary Franks and Richard Baranowski will serve as trolley guides. Guests can listen as they share stories about Perrysburg's historic buildings, neighborhoods, churches, landmarks, and residents. The trolleys will make a continuous loop, allowing participants to hop off, explore selected locations, and board another trolley later. Trolley stops and points of interest are expected to include the Spafford House Museum, Fort Meigs, The 577 Foundation, the municipal building, Way Public Library, Perrysburg's historic district, Hood Park, Riverside Park, and other locations. Some places will be official stops, while others will be discussed as the trolleys pass. The trolleys will load on the Louisiana Avenue side of Way Public Library. The library's address is 101 E. Indiana Ave., Perrysburg, OH 43551. A limited number of seats for each departure time may be reserved through a SignUpGenius link on Historic Perrysburg's website. Walk-up passengers will also be welcome when space is available. Even if you do not ride a trolley, there will be plenty to experience on foot. Historical portrayers, reenactors, and storytellers will be stationed throughout downtown Perrysburg. Visitors may encounter notable figures from the past, learn about local architecture, see vintage automobiles, and meet old-fashioned newsies distributing the Sips & Stories Gazette and event maps. Children can collect tokens from participating historical characters. At the end of their adventure, they can take those tokens to O-Deer Diner for free ice cream. The "sips" portion of the event will involve participating downtown restaurants. Some establishments may offer historically themed beverages, and adults can enjoy eligible drinks in DORA cups while strolling through the downtown area. The day will conclude at 5 p.m. on the Commodore Lawn. The storytellers, historical portrayers, and reenactors will gather for a curtain call, and Ryan Wichman will offer an America 250 toast. The Bradberries will perform from 5–6:30 p.m. Historic Perrysburg will also sell merchandise during the event, including its inaugural collector's ornament featuring the Commodore Perry statue. The organization hopes to release a different ornament featuring an iconic piece of Perrysburg history each year for the next decade. During this episode, Joy and Caroline also discuss: How the original Sips & Stories walking tour inspired this expanded event Why trolleys make the experience accessible to more people The historians, storytellers, and reenactors bringing local history to life How Sips & Stories will support downtown Perrysburg businesses What families can see and do throughout the day How to reserve a trolley seat or participate without a reservation Ways to support or become involved with Historic Perrysburg, Inc. Residents can preview the white trolley from 4–6 p.m. on Monday, August 24, on the Louisiana Avenue side of Way Public Library. I plan to attend the trolley preview (Monday, Aug 24) and Sips & Stories on Saturday, October 24. If you see me exploring downtown, please stop and introduce yourself. I enjoy meeting my audience! Sips & Stories is organized and hosted by Historic Perrysburg, Inc. with support from community partners, including Experience Perrysburg and the Perrysburg Rotary Community Foundation. Links from this episode Historic Perrysburg Inc. website https://www.historicperrysburg.org HPInc Facebook https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064073260360 HPInc Instagram https://www.instagram.com/historicperrysburginc/ Sips & Stories October 24, 2026 https://www.historicperrysburg.org/_files/ugd/41e4be_9ee79bf24982450d8f305b2aacdabb89.pdf (link accessed August 20, 2026) The Perrysburg Podcast Episode 135 with Joy Studer and Caroline Hoffmann https://www.perrysburgpodcast.com/135 The Perrysburg Podcast Episode 104 with Gary Franks https://www.perrysburgpodcast.com/104 The Perrysburg Podcast Episode 23 with Richard Baranowski https://www.perrysburgpodcast.com/23 The Perrysburg Podcast Episode 22 with Richard Baranowski (walking tour) https://www.perrysburgpodcast.com/22 Perrysburg Rotary Community Foundation https://www.perrysburgrotary.org Experience Perrysburg on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/people/Experience-Perrysburg/61587651503054/ Experience Perrysburg on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/experienceperrysburg  Perrysburg Chamber of Commerce https://www.perrysburgchamber.com/ Way Public Library https://waylibrary.info/ Spafford House Museum https://www.perrysburgmuseum.com/ Fort Meigs Historic Site https://fortmeigs.org/ 577 Foundation https://577foundation.org/ Perrysburg's America 250 celebration: https://www.perrysburgoh.gov/353/America-250 Old Wood County Jail building location (corner of W. Indiana & Findlay) Email the Host - [email protected] Sign up for our weekly newsletter on https://www.perrysburgpodcast.com/newsletter Follow the podcast on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@perrysburgpodcast

The Perrysburg Podcast is three years old! 🎉 In episode 155, I'm celebrating the third anniversary of The Perrysburg Podcast with a look back and a look ahead. This solo episode has four parts: gratitude, stats, lessons learned, and what's next. I thank listeners, my family, my guests, my sources of information, the City of Perrysburg's former and current Public Information Officers, my podcast coach Dave Jackson, and everyone who has helped support the show over the last three years. I also share podcast stats, including download numbers, countries reached, and the most downloaded episodes on podcast players and YouTube. In the lessons learned section, I reflect on five takeaways from three years of local podcasting, including the importance of not waiting to do meaningful things, the reality of dealing with trolls, and the magical things that can happen because of a podcast. Finally, I share what's next: The Perrysburg Podcast will continue as a monthly show beginning in August 2026, with a new collaboration with Historic Perrysburg Inc. and more local stories to come. Links from this episode Dave Jackson and the School of Podcasting https://www.schoolofpodcasting.com/  The Pharmacist's Voice Podcast https://www.thepharmacistsvoice.com/podcast  Historic Perrysburg Inc https://www.historicperrysburg.org/  Perrysburg Rotary Club https://www.perrysburgrotary.org/  Sign up for The Perrysburg Podcast's newsletter on https://www.perrysburgpodcast.com/newsletter  Follow the podcast on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@perrysburgpodcast Email me: [email protected] The Perrysburg Podcast Episode 107: Interview with Bishop Neil Baird and Youth Leader Quinten Dworczyk (from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) The Perrysburg Podcast Episode 117: Meet the Candidates for Perrysburg City Council (November 4, 2025 Election) The Perrysburg Podcast Episode 78: Prime IV Hydration and Wellness (Medical Series Part 1 of 4)  The Perrysburg Podcast Episode 22 on YouTube: Walking Tour of 101-131 Louisiana Avenue with Perrysburg Historian Richard Baranowski The Perrysburg Podcast Episode 40 on YouTube Interview with Pastor Dan Gildner (Grace Church Perrysburg). The Perrysburg Podcast Episode 32 on YouTube: Interview with Brian Miller from maumeeriverwalleyerun.com Lorenzo Melchor and The Nerdball Podcast https://open.spotify.com/show/6XQGn14JJsuFuOfLWYd32e  Emma Skaggs and The Talk of Town Center Podcast https://open.spotify.com/show/0SJEugxgFtkesQIpoEB4i5  John Thompson and The Foot of the Rapids Podcast https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fort-meigs-historic-site-what-to-see-and-do-with/id1695422935?i=1000764224215  Laura Winters from Miracle in Time Podcast https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/miracle-in-time/id1815539984 

In this episode of The Perrysburg Podcast, I share the story of how a foot injury led me to become a lap swimmer at the Fort Meigs YMCA at age 35 — and how that journey introduced me to my swim coach and friend, Mary Chris Kay. Mary Chris helped me learn how to "speak swim," build confidence in the water, and become part of a swim community at the Y. She has taught kids, coached adults, encouraged beginners, supported competitors, and helped make the pool feel like a place where people belong. I also talk about the newly created Mary Chris Kay Aquatics Fund, which honors Mary Chris and gives community members a way to support swimming and aquatics programs at the Fort Meigs YMCA. Links from this episode Mary Chris Kay Aquatics Fund https://form-renderer-app.donorperfect.io/give/ymca-and-jcc-of-greater-toledo/endowment-gift-donation-form Fort Meigs YMCA https://www.ymcatoledo.org/branch/fort-meigs/  The Greater Toledo Community Foundation https://toledocf.org/  Sign up for The Perrysburg Podcast's newsletter on https://www.perrysburgpodcast.com/newsletter  Follow the podcast on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@perrysburgpodcast Email the host: [email protected]

In this episode of The Perrysburg Podcast, I speak with Tramain Rayford, Founder and CEO of The Program Inc., a Northwest Ohio nonprofit organization dedicated to helping boys become men. To learn more, visit https://www.programinc.org/. Released on Father's Day 2026, this conversation explores the impact that mentors, role models, and positive relationships can have on young people growing up in father-absent homes. Tramain shares how his own life experiences inspired him to create The Program Inc. and discusses the organization's work providing mentoring, life skills training, workshops, career exploration opportunities, and community experiences for boys ages 8 to 18. Along the way, you'll hear stories about overcoming fear, discovering new opportunities, and the power of investing in the next generation. Whether you're a parent, mentor, volunteer, business owner, or simply someone who cares about young people, this episode offers an inspiring look at an organization making a difference throughout Northwest Ohio. Quotes mentioned in this episode "It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men." — Frederick Douglass "If boys don't learn, men won't know." — Douglas Wilson "Bloom where you're planted" — Unknown   Links for this episode  The Program Inc. website https://www.programinc.org/ The Program Inc. Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/TheProgamInc The Program Inc. Instagram https://www.instagram.com/theprograminc The Program Inc. events page https://www.programinc.org/events The Program Inc. donation page https://www.programinc.org/donate The Program Inc. volunteer page https://www.programinc.org/volunteer Sign up for The Perrysburg Podcast's newsletter on https://www.perrysburgpodcast.com/newsletter Follow the podcast on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@perrysburgpodcast Email the host: [email protected]