Welcome

What a year for your 2023-2024 Sebastopol Rotary Club!  RI President Gordon McInally challenged us to “CREATE HOPE in the WORLD” while also considering mental health.  With concentrated effort on children and education, we initiated a pilot, before-school, Wellness Program at Brookhaven Middle School through our Sebastopol Rotary Education Foundation (SREF).  This program allows children a supervised space where they can complete homework, exercise, get help, eat, and socialize before the traditional classroom day begins.  Many parents leave home early for work, leaving children to get to school on their own.  With this program in place we now know that if these kids come to school, there is a much better chance of them staying in school.  Our $20K grant provided an early morning supervised space for them to enjoy.   Another $5K from SREF went to art programs to purchase art supplies in memory of Sally Briggs.

 

Our Club gave six deserving high school students Overcoming Obstacles Scholarships to further their education.  We sponsored Cool Kids Camp, Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA), supported our local Interactors, while hosting inbound and outbound student exchanges.  We were able to give swim lessons and water safety to 355 second-graders, reward outstanding teachers, and purchase a washer/dryer for the Sebastopol Union School District.  With proceeds from our very successful and equally fun Crab Feed, we were able to give local educators $27K in teacher mini-grants. 

 

We did not stop there.  We put a shine on a YWCA day-care center, bought and installed outside shade awnings for our Senior Center, bought child safety equipment, and supported a LandPaths stewardship program.  We contributed to Peacetown, financial literacy, and Rebuilding Together.  We bought a pool cover for Ives Pool, culinary chopping blades for the Ceres Food Project, and are assisting with the Center for the Arts kitchen remodel.

 

Internationally, we gave enthusiastically to the Rotary Foundation, Polio Plus, and to Ukraine.  We purchased mattresses for a Senior Center in Mexico, and helped build an elementary school playground, also in Mexico.

 

We are proud to have added eight new members to our roster and set aside $25K toward conceptual design and architectural rendering of an upcoming 2025 Centennial Project - a multipurpose facility in Ives Park commemorating 100 years of Sebastopol Rotary Service.

 

We could not have accomplished any of this without community.  Our Crab Feed, Tommy Castro Blues Brews & BBQS, received solid support.  Sponsorships from local businesses and donations from individuals played an even larger role than ever.  We thank all of you who are taking this journey with us.

 

As club President, I shared my Louisiana heritage: Louisiana food, music, history and culture – even my accent, without too many guffaws!  I hosted a crawfish boil, a Blues Festival, a softball game, Mardi Gras king cake, and music-themed raffle and programs – a little flavor.  It was a year and honor that I will never forget.  I thank you all for your participation and enthusiasm.   

 

We are all looking forward to an exciting Rotary year with new President, Cindy Carter, at the helm.  Let’s keep up the good work and discover the Magic of Rotary.

 

Peace,

 

JT Martin

Past President

2023-2024