Rotary Clubs of Folsom, Historic Folsom and Folsom Lake
Here's another great Rotary project where multiple clubs came together to work on a multi-year project.
Rotary Clubs of Folsom, Historic Folsom and Folsom Lake worked together to put up a greenhouse and install some benches at a local pickle ball court (yes, pickle ball has taken over -- haha).
Take a look at this great group of Rotarians who are serving their communities and making lasting positive changes to improve the lives of their fellow neighbors.
Rotary Clubs of Arden Arcade, Elk Grove and Marysville
Wonderful things happen when Rotary Clubs come together and do joint projects. That's what happened with the Rotary Clubs of Arden Arcade, Elk Grove and Marysville worked together to find just the right parks in which to place AEDs within their local communities.
What is an AED??
AED - Automated External Defibrillator (AED) is a lightweight, portable device that can save lives when help may not be able to arrive in time. The device delivers an electric shock through the chest to the heart when it detects an abnormal rhythm and changes the rhythm back to normal. Wonderful!!
Thank you, Rotarians, for making your communities a safer and better place to work, play, and live!
The Rotary Club of Granite Bay has been working on a very special community service project since 2018. Here's a bit of history on their latest addition to their project at Granite Bay Community Park....
Starting 2018, they began building The Walk of Honor Armed Services Memorial at the Park. They added 50 ft flagpoles for the US flag, along with the five military branches. In 2019, a bench was added dedicated to Victor Dew, a Granite Bay soldier killed in action in Afghanistan in 2010, and in 2020 the club raised the POW/MIA flag at the site.
The Club's 2024-2025 project was to add a cement walkway with 4 foot tall display walls and benches that will have engraved bricks with the names of service members with their military emblem. More areas to recognize other service members will be available.
On September 29, 2024, the Club held a special ceremony and an Annual Gold Star Mother's Day event at The Walk of Honor to dedicate the latest addition to the memorial.
Although many clubs provide dictionaries to third graders, the Rotary Club of Rancho Cordova sees their Dictionary Project still coming to the top as one of their most coveted projects.
From Mike Passof....."Our community, City leadership and fellow Rotarians rally around this project to make sure it comes off without a hitch. From our scheduling with the individual Principles, to the “Labeling Party” to the deliveries with many of our City Leaders by our sides, many citizens of our community are deeply affected by this project."
Great job, Rotarians!! We love giving fun, entertaining and educational materials to young children. For many of the third graders, the dictionary might be the only book they own as theirs and...it might be the only book the family has in their home. So well done and thanks for being faithful to this project each year!!!
From Lynne Spencer, President of Rotary Club of Gridley....
I was honored to be President for our 100th year of service of the Gridley Rotary Club.
Our Centennial project was raising $20,000 for a lighted clock to be placed in Historic Downtown Gridley.
The clock is installed, and our unveiling and ribbon-cutting ceremony will take place on June 30th at 11:30 am in front of the Museum on Hazel and Kentucky Streets in Gridley.
We would love to have the support of all Rotary clubs that can attend that day to dedicate the clock in memory of Rotarian Dick Jones for his fifty years of service to Rotary Club of Gridley.
We are so thankful for the many people who helped make this happen. The City of Gridley Electric Dept. was so kind in donating their time and skills to install the clock.
The Rotary Club of Marysville’s biggest service project of the year is always their holiday party for Yuba County’s special needs students.
Per DeDe Cordell....
This year, we had 180 special-needs students from all over Yuba County join us for an amazing meal, Christmas carols, a gift chosen just for them and wrapped by loving Rotarians, and individual… one-one-one time with Santa (who is a Marysville Rotarian!) and his amazing team of rockstar elves!
Every student leaves with a full belly, a special gift and stocking, and - we hope - a full heart.
Believe us when we say they that the joy on their faces could melt the coldest hearts and make them all grow three sizes!
We are so grateful to Five30 Center for donating the space, to Yuba County Office of Education and the many dedicated staff and teachers who support these kiddos all year long, to our amazing community elves for cooking up a great meal, and to the MANY Rotarians who step up to make this possible.
The Rotary Club of Clarksburg thanks its partner clubs of Walnut Grove and West Sacramento Centennial and Rotary District 5180 for its contribution to the installation of a water filtration system for the Delta Education Vineyard in Clarksburg!
We thank the communities that support our clubs throughout the year, which, in turn, helps to improve our communities!
Want to watch the full video of David Pineda discussing this great project?? Go here....
Ever wanted to wander a beautiful flower patch and pollinator garden? Well, now you can at Killdeer Farms in West Sacramento thanks to the Rotary Club of Sacramento. These pictures only tell part of the story of this wonderful service project! Thank you, Sacramento Rotary Club, for being People of Action and making lasting change in your community!
It's always fun to get some great media coverage!! This is the Big Day of Service with the Citrus Heights, Fair Oaks and Orangevale Rotary Clubs. Catrina Womack, President of Rotary Club of Orangevale, shared some of the focus of the day.
Planting fruit trees, berry bushes, and more at the corner of Sunrise Blvd and Fair Oaks Blvd. And, upgrading a youth center baseball field in Orangevale.
Awesome work, Rotarians and friends!!!
Showing the Magic of Rotary that makes our communities better!!
Left to right: Bill Highland, Speech Contest Chair, Eliza - 1st Place; Angelyn - 2nd Place; Yenedith - 3rd Place; Aiden Berg - 4th Place; Steve Turner, District Governor
The 2025 District Speech Contest Winners Wowed at District Assembly
This year's District Speech Contest showcased four outstanding young people sharing their presentations on this year's theme, The Magic of Service. And, they hit it out of the park (as they say!)!! It was an incredible morning of listening to four very inspirational speeches by this group of outstanding high school students from across District 5180.
The event was made even more special and meaningful by having a group of Toastmasters International members serve as judges for the contest. These judges have many years of experience and training in Toastmasters and definitely raised the bar by providing their insights and input on the judging process. Rotary is pleased to have a partnership with Toastmasters with the opportunity to work together on our annual Speech Contest.
This year's Toastmasters judges included: George Jarosik (Head Judge), Robert Canthony, Andy Redick, Bill Inman (drove all the way from Reno!) and Dory Cox. Thank you for giving of your time to be a part of the Speech Contest.
A special treat was our own Peter Schroeder who performed his original song, "The Magic of Service" as part of the Speech Contest at District Assembly. What talent!! Thank you, Peter! You can hear his song on the YouTube link below.
Here are the YouTube videos of each of the winners presentations. They are well worth the time to listen and hear how each student addressed this year's theme.
And, finally, a BIG THANK YOU to all of the clubs who participated in this year's contest with a special THANK YOU to our Speech Contest Chair, Bill Highland, who truly shows us what 'Service Above Self' is all about.
Rotary Passport One got some awesome coverage for their very first fundraiser, the Crawfish Boil and Mardi Gras Celebration taking place on March 28.
Alex Fenner, from Rotary Passport One, and Anthony Trejo, from Active 20-30 Club, discuss this very special event and all the plans to raise funds for Bigger Than Us (BTU) Arts, a local nonprofit making the arts available to all youth providing instruments, lessons and so much more.
Attendance is limited to 100....yes, only 100 for this first Passport One fundraiser...so get your tickets now because you don't want to miss it!!! (Click here to purchase tickets!)
First Annual Crawfish Boil and Mardi Gras Celebration
Our District 5180 Rotary Youth Exchange program, chaired by Jeannine Sparks, was recently recognized for its work and activities by receiving a Silver Achievement Award!! Congratulations and well done!!!
The North American Youth Exchange Network (NAYEN) Annual Achievement Awards recognizes individual Rotary Districts participating in a variety of activities which cumulatively help create stronger Rotary Youth Exchange programs.
NAYEN sees these Annual Awards as a means to nurture the development of and cultivate participation in Rotary Youth Exchange (RYE) programs.
The Rotary Club of Arden Arcade raised $35,000 in order to place 12 life-saving AEDs (defibrillators) in 12 local parks throughout District 5180. They are designed for an 8 year old to be able to call 911, get the code to open the unit and follow the directions!
Very nice and truly a lifesaver for potential cardiac incidents at local parks. Well done, Rotarians!!!
We have watched as our neighbors and friends in Southern California face one of the worst disasters our state has ever seen with the recent wildfires. In response to those impacted, our District reached out to local Rotary Districts 5300 and 5280 to see how best we could help and support the many Rotarians who have lost their livelihoods as well as their homes and possessions.
Working together with our District's Disaster Foundation, chaired by PDG Desiree Wilson, we are recommending that our Clubs and members directly support our fellow Districts and their wildfire relief efforts.
Here are the links to the District 5280 and 5300 wildfire disaster relief websites where you can donate:
Our fellow Rotarians have lost everything so our support means even more as the recovery from these wildfires will be long-lasting and take months and years to find a new normal after all they have been through.
I know they would do the same if our members and families were facing a similar devastating event.
In advance, my thanks for showing our true District 5180 Rotary spirit to help our fellow Rotarians and families as they recover and rebuild.
If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to me either by email (stevet5180@gmail.com) or by phone at (916) 599-2402.
The best leadership training experience you will have (say our past attendees)!!
On February 1 & 2, 2025, at Sierra College, Rocklin, you will have the opportunity to learn skills and gain understanding of business and project planning, leadership, effective communication and facilitation skills that will benefit you at work, home and Rotary!
Registration is Now OPEN for District Conference 2025
Hosted by Districts 5180 and 5300
The Magic of Rotary will be in full swing at the 2025 District Conference at Disneyland Hotel Resort, 1150 W. Magic Way, Anaheim, on Saturday, April 12, 2025, with a full day of outstanding speakers, breakout sessions, music, food and fun.
In addition, before the start of our opening session at 12:00 Noon on Saturday, a special Disney Leadership Institute training session will be held at 9:00 am for those interested in attending.
There are also a couple optional events hosted by District 5300 that you are invited to attend if you want to arrive Friday afternoon (see the conference registration link for more information on the two optional events).
TWO STEP REGISTRATION!
HOTEL REGISTRATION:
Make your room reservation now! The special rate for the conference is $369.00. A limited number of rooms are reserved at this rate. To secure a room, please contact the Disneyland® Resort by booking online 24/7 at https://www.mydisneygroup.com/GDDD25Aor calling (714) 520-5005, Monday - Friday, from 8 am to 5 pm PST.
IMPORTANT: You must indicate you are with District 5300 when registering for your hotel room!! Do not state you are with District 5180!! (This is due to a constraint we have with the resort so thank you for your attention to this detail.)
Reservations must be made by Thursday, March 20, 2025, our cutoff date or before the group rooms are sold out, so do not delay. Prevailing rates may apply after this date or when the group rooms are sold out, whichever occurs first. Rooms are subject to availability.
***Beginning Monday, October 21, 2024 you will be able to use the same link to purchase Discounted Special Group Theme Park Tickets. The online ticket store will close Thursday, April 10, 2025, at 9:00 pm. These special ticket prices are NOT available once you arrive at the Resort.
Bring your family and friends along so they can benefit from the specially-priced tickets!
CONFERENCE REGISTRATION:
Click here to register for the District Conference. As noted on the registration page, everyone from District 5180 will register under "Guest Registration."
The cost of the conference (which includes lunch, dinner, breakouts and the special Disney Leadership Institute Training session) is $238.00.
Looking for the perfect experience for a 15 to 18 year old person to have that will change them forever??
It's Rotary Youth Exchange's (RYE) long-term and short-term exchanges to see another country, learn about another culture and language....and so much more!!
Applications are now open for prospective Rotary Youth Exchange students for the 2025-26 school year. Go to our website.... www.rye5180.org.... for more information and to start the application process.
Applications are due by October 15, 2024, or the date determined by your sponsoring club.
Questions?? Reach out to Jeannine Sparks, District 5180 Rotary Youth Exchange Chairperson, at: chair@rye5180.org
Rotary Youth Exchange - An Opportunity of a Lifetime
You are invited to join your fellow Rotarians and friends as we celebrate the United Nations International Day of Peace on Saturday, September 21, 2024, with a special program organized by our District's Peace and Conflict Resolution Committee.
Through its Peace Centers and Peace Fellows, Rotary has a long history of promoting peace and remains committed to creating lasting change that improves lives and creates a more peaceful world.
On September 21, from 9:00 am to 12:00 Noon, we are celebrating the Day of Peace with guest speaker, Dr. Preston Lindsay, a highly respected peace and conflict scholar, and a panel of dynamic youth leaders sharing their thoughts on what it means to promote peace in our communities.
Dr. Lindsay's presentation, A Culture of Connectivity: How to Have A Peaceful Thanksgiving Dinner, will be timely and meaningful as we consider what each of us can do to promote and maintain peace whether at home or across the globe.
Dr Lindsay is a scholar and educator specializing in peace and conflict studies, social entrepreneurship, and community development. He holds a Ph.D. in Peace and Conflict Studies from the University of Manitoba, an MA in Social Entrepreneurship and Change from Pepperdine University, and a BS in Social Science Education from Brigham Young University-Idaho.
Currently, Dr. Lindsay is focused on developing a peace center, peace curricula for secondary education, and expanding research on grassroots-level peace indicators.
You will want to set aside the morning of September 21 to hear Dr. Lindsay and our youth panel at Cal Expo, 1600 Exposition Blvd, Sacramento. Be watching for signs directing you to the building location.
This event is free and open to all so invite your family and friends!
Stephanie Urchick, our 2024-2025 Rotary President, hails from Pittsburg, PA, brings her vision to Rotary of being irresistible. That means the "experience is so compelling, so fun, so dynamic that people are drawn to it and don't want to leave." (Rotary, July 2024, p21) That is part of what drives her theme for this year -- The Magic of Rotary. She says members create that magic with every project completed, every dollar donated, and every new member of Rotary.
as the 2023 Bernard Osher Philanthropist of the Year
On April 3, 2024, the Network of California Community College Foundations honored the Rotary Foundation and the Rotary Clubs of California as the 2023 Bernard Osher Philanthropist of the Year.
“This house is a huge hug for a lot of families that come in,” said UC Davis social worker Courtney Corbitt, who has partnered with the Oak Park Rotary House Foundation to identify patient families in need of long-term temporary housing.
