- $3,000 for the “Frank Whitton Marine Outreach Program”- gift cards for young Marine families
- $600 to buy and light up the Carlsbad Christmas Tree at the Village Faire
- $2,650 of clothing for those in dire need
- $18,000 for the Children’s Christmas “Party” 2020 - this year instead of gifts for 2 students from each of the Carlsbad elementary schools, we donated money/goods to families in need from those schools
- $1,800 of sweets for Treating the Heroes in our community -first responders at our hospitals, fire and police departments.
Thanksgiving this year has some frowns and gloom
Covid is here and we meet mainly on Zoom
No more meet and greet and hugs and touch
Our welcomes were warm and happy and such
But Rotary friendships still remain strong
Together we still sing our welcome song
Ava has done great to keep us in line
With a smile and a laugh and a glass of wine
With interesting programs that help us stay synced
Rotary friends stay happy and linked
With a peaceful mind and a grateful heart
Let’s bow our heads and let’s do our part
God our father and mother we pray
Bless our Rotary brothers and sisters today.



Jim Pinto joined Rotary 10 years ago today. He was 73, looking to build new friendships and regular relationships, and hoping to expand his knowledge through the generally interesting and informative topics discussed each week.
He’s gotten all that…and MUCH more.
First he was persuaded to write the weekly notes about each week’s meeting. “It was a great seven years, because it guaranteed me a chance to meet everyone in the club and see what made them tick,” he smiles.
Ray Pearson’s not one of those guys who just last week discovered Rotary’s global impact. “I started my Rotary journey in high school. The Rotary Club met at the YMCA I worked at, with many of the Rotarians serving on the board of the Y or otherwise involved in improving the community,” he recalls, adding “And I wanted to be like them.”
So Ray sought out his school’s Rotary-sponsored Interact club, got hooked…and has never looked back. Since Rotary membership allows him to work side-by-side participating on a daily basis in finding ways to make the world a better place, he’s surrounded by likeminded people all dedicated to giving back to the world around them.
“There’s a satisfaction that comes from positively impacting the local community while helping those most in need,” Ray says. His love of being an active force for good in the world around him is what led him to a career in the cable industry, where he’s spent the past 40 years helping spread the word about everything from children’s programming to fashion accessories.
Having lived on both coasts, Brian’s spent decades in the insurance and precious metals industries, coming at the business world from a wide variety of directions. Walking through our doors almost two years ago with both an MBA AND a law degree, Brian joined us looking to extend a career that’s helped a lot of people. Originally from Carlsbad, he, his wife Lorrie, and children Kyle, Matthew and Allison are longtime members of St. Patrick Catholic Church in Carlsbad.
Like most of us, Brian originally joined Rotary because he was looking for an opportunity to have an impact in the local community and to work with others with a similar set of values. “I was a Rotary Youth Leadership Award winner as a high school student and had a lot of respect for the organization,” he says. Becoming a part of our international service group thus became a natural step and the perfect way for him to give back within…and beyond…Carlsbad’s borders.
Like so many southern Californians, Dan Sweeney said “Adios” to the cold weather of Chicago and Cincinnati, choosing in 2002 to make Carlsbad his permanent home. And BOY are we glad he did!
Having shepherded three kids through the Carlsbad school system, Dan has had innumerable opportunities over the years to get integrated into the fabric of our community. That’s why he’s worked so hard since 2013 actively supporting Carlsbad Fill-a-Belly, which operates with the simple belief that we can all make a difference in our community, one meal at a time.
At the urging of Carlsbad Rotarian Ray Pearson, Dan joined our intrepid troupe this past January. “I saw Rotary as the perfect opportunity to leverage my contacts, resources and sales and marketing experience. My goal at every turn is to always support the larger community’s philanthropic demands to help those around me most in need.”
"Be the change you want to see in the world." This Gandhi quote still echoes through me, and was the impetus for my involvement with Rotary.
13 years ago at a Carlsbad Village mixer, I overheard two men discussing people/communities around the world they were helping. I was curious, introduced myself, and soon was invited to my first Rotary meeting....and my life has never been the same.
My sponsor missed the initial meeting, but I introduced myself to several people, ate lunch, and settled in for the speaker. When the PowerPoint began, it showed visions of abused African mothers and children. Hundreds of children were sent from their homes to live in train stations to survive gang violence. These firsthand accounts shook me to the bone. I contributed to the speaker’s organization, but needed to find out more about Rotary and its effect on the world.
Service Above Self
Carlsbad, CA 92011
United States of America