BocceFest 2020 canceled due to COVID-19, but activities continue

After 23 years, Del Mar-Solana Beach Rotary Club’s BocceFest — the club’s fun fundraiser, bocce tournament, craft beer tasting, and auction — has been canceled for the first time due to the risk of COVID-19. However, because the need of its services and support for many nonprofits is even greater these days, the club called on its past sponsors and donors to continue supporting its activities. And they responded overwhelmingly. DMSB Rotary has already received over $35,000 in pledges as of Sept. 1, and is planning a virtual BocceFest Celebration of Giving on Tuesday evening, Sept. 15, 2020 from 5:30-6:30 p.m. DMSB Rotary members will be thanking their sponsors and showcasing many of the nonprofits they support, including Reality Changers, Just in Time for Foster Youth, Community Resource Center, Solutions for Change, Case De Amistad, Veteran’s Village, and more.

With the help of local businesses and individuals, Del Mar-Solana Beach Rotary has raised over $700,000 to invest in programs that make a positive difference in the lives of others, and many Rotarians personally work with the organizations they support. Reality Changers and Just in Time for Foster Youth have been past Major Beneficiaries and have been active participants in putting on the tournament. Reality Changers transforms lives, schools, and communities by providing youth from disadvantaged backgrounds with academic support, financial assistance and leadership training to become first generation college students. Just in Time’s mission is to engage a caring community to help transition-age foster youth achieve self-sufficiency and well-being. They provide the safety net for foster youth that have aged out of the foster system but have no parents to guide them into adulthood.

To register for the BocceFest Celebration of Giving, visit dmsbrotary.com and click on the BocceFest Celebration of Giving link in the “Upcoming Events” box in upper left hand side. Those registered will be invited to join shortly before Sept. 15.