DEL MAR-SOLANA BEACH ROTARY’s CELEBRATION OF SERVICE for 2013-2014

Posted by Jan Parsons

on Jun 14, 2014

On Friday, June 13, the Del Mar-Solana Beach Rotary Club (DMSB) reviewed and celebrated the many projects and activities it accomplished during its 2013-14 Rotary year.

(L to R) Bocce Committee Co-Chair, Susan Hennenfent; International Chair, Ken Barrett; President, Steve Weitzen; Youth Chair, Kevin Cahill; Community Service Chair, Radia Bencheikh; Bocce Co-Chair, Vicky Mallett

(Select “More” below for all the details of DMSB’s “Celebration of Service.”)

- Locally, the club supplied dictionaries to all 3^rd graders in the Del Mar and Solana Beach school districts again this year. Additionally, it provided library books to a Solana Beach elementary school. Members directly assisted Urban Street Angels, Stand Up For Kids, Take Wing, and the Community Resource Center (CRC) with their time and energy. For CRC, members sorted goods for its Holiday Baskets program and provided a holiday party at Carol’s House, CRC’s home for abused women and children. Members also helped paint the USS Midway (it was fun and much appreciated, though a bit messy). In addition, DMSB provided significant checks to help fund “Just in Time for Foster Youth” and “Reality Changers.” These two organizations make huge differences in the lives of youth that, otherwise, might not become productive citizens and good role models for future youth.

- DMSB again supported (with funding and mentors) a very successful Model UN program for high school students. Our own Kevin Cahill led this program for the whole Rotary District. We sent (and funded) students to both the Rotary Youth Leadership Awards Conference (RYLA) for high school students and the Leadership, Ethics, And Determination Conference (LEAD) for middle school students. We also gave $1,000 scholarships to two graduating seniors at Canyon Crest Academy.

- Internationally, DMSB started a medical clinic in El Salvador, and it continued to support the vocational/elementary school and the agricultural center which we helped start there. Additionally, we helped fund a new potable water system in Uganda and microcredit loans and training in India, and we supplied hearing aids to school children in Turkey.

- DMSD’s 18^th annual Bocce Tournament raised over $51,000 to share with our major beneficiaries and to fund DMSB’s Community Service, International Service, and Youth Service programs.

- Within our Rotary district, DMSD was ranked as one of the highest clubs for meeting the goal of having 100% of its members contributing to the Rotary Foundation. We also donated over $2,000 to Rotary’s “Polio Plus” program to eradicate polio worldwide.

- A highlight of the celebration was the presentation of the “Rotarian of the Year” Award to George Sousa, long time member and Sergeant-At-Arms who epitomizes Rotary’s motto of “Service Above Self.”