Stories

2025 Educator of the Year

Please join us to honor the Outstanding Educators in Palos Verdes!

The 2025 Honorees are:

Lynda Louise: Lunada Bay Elementary School
Donna Villaescusa: Soleado Elementary School
Molly Steinberg: Dapplegray Elementary School
Zuriñe Lekuona: Chadwick School
Bryan Godbold: Mira Catalina Elementary School
Kurt Hay: Palos Verdes Intermediate School
Blanca Magaña: St. John Fisher School
Mary Fournier: Palos Verdes Peninsula High School
David Witthoff: Crestmont College

A Reception and Dinner to honor the recipients of this years awards was held at the Palos Verdes Golf Club Grand Ballroom on Thursday evening, February 13, 2025.

PVP Landslide Relief Grant Form

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2024 Educator of the Year

Please join us to honor the Outstanding Educators in Palos Verdes!

The 2024 Honorees are:

Adeline Allen: Peninsula Heritage School
Elizabeth McCurdy: Point Vicente Elementary School
Sheryl Rasmussen: Cornerstone Elementary School
Kindra Windish: Chadwick School
Stefanie Kagimoto: Silver Spur Elementary School
Cara Dunn: Rancho Vista Elementary School
Patti Petrucci: Ridgecrest Intermediate School
Karen Kostrencich: Palos Verdes High School
Ana Alejandre: Rolling Hills Preparatory School

A Reception and Dinner to honor the recipients of this years awards was held at the Palos Verdes Golf Club Grand Ballroom on Thursday evening, February 8, 2024.

The Palos Verdes Peninsula Rotary Club joined with many of the other District 5280 clubs to decorate the Rotary Float for the 2024 Rose Parade! The theme of this years float is 'Clean Water - The Music of Life'. Volunteers met at the Phoenix Decorating Company in Irwindale, CA on Thursday, 12/28 for a fun day surrounded by flowers and floats.

The Rotary Rose Parade Float was accompanied on New Year's Day by District Governor Makiko and International President McInally.

World Polio Day - October 24

24 October is World Polio Day!

As World Polio Day approaches, we’re getting ready to amplify our message about eradicating polio to protect the world’s children from this devastating disease.

We’ve made tremendous progress so far, and now’s the time to intensify our fight to make polio the second human disease ever to be eradicated. In 2020, the World Health Organization’s African region was certified free of wild poliovirus, showing that eradication is possible even in very difficult circumstances.

The wild poliovirus remains endemic in just two countries — Afghanistan and Pakistan— but as long as polio exists anywhere, it remains a threat everywhere. So let’s use World Polio Day to advocate for the support we need to end polio in countries where children are still as risk.

Get involved
Take action this World Polio Day by hosting virtual and community events, creating fundraisers, and sharing posts about the importance of polio eradication on social media.

Use the World Polio Day Toolkit to find resources and tips for planning activities and promoting a polio-free world.

Download the World Polio Day Toolkit

Click here for the latest report on polio cases in the world:

https://polioeradication.org/wild-poliovirus-count/

Red Cross Blood Drive

Please join your friends and neighbors at Hesse Community Park for a Red Cross Blood Drive on Friday, October 21, 2022.

Rotary Human Trafficking Summit

Zones 26/27 Summit on Stopping Human Trafficking will be conducted in San Diego on October 1^st for this important final Trails to Peace Summit leading up to the Zones 26/27 2022 Rotary Institute in Salt Lake City in November.

This summit is being designed for both Rotarians and non-Rotarians who want to learn more about modern day slavery for themselves, their clubs, and their districts. It will be held in person but will also have a virtual option for those who cannot travel to San Diego. Both the in-person and virtual participation cost will be $50. The virtual participation cost is per link so multiple Rotarians in a club can share a Zoom link. Virtual and in-person participants can work together to develop projects to fight trafficking. Please encourage Rotarians in your district to go to the website for more information and to register.

Recent Polio Detections in US & Europe

Posted on Aug 18, 2022

Rotary statement on recent polio detections in U.S., Europe

The recent detection of the vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 case in New York, USA, and isolates in several environmental samples collected in London are stark reminders that as long as polio exists anywhere, it is a threat everywhere. It also highlights the importance of vaccination as the only form of protection against polio and other vaccine-preventable diseases and the work that needs to be done in our communities to encourage the uptake of vaccines. Also, as the world gets closer to zero wild poliovirus cases, it is increasingly important to track all forms of the virus wherever they may appear, including in polio-free regions.

The U.S. is still considered low risk for paralytic outbreaks of polio due to the high level of vaccine coverage across the population. If a child has received the entire course of vaccines, the risk of becoming paralyzed by polio is negligible. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 92.6% of children aged 24 months are fully vaccinated against polio, slightly below the 95% World Health Organization target.

RYLA Summer Camp Presentation

On August 5th, we had the privilege of hearing Jeremy Brown from the Carson Gardena Dominquez Rotary. He gave a heart-warming presentation on RYLA's (Rotary Youth Leadership Academy) Summer Camp program.

RYLA happens over a weekend in April. They accept freshman through juniors from schools in the South Bay area and many graduates go on to become counselors in the program. They spend two days doing activities that will help them be better leaders and improve their emotional and mental health. We heard an incredible story of one girl who attended as the dying wish of her mother. This incredible girl went on to win a Gates Award and a scholarship to MIT. She also received a masters and today helps care for her younger siblings and father as a result of her amazing engineering job.

To scholarship a kid to RYLA camp costs $300. Our club has the ability to sponsor six kids. As of this moment, we have the cost of four kids covered and will be fundraising at our Wednesday Night Lives for the additional two kids.

Rotary Responds to Ukraine

A message from Director Vicki Puliz

The response from Rotary members to the war in Ukraine has been simply incredible. In just a few short weeks, more than $10.4 million has been contributed through the disaster relief channels of Our Rotary Foundation.

This money is flowing into the hands of Rotary members in front-line countries and around the world to help the refugees who are fleeing the war zones, and those who remain to fight for their homeland. The generosity and response to this crisis is amazing.

Take a moment to realize the Disaster Relief channel was set up just three years ago, and in those three years it has attracted approximately $3 million in contributions, before the Ukraine fundraising efforts, to help with the many different types of disasters around our world.

Rotary members step up when they are needed, and we are becoming more engaged in immediate action and care when faced with disasters such as fires, tornadoes, and pandemics. We also continue to stand together, to stand strong, as a positive force in long term recovery and rebuilding and creating lasting change.

The world needs Rotary now more than ever before. Proudly share your stories of why you are part of this incredible leadership and humanitarian service organization.

You are making a difference as people of action.

Polio Eradication

Understanding the role of gender in polio eradication

The wild poliovirus still paralyzes children in Afghanistan and Pakistan. In those countries and many others, gender can play a role in vaccination efforts. It’s important to consider how mothers and fathers make decisions about their children’s health care and to understand who in a community is delivering immunizations, says Heather Monnet, external relations officer and gender focal point for polio eradication for the World Health Organization. Recognizing the importance of women who work in the polio program and dismantling gender-related barriers in order to reach all children with the polio vaccine are key to overcoming the remaining challenges to ending polio.

Rags to Rugs

Rotarians and friends from across District 5280 met on Saturday, April 16 in Torrance for the Rags to Rugs project. Unwanted Tshirts, Towels, and Sheets were transformed into rugs and bed pads for dogs and cats at area shelters.

PVP Rotary Visit to Fire Station 106

Friday, July 23, 2021 - PVP Rotary Club met at the LA County Fire Station #106 in Rolling Hills Estates. This meeting was to recognize the accomplishment of a Rotary Community Grant to improve the kitchen and community room of the fire station. The special event included Club President Jen Sullivan, Community Service Chair Julia Parton, LA County Fire Dept Battalion Chief Velasquez, Captain Matt Levesque plus numerous Rotarians and firefighters & EMTs. A memorial plaque was presented to the fire station followed by remarks by Sullivan and Levesque. A wonderful box lunch accompanied with a lot of good friendships and camaraderie with Rotarians and Firefighters.

Camp Pendelton Collection

Camp Pendleton Collection Drive

Donations Completed: April 4, 2022

Thank you fellow PVP Rotarians for another successful donation collection for the Camp Pendleton families! Service above self was evident with the generosity of the following:

Joan Behrens
Allen Bond
John Cameron
Christine Chui
Norton Donner
Bob Ferrara
Les Fishman & Virginia Butler
Lindsey Glass
Jim Hartman
Rick Mendoza
Phyllis Pelezzare
Greg O’Brien
Julia Parton
Phyllis Pelezzare
David Rowe
Derald Sidler
Suzy Zimmerman

SPOOK-TAKULAR HALLOWEEN CELEBRATION!

Posted by Credits to Lynne notes, Eileen Hupp & Carmenza Adams on Oct 28, 2020

Spooky Thursday Night Live!

Halloween Costume

Halloween is almost here and we will start early hiding behind the Zoom with the mystery of an improvised costume. Who will have the best costume from the waist up?

Pumpkin Carving

Say “Hocus Pocus” and the artist in you will shine through the illuminated face of the jack-o-lantern that you carve.

Ghoulish Drink Recipes

Will helps you get into the spirit of games, ghost stories, and contests that you won’t want to miss.

Black Cat Martini

Our opening drink is a very simple, quick concoction that is easy to make but has a great Halloween feel.

-2 oz. Blavod Black vodka

-1/2 oz. Chambord

Combine in shaker with 1 cup ice. Shake and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

Black Devil Martini

This simple but fun little number comes from the American Professional Bartending Schools of Illinois in Chicago.

-2 oz dark rum. The darker the better.

-1/2 oz. dry Vermouth

-1 black olive

Stir, strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Add olive on a toothpick.

The Jack O’ Lantern

This great recipe comes from Southern Hospitality in New York City. Use a lowball glass and garnish this drink correctly to get a great tasting drink that looks like a pumpkin.

-1 oz Hennessy VSOP Cognac

-1 1/2 oz orange juice

-1/2 oz ginger ale

-1/2 oz Grand Marnier

Shake combined ingredients and strain into a lowball glass over ice. Place an orange slice (wheel) over the top with a lime twist in the center of the wheel as a garnish topper.

Fake Blood

-1 oz. bourbon

-1/2 oz. lime juice

-Tomato juice

-1 tsp. Tequila

Pour the bourbon and lime juice in a glass over ice. Fill remainder with tomato juice and stir. Then add Tequila.

Meeting ID: 840 6356 4171

Passcode: 167485

Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kc15TtVRGK

A Tropical Diving Trip in French Polynesia

Mike Lansing | Boys and Girls Club

Posted by Juan Bueno on Sep 19, 2018

Our guest speaker Mike Lansing from the Boys and Girls Club of LA Harbor presenting the club some exciting news, updates and information about

the expanding footprint of this dynamic youth organization. The club's recent expansion, Career Bound Program, and a short explanation of a $9 Million Comprehensive Campaign.

Presentation to Jackie and Roger Ignon

Posted by Kath Anderson on Aug 22, 2018

Rick Mendoza PDG - Presentation to Jackie and Roger Ignon

Certificate of Recognition honoring our Club for our commitment to education

Posted by Eileen Hupp

Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi presents Club President Marc Mazorow with a Certificate of Recognition honoring our Club for our commitment to education….specifically our work in honoring teachers at Educator of the Year AND for granting scholarships.

Beer & Wine Festival 44k Check Presentation

Posted by Eileen Hupp on Jul 24, 2018

Dave from South Bay Sunrise Rotary presenting check to Marc for Beer & Wine Festival.