Del Mar-Solana Beach Rotary Club hosts rotary district governor

Steve Weitzen, governor of the San Diego and Imperial Valley Rotary District, spoke at the Del Mar-Solana Beach Rotary Club meeting on May 14 as part of his annual visit.

Weitzen’s remarks included a story about a chance encounter with a woman who invited him to the first Rotary meeting he ever attended, and a more recent anecdote about a trip to El Salvador. The Rotarians were able to raise money for a girl at a rural school they visited. She needed to visit a clinic about an hour and a half away to have a benign growth removed from her cheek.

“That’s what we do as Rotarians,” he said, according to a copy of his speech. “We help people we don’t know, people we’ll never know. We made that little girl’s world so much brighter.

Weitzen, an attorney since 1987, has been a member of the Del Mar-Solana Beach Rotary Club since 2006 and served as president in 2013-14.

He also talked about how he wants Rotary to take an active role in fighting human trafficking, including an anti-human trafficking committee that will be reaching out to clubs to offer ways to fight sex trafficking. He mentioned the difficulties women often face after breaking free from the illegal sex trade and trying to reestablish themselves in society.

“If you own a business or know someone who owns a business, it would be incredibly helpful to the survivor to at least be granted an interview,” Weitzen said. “This alone will go a long way to helping a survivor get back on her feet.”

Weitzen concluded by listing some of the benefits of Rotary, such as being part of a community, reducing loneliness and depression, and contributing to service projects.

“One of the hallmarks of being in a Rotary club such as yours is the fellowship that we all enjoy and value,” he said. “Being a part of our rotary family is a sure cure for loneliness. We care for each other and those we serve.”

For more information, visit dmsbrotary.com or rotary5340.org.