_________________________________
_________________________________
“In towns and cities... there is no more important institution than the local paper.”
Warren Buffett
A busy schedule of activities is being planned for the coming year by the Rotary Club of La Mirada, according to President Zurich Lewis.
“Rotary plans to be very active in La Mirada again this year,” said Lewis. “Rotary has been increasingly visible in the La Mirada community in recent years, and we plan to continue working on behalf of children, families and the needy in the months ahead.”
The major community service project planned by Rotary will be the Eileen Wade “Clothes for Kids” shopping event in December. The project, which recently received an Award of Merit for Youth Service Impact from Rotary District 5320, is conducted in memory of long-time Rotarian Eileen Wade, who championed the project for decades.
More than 40 children from La Mirada will be taken to Marshall’s department store on Imperial Highway and Santa Gertrudes Avenue to shop for warm clothing, jackets, and shoes. A holiday party will be held at the La Mirada Activity Center following the shopping event.
Rotary will once again provide scholarships to a number of students graduating from La Mirada High School. Applications for the scholarship program will be accepted in the Spring of 2018, and the applications will be reviewed by a committee of Rotarians. Scholarship winners will be announced in May.
The Rotary Club will partner with the Walmart Neighborhood Market to provide funding to support the Good Sam Pantry food distribution program at Beatitudes of Our Lord church. Rotary will provide Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter meals for dozens of families through the pantry to help meet needs in the community.
The annual Independence Celebration on July 3rd at La Mirada Regional Park will again see Rotary participation. Students from La Mirada High School’s Interact Club will assist in operating a food booth at the event. Proceeds from the booth will be used to assist the Interact Club. Selected members of the Interact Club will also be sent to a mountain camp to participate in Rotary’s Youth Leadership Training Academy.
Rotary and Interact Club members will also be participating in the City of La Mirada’s annual Easter Egg Hunt at La Mirada Regional Park.
In keeping with tradition, Rotary members will continue to participate in the annual Memorial Day services honoring local service personnel. The event, which is sponsored by Veterans of Foreign Wars Post #9148 at Olive Lawn Memorial Park, provides a special tribute to those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our nation.
Rotary will be working with other local organizations to support events in the community. Rotary will also join with other service organizations, area businesses and local churches to support the annual Community Thanksgiving Dinner at Foster Road Elementary School.
Rotarians will be involved with supporting a number of community organizations in the coming year. These organizations include: Friends of the La Mirada Library, From Maddi’s Closet, the La Mirada Symphony, the La Mirada Relay for Life and Rotary’s fight against polio.
“Rotary is made up 1.2 million people who come together to improve their communities and the world,” says Lewis. “Our many different occupations, cultures, and backgrounds are unified by a shared passion for service that enables Rotary to accomplish many things to improve our communities.”
Individuals interested in learning more about the Rotary Club of La Mirada are welcome to attend a club meeting on Wednesdays at 12:30 p.m. at the Sizzler Restaurant, 15252 Rosecrans Avenue in La Mirada. Additional information is available at https://www.facebook.com/Rotarycluboflamirada.