Club Information
Welcome to the La Mesa Rotary!
La Mesa

Service Above Self

We meet In Person
Wednesdays at 12:00 PM
La Mesa Community Center
4975 Memorial Drive
La Mesa, CA 91942
United States of America
Home Page Stories
The Ivan Nolan $1,000 scholarship was presented to Sama Polus. Sama is a graduate of Valhalla H. S. and a STEM student majoring in Biology, was selected from hundreds of scholarship applications. Sama plans to transfer to UCSD to major in research.
 
Ivan Nolan, a long time member of La Mesa Rotary befoe his death, opened La Mesa Enginering and did the initial ssurveying for the property that is now Grossmont College.
 
In Attendance, at our Aug. 28 Rotary meeting, also were Ivan's family members, Grossmmont-Cuyamaca Foundation Development Director, Dana Rivers, and Grossmont-Cuyamaca Foundation Development Manager, Kerri Ewing.
On June 8,2024 it was a beautiful day for a parade.  La Mesa had 50 units participating in a very patriotic event.  The U. S. Marine Corp band led the parade up La Mesa Blvd., as hundreds of families waved flags and appreciate the parade. We had dancers, old cars, clowns, Boy Scouts, VFW, Grossmont H.S. band and many more performers.  We had six Rotarians helping to keep the parade participants march in the proper order so the announcers, along the route, could give the details/ description  of the organizations.
May 28, 2024 was the last Interact meeting for the 2023-2024 school year.  The students had a very successful year completing many Service projects. They participated in elementary school carnivals and open houses.  Their visit to Westmont senior Living with Valentine gift bags was especially rewarding to the recipients and the students. As one of their final efforts, the students held a garage sale to raise money for their International project.  The contributed $200 to help build a house in Mexico.  Several East County Rotary Clubs and Interact students will build the house on June 29,2024.The senior officer leaders were Shannon Elwin, Grace Dilgard, and Mylie Weston.  Several Rotarians attended and presented the students with an Interact shirt and delicious cupcakes.
 
The Junior students who were elected as officers for 2024-2025 presented ALL of the senior Interact students with a package to show their gratefulness for the senior members.
It was a very special  moment, which led to a BIG group hug.
May 22, 2024 Our Rotary Club in collaboration with the INTERACT Club of Mt. Miguel High School, recently unveiled a PEACE Pole on the My Miguel campus.  The ceremony was attended by the Club advisor Karen Purog, Interact President Elizabeth Rodriquez, numerous La Mesa Rotarians and Interact Club members.
The PEACE Pole includes the message "May Peace Prevail on Earth".  It is displayed in a garden decorated with numerous rocks that members of the Interact Club designed.
CONGRATULATIONS to the Mt Miguel Interact Club for their achievement of having the first Peace Pole erected on a San Diego County High School campus.
 
 
 
Save the Date! May 5, 2024 will be our annual Pickleball for a Purpose Fundraising event at The Hub. Details on how to sign up are coming soon!
La Mesa Rotary donated 35 backpacks to La Mesa Dale Elementary school and 35 to Avondale Elementary School. We also gave 35 backpacks to Julian Oaks Camp for Foster children.  Each backpack had  pencils, notebooks and other school supplies.  See our Aug Tattler for pictures.
On Thursday, August17 La Mesa Rotary had a table at the East County Chamber event at the Marriott Hotel in El Cajon.  Several Rotarians distributed Rotary information, and invited  many of the presenters to our meetings. This was the first event where we showed a slide show of our Club activities. There were nearly fifty businesses represented that evening.  We gave a $50 gift certificate to Frazier Farms Grocery store as our door prize.
Mary Nelson joined our Rotary on Wednesday, Feb. 21, 2023.  Mary has had many careers. She first worked for First National Bank of San Diego.  While moving to Japan she was a GS4, for the Army, as a Secretary in the Personnel Services Dept.  Back to the U.S., she was employed by Lancaster, Ca. School District.
Mary has always been a volunteer and taught her children the importance of helping others .She currently volunteers at the San Diego Humane Society and SMART recovery ( a non-profit recovery program that is a non-12 step program). She currently is hosting three SMART zoom meetings.
Since becoming a member, Mary has quickly gotten involved with almost all our projects.  
The Interact students from Grossmont H.S., the Interact students from Coronado H.S. and Rotarians from the Coronado Rotary Club collaborated to clean the Coronado beach on Saturday, May 13. The Rotary Club provided "pick-up grippers" and 5 gallon buckets for each student to ensure that everyone had the proper tools. The students were able to fill more than 20 buckets with debris. Cleaning up the beach is essential for preserving the natural beauty of the area and protecting bird and marine life.  
The Mount Miguel High School Interact  students changed the life of a family in Mexico.  The students raised $3,450 from bakes sales and Swap Meet sales. The Grossmont H.S. Interact Club contributed $500 earned from garage sales.  In one day, La Mesa Rotarians, volunteers and the students built a 16' x 20' house with a loft.  The students  had received a grant of $3,950 from Project Mercy to help pay for the materials.  That is how you change peoples life in one day. It is awesome to see high school students reaching out to help others.  In this case, a family with children.
 
SIGN UP TODAY TO PLAY IN OR SPONSOR THIS YEAR'S EXCITING FUNDRAISER ON MAY 5, 2024. DETAILS COMING SOON!
Our Rotary Club participated in the Rolando Street Fair on Sunday, March 19.  The Rolando Street Fair was a fun and lively event with a lot of community involvement. It was great to see local organizations and businesses come together to showcase what they have to offer.
 
With nearly fifty vendors and information tables, attendees had plenty to explore and learn about. This street fair was complete with food vendors, food trucks a kid's area and live bands.  The community had a treat to try out new foods and flavors. It was wonderful to hear the great performers on the entertainment stage. Music and other forms of entertainment really helped create a festive atmosphere.
 
Everyone had a great time at the fair and it was a successful event for our La Mesa Rotary Club to showcase our contributions to the community and world. We are looking forward to participating in the next street fair.
On Saturday, March 4,we had a wonderful event at Kulhken Field in MacAuthur Park as our Rotary Club helped another community organization. We support local youth sports. The temperature was cool, but the sun came out in the afternoon. Providing food and refreshments for the players, families, and friends was our gesture to help make this opening day event enjoyable for everyone involved.  The La Mesa National Little League players and families appreciated the hamburgers, hot dogs (chili), cookies, chips, and water that our Rotary Club provided.
 
We had fifteen Rotarians and friends participate in preparing and serving the food.  We provided free lunches for nearly 500 guests. With  community events like this La Mesa Rotary is helping to build camaraderie with everyone who attended.  The San Diego Padre mascot greeted the players and families. The young children had a "jumpy" to play in after the ceremony and there were antique cars on show.  Thank you to the La Mesa Police and Fire Department for attending and interacting with everyone: helping to build a better community. La Mesa National Little League had a successful Opening Day, and we hope everyone enjoyed the food and festivities.
On March 4th at Sunset Park our Rotary Club was recognized for our significant  contribution for TWO electronic scoreboards for the baseball fields. The scoreboards were officially unveiled at the opening ceremony.  Our Club worked closely with Denise Carlson and Tyler Foy from Lake Murray Little League to accomplish this large task into construction.
 
Our Club has always been a strong supporter of youth sports in our community.  We are honored to contribute to the Lake Murray Little League and help improve their game-day experience for players, coaches, and fans.
 
The electronic scoreboards provide up-to-date scores and inning information, enhancing the overall experience for players and fans alike.  The scoreboards were installed prior to the start of the 2023 Little League season and have already received rave reviews from the league's players, coaches and fans.
 
The La Mesa Rotary has a long history of supporting local organizations and initiatives that benefit the community.  Dave Petri threw out the first pitch, to start the season at the 3:00 PM game. The opening day ceremony was a great success, with all of the players and fans in attendance.  The La Mesa Rotary contribution to the Little League was a highlight of the event.  Our support is sure to make a difference for years to come.
On Wednesday, February 22, high school students were invited to present a speech, 5-7 minutes, that incorporated Rotary's Four Way Test. The student from Patrick Henry H.S. won $100.  The student from Mt Miguel H.S. won $75.  All of the speeches were excellent.
The Mt Miguel H.S. Interact Club is raising money to work with Habitat For Humanity.  They will BUILD A HOUSE in Mexico, possibly in April.  Rotarians contributed nearly $1,400.00
The Grossmont Interact students assembled and delivered 40 Valentine gift bags to Montera Senior Living residents on Saturday, February 11.  Some of the items included: Toothpaste from  Dr. J. Thompson, Dentist
Pens- Dave Petri, All State Insurance
Hallmark Calendar / date book -Elam's Hallmark
 
Notepads, Safety pins, band aids, keychain,  candy and cookies
La Mesa Rotary hosted the first round of Rotary District 5340 music contest.  The first place winner received $1oo, and may go on to the next level of competition.  Second place contestant received $75.  The third and fourth contestant each received $50.
 
La Mesa Rotary gave a new bicycle and helmet to 86 second graders at La Mesa-Dale Elementary School in La Mesa.  We have given bikes to several different schools over the past many years.
La Mesa Rotary is proud to work with City Hope and their East County Food Bank!
The Food Bank is located at the Spring Valley Academy and distributes food on Friday afternoons.
La Mesa Rotarians volunteer to work at the Food Bank, have held Food Drives and have donated funds to help the Food Bank.
 
La Mesa Rotary Celebrates their 95th Anniversary!
 
Founded in 1925 La Mesa Rotary is one of the oldest clubs in San Diego!  With a long history of supporting the community La Mesa Rotary is still going strong after all these years!
La Mesa Rotary celebrated their 95th Anniversary on October 28, 2020!
 
La Mesa Rotary Club - 2018
 
 
La Mesa Rotary Club - 1958
 
 
La Mesa Rotary - 1939
La Mesa Rotary
5k Family Day
Come spend time with family and friends to support our local community and veterans
 
 
April 8, 2017
Lake Murray Park
8:00am-1:00pm
Registration 7:30-8:00am
Race 8:00-10:00am
Food truck, games 11:00-1:00pm
 
Please fill out a Participation Form.
We have a number of options for Sponsors - please see our Sponsorship Form!
 
To purchase your Fun Run Tickets or to support our event please visit our La Mesa Rotary Foundation Online Payment Portal by clicking on the link below:
 
(All contributions to La Mesa Rotary Foundation may be tax deductible)
 
Also please fill out the forms you will find to the right under Download Files. 
 
Questions: Becki 619-993-1414
 
Graham Bloem the founder of Shelter to Soldier will be speaking about the work of the charity.  This is a CA 501c3 nonprofit organization that rescues dogs from an otherwise uncertain future in local shelters and trains them to become psychiatric service dogs for post-9/11 combat veterans suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) and/or other injuries associated with traumatic service experiences. Every day, 22 US veterans and 1 active duty service member are lost to suicide. That’s an average of one life lost every 63 minutes. The suicide rate among the nation’s military personnel has spiked this year, eclipsing the number of troops dying in battle and on pace to set a record annual high since the start of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan more than a decade ago. The links below are for an impact report, a video and the last link is to a page showing the body parts and how you can donate.
At the meeting Rob Ridge and Mark Matthews will be selling “ dog body parts” to create a complete dog. The objective is to raise  $12,000 to donate a dog for a veteran, for which there is a desperate need in this area that has so many returning military personnel.                 
Note:  You can now donate through the La Mesa Rotary website as well!
Go the La Mesa Rotary Foundation Web Payment Portal to donate now!
Birthdays & Anniversaries
Member Birthdays:
  • Becki Schwartz
    December 8
  • Maggie Eggers
    December 17
  • Jenny Flynn
    December 31
Join Date:
  • Sue Richardson
    December 3, 2017
    7 years
  • Deanna Price
    December 31, 2012
    12 years
  • Ellie Ruane
    December 31, 2010
    14 years
  • Jay Thompson
    December 31, 1987
    37 years
  • John Price
    December 31, 2012
    12 years
 
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