Dear Fellow Rotarians and Friends,

On Saturday morning a group of Rotarians, friends, and a few very small helpers picked up paintbrushes at 2210 Lincoln Blvd and went to work on a mural called Riley's Wings. By the time we put the brushes down, a heart lifted by a pair of bright wings and surrounded by butterflies was ready to go out into our community.

Riley's Wings honors Riley Chart, a 16-year-old Culver City High School student our community lost to suicide in 2020. Our own Lalo Marquez, Vice Chair of Community Service, created the original Wings that stand in Mar Vista, and he designed this new mural and guided every one of us through it. The wings are for Riley and for everyone we have lost, and for the families still carrying them. The butterflies are for hope, and for the reminder that even the heaviest seasons can turn into something new. When this mural goes up, we want anyone walking past on a hard day to see it and know that they matter and they are not alone.

We were honored to paint alongside our friends from the Rotary Club of Mental Health and Wellness, whose message, “You Are Enough,” fits this project perfectly. Thank you to everyone who came out and got paint on their clothes, and thank you, Lalo, for sharing your gift and keeping Riley's memory flying.

Two nights earlier, at our Club Assembly, we turned the meeting over to ourselves. Our directors introduced the committees they have built this fall, and many of you signed up on the spot. That is exactly how a club grows: not from the front of the room, but from every member finding a place in the work. If you have not yet chosen a committee, it is not too late. Just reach out to me or to any director.

This week it is all about pumpkins. Join Geo and Mary at Fisherman's Village on Thursday evening to set up the patch, then come back Saturday and Sunday for the Pumpkin Patch itself. Every pumpkin sold supports our holiday giving for families and seniors in Marina del Rey.

If you or someone you know is struggling, call or text 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, available 24/7.

Yours in Rotary service,

Nancy Voss, President

Riley’s Wings, painted and ready for its new home

Founder and International Commodore Luigi Falanga is traveling from Italy to Marina del Rey for a milestone in our club's history. On Thursday, November 19, at 6:00 p.m. at Del Rey Yacht Club, the Rotary Club of Marina del Rey will be officially chartered as the first West Coast member of the Rotary Fellowship of Sea Lovers, joining twenty-five chapters in twelve countries.

This Charter Ceremony & Dinner is a hallmark event for our club, and we would love every member to be there to welcome Commodore Falanga and celebrate together. Please mark the date and bring your friends; Rotarians from across District 5280 are invited, and there is no cost to join the Fellowship.

RSVP and more information: mdrrotary.org or nvossrotary@gmail.com. Discover the Fellowship at www.rfsl.club.

Charter Ceremony & Dinner — Thursday, November 19, 6 p.m., Del Rey Yacht Club

Our Why Rotary series continues with the second of twenty reasons to belong. Everyone needs to network. Rotary brings together a cross section of the community, and its members come from every business, profession, and trade. A Rotarian's fellow members are a built-in circle of trusted advisors, customers, and referrals. Look around the room on Thursday nights: that is a room full of people who want to see you succeed.

Next issue: Reason #3, Personal Growth and Development.

Registration closes Sunday, November 1. If you have been thinking about joining us, this is the week to decide. Register on ClubRunner or contact Claire Date or me.

From November 11 to 15, our team travels to El Salvador to work alongside our partner club, the Rotary Club of San Salvador Noroeste. Each traveler pays their own way, so every donated dollar goes straight to the families and children we serve. Here is what we will be doing:

Two New Homes in Tahinique

Our club sent $10,000 to build two homes for families in Tahinique, one of them funded entirely by a $5,000 gift from Renee Mejia of the Rotary Club of Bellflower. We will dedicate both homes and meet the families during the trip.

Meet the two families. The Renderos family, Mirna, Emerson and six-year-old Hender, and the Delgado Cartagena family, María, Guillermo, Emma and Josué, have been living in homes of corrugated metal sheets and tarps. In November, they move into new homes built with your support.

The Delgado Cartagena family outside their current home

The Renderos family in front of their current home in Tahinique

With our partner Rotarians in El Salvador

A School and Its Preschool near Mizata

We are painting and refurbishing Centro Escolar Cantón Lomas de Texicio, a small rural public school near Mizata with 82 students, including 24 preschoolers, in four classrooms plus a library, kitchen and office. Claire Date and I visited in July and built the supply list with the school's director, Gladis Reyes, and the Mizata Foundation. The club has committed $2,700 toward desks, chairs and paint, and we are seeking donors for a classroom set of tablets and for new shoes and uniforms for every child.

Unlocked Electronics Drive

The school has never had a classroom set of devices. We are collecting unlocked, factory-reset phones, tablets, iPads and laptops (signed out of Apple ID or Google) to carry down with us. Drop them in the box at the Pacific Ocean Management office at Fisherman's Village, open 10–5, or bring them to a club meeting. The cutoff is our November 5 meeting. Questions: Claire Date.

Unlocked Electronics Drive — through November 5

Supplies That Travel Well in a Suitcase

•  Unlocked, factory-reset tablets, iPads, laptops and phones

•  Soccer balls, basketballs and volleyballs (deflated), plus a pump

•  Lego, modeling clay, puzzles, flashcards (ages 4–7) and coloring books

•  English–Spanish dictionaries and guitar strings

•  First-aid kits, hand sanitizer and wipes

•  Reward stickers and small prizes

•  Kids' sneakers, Little Kid 10 through Youth 6

Prefer to give toward the big items? Desks and chairs are $68 a set, paint is $700, and shoes and uniforms run about $35–40 per child. Gifts to the Rotary Club of Marina del Rey Foundation, a 501(c)(3), are tax-deductible.

With our partner Rotarians in El Salvador

October 15 — Club Assembly

Thursday's Club Assembly was a members-only working session, and it delivered. Our directors presented the committees they have been building since summer, we checked progress on our Three-Year Strategic Plan, and Foundation President Debra Fixen walked us through how the Foundation funds our service programs.

Committee sign-ups were open all evening, and members joined Community Service, Youth Service, Club Service (led by President-Elect Geo Rocha), the new Member Grant Review Committee, Membership (led by Anne-Marie Fabishak with Peter Smyth and Geo Rocha), and Finance. Thank you to every director who presented and to everyone who stepped forward. If you missed the Assembly, contact any director to join a committee.

RYLA Postponed

District 5280's Rotary Youth Leadership Awards weekend, planned for October 16–18, was postponed because of the weather. Our club is sponsoring two students, and we will share the new dates as soon as the District announces them.

October 17 — Riley's Wings Service Project

Rotarians, friends, and family gathered at 2210 Lincoln Blvd to paint the background and butterflies of the Riley's Wings suicide-awareness mural, created by Lalo Marquez, together with members of the Rotary Club of Mental Health and Wellness. Details on where the mural will be installed are coming soon.

Paint day at 2210 Lincoln Blvd — mural by Lalo Marquez

Rotarians and friends from the Rotary Club of Mental Health and Wellness

Painting the butterflies

Spreading our wings

Our youngest helper

Pumpkin Patch Set-Up Social — Thursday, October 22

No regular meeting this week. Instead, roll up your sleeves and join us 5:30–7:30 p.m. at Fisherman's Village, 13755 Fiji Way, to set up the Pumpkin Patch. Hosted by Geo Rocha and Mary February, with light fare served. Bring a friend; all are welcome.

Pumpkin Patch Set-Up Social, Thursday, October 22

Wear your costumes! Prizes go to the best, so come dressed for the occasion. Then settle in for a program on how Rotary Foundation giving becomes real impact, from the world stage to our own backyard.

PDG Albert Hernandez: The Rotary Foundation

PDG Albert Hernandez, District 5280 Rotary Foundation Committee Chair, will give an overview of The Rotary Foundation and explain why its initiatives matter. He'll cover how Foundation giving becomes real impact and how clubs like ours can make the most of it. Albert served as District Governor for 2024–25, the youngest in the district's history. His Rotary journey began at 16 as a RYLA participant, and he has been a Rotarian since 2005. He is a past president of the Glendale Kiwanis Club and CEO of Home Again Los Angeles, which serves unhoused families.

Noah Martin and Arus Gregorian: Impact Close to Home

Noah Martin of Palisades Beautiful will then show what that impact looks like locally. Our club applied for District 5280 wildfire relief grant funds on behalf of Palisades Beautiful, and Noah will share how those funds are helping the Palisades community recover. Arus Gregorian, Deputy Director for Councilwoman Traci Park, will join him to speak about the recovery effort and why it matters for us to keep supporting these funds.

Come see how your Foundation giving makes a difference, help us welcome our guests, and don't forget your costume!

Halloween Costume Meeting — Thursday, October 29

Sat.–Sun., Oct. 24–25 — Pumpkin Patch at Fisherman's Village, 13755 Fiji Way. Saturday 11 a.m.–6 p.m., Sunday 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Free admission, kids' painting station, photo booth and live music. Saturday is World Polio Day, with our End Polio Now purple pumpkin activation. Volunteer shifts: 8–11, 11–2 and 2–5 each day.

Thu., Oct. 29 — Halloween Costume Meeting at Del Rey Yacht Club, 6:00 p.m. Come in costume, with prizes for the best! See our program preview below.

Wed., Nov. 4 — Dusk & Diamonds Sponsor Appreciation Reception, 5–7 p.m., Caffe Pinguini, Playa del Rey.

Thu., Nov. 5 — Club meeting with Dr. Michelle Christie Vitallo, Founder of No Limits for deaf children and families, and comedienne Kathy Buckley. Four new members to be inducted.

Nov. 11–15 — El Salvador humanitarian trip with the Rotary Club of San Salvador Noroeste.

Sat., Nov. 14 — Rise Against Hunger, led by Benedicta Ogbonnaya.

Tue., Nov. 17 — Board of Directors meeting on Zoom, 7:00 p.m.

Thu., Nov. 19 — Charter Ceremony & Dinner, 6:00 p.m., Del Rey Yacht Club. Commodore Luigi Falanga travels from Italy to charter the Rotary Fellowship of Sea Lovers in Marina del Rey. Bring your friends! No cost to join.

Thu., Nov. 26 — Thanksgiving morning meal delivery to homebound seniors with Westside Pacific Villages. Meet at 10 a.m. at Covenant Presbyterian Church, Westchester.

Thanksgiving Morning — sign up by November 19

Dec. 1–18 — Holiday Toy Drive with Venice United Methodist Church, plus Adopt-a-Family for children in Marina del Rey community schools.

Thu., Dec. 3 — Club meeting: Board nominations, plus a Free to Me dance performance.

Thu., Dec. 10 — Club Holiday Party, 370 Fowling St, Playa del Rey.

Holiday Party — December 10, RSVP by December 3

Thu., Dec. 10 — Club Holiday Party, Sunset over the Marina, 6:00–9:00 p.m. at the home of Nancy & Dave Voss, 370 Fowling St, Playa del Rey. RSVP on ClubRunner by December 3.

Pumpkin Patch, October 24 & 25 at Fisherman’s Village

I arrive at 4:30 p.m. before every club meeting at Del Rey Yacht Club. Drop by with a project idea, a ClubRunner question, or just to say hello.

Del Rey Yacht Club, 13900 Palawan Way, Marina del Rey

nvossrotary@gmail.com • (310) 923-2735