Message from the President

It's been 30 days since I took on the role of President of the Rotary Club of Marina del Rey — and these past 30 days will change me forever.

We began this year with a goal: 250 acts of service. We set out to be a club of service and to create lasting impact — starting with the understanding that charity begins at home.

I have been so proud of our club members, working shoulder to shoulder with community partners. We built a float for the Fourth of July parade. We gathered for a golden hour happy hour on the water. We celebrated our Installation and Board Induction with close to 70 people, watching the sunset together. We cleaned up our beach. And we had the honor of hosting two wonderful speakers — Diane Wade of Culver City Rotary, who introduced us to Westside Pacific Villages, and Bridget Paskill of the Natural History Museum.

All the while, we've been planning our biggest fundraiser of the year: the Sunset Sail on September 17, in partnership ith the Boys & Girls Clubs of the West San Gabriel Valley. A special shout-out to Arianna Garber and JR Dzubak, whose partnership has let us get to know an organization that truly changes lives — a real example of the Service Above Self we all aspire to.

Transparency and engagement are among our goals this year, and we're already putting them into practice. A big thank you to Debbie Sue Miller, who has been building our document repository in ClubRunner — agendas, board minutes, policies, and more, all in one place where any member can find them. It has been a huge undertaking, and we truly appreciate the work she has put into it.

Looking to the next 30 days. We are forming our Peacebuilding Committee, to be led by Joan Shaver. It will be a great privilege and honor for our club to become a Peacebuilder Club — and we'd love to have you be part of it. Interested members, please reach out to Joan at joanshaver@live.com.

A big thank you to our Club Board of Directors and our Foundation Board of Directors. Your contributions are what make all of this come together.

I remain so excited to share our upcoming events with you, and I ask all of you to keep being the change you want to see.

August at a Glance

🌟 

August is Membership Month

"Each One · Bring One"

Together, let's grow Rotary… one member at a time.

August is Rotary's Membership and New Club Development Month — and we're marking it with a simple challenge: each of us brings one guest.

When you become a Rotarian, you don't just join a club. You become part of a global family dedicated to creating lasting impact through Service Above Self — serving humanity, building lifelong friendships, developing leadership skills, and creating lasting community impact.

We have a full month of easy invitations built right in. Bring a guest to any of them:

• Aug 6 — Councilwoman Traci Park at our club meeting

• Aug 13 — Bingo Night at The Clubhouse

• Aug 23 — Orcas VIP Tour at the Natural History Museum (families welcome)

• Aug 29 — District Picnic in Redondo Beach

If each of us brings one guest this month, we change what this club is capable of. Growth isn't a number on a page — it's more hands for every project we take on.

🙏 Thank You to Our Greeters and Speakers

What a Thursday. Our thanks to everyone who made last week's meeting one to remember.

Diane Wade, Culver City Rotary — for introducing us to Westside Pacific Villages and the work they're doing to help our neighbors age in place with dignity and connection.

Bridget Paskill, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County — for a wonderful presentation on the shared bond between orcas and our own species, and for arranging our VIP tour of Orcas: Our Shared Future on August 23.

And a thank you to our greeters Mary February and Joan Shaver , who set the tone the moment someone walks through the door. It's a small job that does a lot of work — and it's the first thing every guest remembers about our club.

⚓ A First on the West Coast

Zoom introduction meeting — date and time to be announced

Rotary is primarily founded on fellowship — a concept expressed internationally through Rotary Fellowships, groups that bring together members from different countries and cultures who share the same interests. The motto "Making friends by sharing interest" demonstrates how Fellowships represent the true essence of Rotary, as they promote relationships, friendship, and collaboration — essential elements for developing meaningful service activities.— Sea Lovers Fellowship

We are in the works to become a charter club of the Sea Lovers Fellowship — the first Rotary club on the North American West Coast to do so. The fellowship was founded two years ago, and we'll begin with a Zoom introduction meeting led by Dave Voss and Geo Rocha.

We will be honored to host International Commodore Luigi Falanga, a fellow Rotarian, who will travel from Dubai for our charter ceremony.

This is an exciting chance to build a greater network with Rotary clubs in our district and beyond, so that together we can make a greater impact. Watch for details.

International Commodore Luigi Falanga with Dave Voss, Rotary Club of Marina del Rey

Rotary International Convention • Taipei

🏛️ 🚒 National Night Out

Tuesday, August 4 · 4:00–8:00 PM · Concert Park, Playa Vista · Free, all ages

Join our club for an evening honoring the men and women of law enforcement who serve our community. National Night Out is the one night a year the whole neighborhood comes outside to meet the people who look after it — with music, food, and prizes on the lawn.

We'll have a Rotary table, and we need members to work it. Come take a shift, bring the family, and put the club in front of a few thousand neighbors.

How the evening runs:

• 3:30 — Set up the table and banner

• 4:00–6:00 — First shift at the table

• 6:00–8:00 — Second shift at the table

• 8:00 — Pack up, then dinner nearby

What to wear: Rotary blue shirt or club polo, your name badge, plus a hat and sunscreen — it's bright at four.
What to bring: A folding chair if you have one, Sunset Sail cards and flyers, and family, friends, and neighbors.

At the table we'll be greeting neighbors, promoting the Dusk & Diamonds Sunset Sail, and inviting guests to a Thursday meeting.

Hosted by LAPD Pacific Division with Councilwoman Traci Park (CD 11) and Councilwoman Katy Yaroslavsky (CD 5).

🏛️ Councilwoman Traci Park Joins Us

Thursday, August 6 · 6:00 PM · Del Rey Yacht Club

Join us for a presentation from Councilwoman Traci Park, representing Council District 11, on the work happening in our area and her office's ongoing partnership with our club to serve the community.

🎒 Backpack & School Supply Drive

Drop off Thursday, August 6 or Thursday, August 13 · Benefiting St. Margaret's Center

Our goal: 35 backpacks. That's roughly one per member — so if you're shopping this week, grab an extra.

We're collecting new backpacks and school supplies for the children served by St. Margaret's Center in Lennox. Every donation goes directly to a student heading back to school.

Bring your items to the August 6 club meeting at Del Rey Yacht Club, or to Bingo Night on August 13.

🎲 Bingo Night

Thursday, August 13 · 6:00 PM · The Clubhouse, 4170 Admiralty Way, Marina del Rey

Join us for a fun evening of fellowship and friendly competition! Bingo is conducted by the Marina del Rey Historical Society — six cards for $25, with proceeds benefiting the Rotary Club of Marina del Rey. Food and beverages available for purchase.

Bring a guest — this is a great night to introduce a prospective member to the club.

🌎 The Amazing District Breakfast

Saturday, August 15 · 9:00–11:30 AM · The Proud Bird

Our club has purchased a table — come sit with us!

District 5280 hosts a morning of "Have Fun & Get It Done" featuring "The Amazing Race" host Phil Keoghan. Seats at our table are limited, so reserve early. Additional tickets are also available at rotary5280.org.

A great chance to represent Marina del Rey at the district level and connect with Rotarians across 5280. Create Lasting Impact.

🚶 Westchester Stroll

Saturday, August 15

Join us at the Westchester Stroll — a great chance to be visible in the community, connect with neighbors, and represent Rotary alongside our Westchester friends.

🎤 Erik Aldridge, Vice President, LA28

Thursday, August 20 · 6:00 PM · Club Meeting

We're honored to welcome Erik Aldridge, Vice President of LA28, to speak to our club. With the Games coming to Los Angeles, this is a rare look at what's ahead for our city and our coastline. Bring a guest — this is a program people will want to hear.

🎒 Volunteer Day: St. Margaret's Center

Saturday, August 22 · Lennox

Come help hand out the backpacks and school supplies we've collected all month. This is our drive coming full circle — supplies going directly into students' hands, right before the school year starts.

🐋 VIP Tour: Orcas: Our Shared Future

Sunday, August 23 · 11:00 AM · Natural History Museum, 700 Exposition Park Dr., Los Angeles

The exhibition and museum entry are free to all Rotary club members and their guests — families welcome!

Explore the powerful connections between orcas, people, and the oceans we share. The exhibition gathers 140 original artifacts and specimens — among them an articulated adult female orca skeleton and a life-size family of three replica orcas — alongside sculpture, masks, and prints by Indigenous artists of the Pacific Northwest Coast, weaving together science and culture.

A fitting outing for a club whose home is the water, and a wonderful morning for kids and grandkids.

🚤 District Picnic — Make Waves: Cardboard Boat Regatta

Saturday, August 29 · 5:00–9:00 PM · Seaside Lagoon, Redondo Beach

Save the date — and join the fun!

Marina del Rey has purchased a club picnic table that includes 12 adult general admissions — so come sit with your fellow Rotarians. Seats are limited to 12, so reserve early. Once our 12 seats are filled, additional tickets are available at rotary5280.org.

Our club will also be entering the cardboard boat regatta, working from a design by Lalo Marquez. The build hasn't started yet, so there's still room to help construct our boat or race it on the day.

The evening includes a DJ and dancing, lawn games and team races, a dunk tank, and fun photo ops.

Back-to-School Backpack & Supplies Drive

Help send local kids back to class ready to learn. Every backpack we fill goes to a child in the Inglewood–Hawthorne–Lennox community through St. Margaret’s Center. Let’s fill ’em up!
 

Donate by Aug 13 — Bring new backpacks and supplies to any club meeting (and District Assembly). Look for the collection bin at every meeting through Aug 13. We deliver everything to St. Margaret’s Center by August 15.
 

Volunteer Aug 22 — Distribution Day — Join us at St. Margaret’s Center to hand backpacks directly to the kids who need them. Sign up at a meeting to claim your shift.
 

What to bring (all items brand new): backpacks, notebooks & paper, pens & pencils, crayons & markers, glue sticks, kid-safe scissors, folders & binders, rulers & erasers.

Distribution site: St. Margaret’s Center, 10217 S. Inglewood Ave., Lennox, CA 90304 — a program of Catholic Charities of Los Angeles. Questions or ready to volunteer? Contact  Samantha Peache Youth Services Director

💎 Save the Date: Dusk & Diamonds

Thursday, September 17 · aboard FantaSea One, 4215 Admiralty Way

Our third annual Sunset Sail and the biggest fundraiser of our year. Tickets are $200 for members and $250 for the community. Sponsorship commitments are due August 28 — if you know a business that should be on that ship, now is the moment to make the introduction.