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JOIN ROTARY VOLUNTEERS TO HELP OUT AT THE CONTRA COSTA FOOD BANK

Our Rotarians will be hard at work sorting and packing food at the Food Bank of Contra Costa & Solano in the Concord warehouse in anticipation of a busy holiday season -- particularly with the government shut-down. Your participation is welcomed!

Orinda Rotarians have been helping at the Food Bank once a month since July 2020. Every day thousands of people in our community around Contra Costa and Solano Counties struggle to meet basic nutritional needs. Children, adults, and seniors benefit from our efforts. The Food Bank is the leading fight against local hunger and volunteers and donations can make a big difference -- consider joining us!

Our next outing to the Food Bank is Friday, November 21, from 1-3 PM. Participants carpool and often share lunch prior to their work at the warehouse. Bring a friend! Please contact Bill Waterman if you are interested helping out.

ANNUAL CLUB HOLIDAY PARTY DECEMBER 12!

Happy Holidays one and all! Orinda Rotary will host its annual holiday party for club members on Friday, December 12 from 5:00 to 9:00 PM at St. Stephen's Episcopal Church.

Members and guests will enjoy a fabulous filet mignon or salmon dinner with all the fixings, dessert, and appetizers catered by our own Leslie Masler. Wine, champagne -- or whatever spirits make you happy -- will also be served. Plenty of entertainment, including music and singing, a trivia contest, “elephant” gift exchange, and a visit from old St. Nick is not to be missed!

Cost is $90 per person. Checks made payable to Orinda Rotary can be brought to our meetings through November 19 or on December 3 or mailed to: P.O. Box 44, Orinda, CA 94563. Please RSVP by December 5. Contact Ken Jew with questions.

A PERFECT DAY FOR TOM FITCH FISHING DAY FOR OAKLAND BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB

Our annual outing to San Pablo Reservoir with the kids from the Oakland Boys and Girls Club was on Oct. 18th and it was a perfectly beautiful day! For over 20 years, our Rotary Club has organized this event in honor of past Rotarian Tom Fitch. It provided a wonderful opportunity for young members of the Oakland Boys & Girls Club to experience an outing outside their urban environment -- to learn how to fish, do some boating on the reservoir, enjoy a BBQ lunch, socialize with Rotarians and local scouts -- and have fun in the great outdoors.

DANCING WITH THE CARS 2025 PUTS THE FUN IN FUNDRAISING

On Friday, September 5, 2025, Orinda Rotary proudly hosted the 21st annual Dancing with the Cars fundraiser at the beautiful Upper Plaza of the Orinda Library. The evening sparkled with energy, blending the glamour of Bollywood, the charm of Britain, and the strength of Brawn. Guests enjoyed delicious Indian cuisine, Bollywood dancing, cocktails, live entertainment, and — most importantly — spirited participation in both our silent and live auctions.

Thanks to our generous community, the event raised vital funds that will support Orinda Rotary’s local and global service projects — from helping students and seniors in our community to delivering essential humanitarian aid worldwide..

A heartfelt THANK YOU to everyone who supported Dancing with the Cars!

ORINDA ROTARY HELPS WITH PERES ELEMENTARY TUTORING PROGRAM

Orinda Rotary has partnered with Richmond Rotary for the last 5 years to sponsor the Peres K-8 3rd Grade After School Book Club. In June, we celebrated the completion of the 10 session club with the 3 teachers and the students who shared with the Rotarians what they read, the stories they wrote and what they learned about various places in the world. Thank you to teachers Jill Hope, Kathy Baker and Kayontaya Pace.

A BIG thanks also to Orinda Rotarian Ken Jew for initiating the partnership with Richmond.

CLUB MEETINGS ARE "HYBRID" - IN-PERSON AND ONLINE

Orinda Rotary offers in-person meetings that include scheduled speakers! Our in-person meetings are held in the Founder's Auditorium at the Orinda Community Center and include no-host hot lunches. Social gathering starts at noon and the meetings begin promptly at 12:30 PM. Click here to let our caterer, Leslie, know if you plan to attend in-person and have lunch (cost is $25 per person)!

We also use the online teleconferencing service "Zoom" for those who prefer to attend virtually. Each week, members receive an e-mail from Club President, Bill Waterman, with instructions on how to join the upcoming meeting, including the requisite meeting ID and password. Members can join video conferencing from their computer or via phone. Non-members interested in participating in our meeting(s) may contact President Bill to request the Zoom link.

Upcoming speakers, events and programs:

Wednesday, November 5: Renee Brouse, Past District Governor and Rotary Relations Manager for ShelterBox USA will discuss their work to step in with assistance when disaster strikes.
Wednesday, November 12: In honor of Veterans Day, Bill Green of the Viet Nam Veterans of Diablo Valley will describe his experience serving in Viet Nam.
Wednesday, November 19: Members Frank Darling and Clay Deanhardt present the good works of the Rotary Foundation and how you can support their efforts.
Wednesday, November 26: NO MEETING - THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY
Friday, December 12: Annual Club Holiday Party! Join us from 5:00 to 9:00 PM at St. Stephen's Episcopal Church, Orinda.

If you have questions, please contact President Bill for more information.

Make a donation below to the Orinda Rotary Endowment Fund and help us serve the community for another 75 years! The Orinda Rotary Endowment is a 501(c)(3) charity.