Del Mar-Solana Beach Rotary presents ‘Celebration of Service’
Paul Butler, outgoing president of the Del Mar-Solana Beach Rotary Club, presided over a review of the club’s projects and activities this last fiscal year.
Highlights included:
- Supplying 1,300 dictionaries to third-graders in the Del Mar and Solana Beach school districts;
- Helping the North County Community Resource Center with its Holiday Baskets program to fill the needs of families during the holidays
- Raising $7,000 to help Haitian earthquake victims by providing kits with emergency shelter and other essentials through Shelter Boxes International;
- Sponsoring two baseball teams for children with disabilities through the Miracle League of San Diego;
- Helping with Stand Down San Diego in support of our veterans;
- Adopting a plot at the Torrey Pines Reserve to restore native habitat; and
- Helping a Tijuana community through the organization Hope without Borders.
During the meeting Butler also presented a check for $7,363 to Suzanne Colby of the North County Community Resource Center and another check for $7,363 to Ellen Yaffa of San Diego SAY (Social Advocates for Youth). Both donations were part of the $37,700 funds raised in this year’s 14th annual Bocce Ball Tournament to support club and community activities.
Another highlight was celebrating the club’s achievement for its various international aid projects. The club leveraged more than $16,400 of its own funds through matching grants and other donations, to support more than $106,000 in aid to projects in 10 countries.
Projects included providing clean water, enhancing working skills and educational opportunities for students as well as supporting microfinance loans to women to start new businesses.
President Butler concluded with thanking the members for achieving 100 percent participation in contributions to the Rotary Foundation with more than $6,100 contributed, plus $1,000 given to the Polio Plus program whose aim is to eradicate polio throughout the world.
The club has 37 active members. For more information visit
or call Julie Lien at (858) 240-7346.