LB Rotary Club Events

Los Banos Rotary's
Events, Activities, and Projects

The local Los Banos Rotary Club is involved in a large number of projects, events, and activities throughout the year. Here is a general sampling of some of those activities.

Note: For a list of upcoming activities and associated dates, times, and locations please see the Los Banos Rotary Club Calendar Page. For stories, information and photos of recent Los Banos Rotary Activities or information about recent speakers at Rotary select the link. In addition, please see our Club History section for more detailed information on some of what the Los Banos Rotary Club has done in the past.

None of the activities listed below could be possible without the generous giving of our local Rotarians. Many people are under the impression that Rotary is only for the wealthy business person. That is not true. Rotary is for those who want to give. Giving of one's time and energy outweighs any monetary amount and it is giving of ones time that make the events below successful.

Crab Feed — Usually in March, this is the largest of all fundraiser for our club. We raise about $12,000 in profit that is used for local projects, but primarily this money funds our scholarship giving each year to Los Banos High School and San Luis High School. It is an all-you-can-eat dinner which includes, cold cracked crab, salad, bread, pasta and wine. The event also features an open bar prior to the dinner, lots of donated raffle prizes and door prizes. It is held in the Exhibit Hall of the Los Banos Fairgrounds.

Two Pancake Breakfasts — As part of the Los Banos Chamber of Commerce Downtown Street Fair the Rotary club serves a pancake breakfast. The two street fairs take place in April and September and feature, pancakes, ham, eggs, coffee, juice and milk all for $8. There are take-outs available as well. Again, the proceeds from these breakfasts benefit local community projects. In the past we have used the profits to assist Boy Scout Troop 85 with their needs for equipment.

Empty Bowls Project - The Empty Bowls Project is aimed at alleviating hunger in our community. Rotarians and community volunteers create beautiful bowls. Each Winter a fund raising soup dinner is held and all the proceeds benefit local hunger relief organizations.

Los Banos High School Football Team Dinner — Every year in October the Los Banos Rotarians cook dinner for the Los Banos High School football team and coaches (about 75 people). The team asks various clubs and organizations to help feed the team before each home game. Our club feeds them before a home game in October. We usually serve them a barbecued meal.

Rotary North-South All Star Football Game – Each year our club supports the game by purchasing game tickets which we give to the high school coach for his players and families to attend. We also purchase a full-page ad in the program. All the proceeds are used to fund high school scholarships. Bob Green who leads this event is always looking for Rotarian volunteers to help.

Interact — The high school equivalent to Rotary is called Interact. Many high school campuses have Interact Clubs and those student member perform much like the adult Rotary counterparts in that they have fundraisers to assist the needs of the community. They are led by a local Rotarian(s) who volunteers to mentor the club and guide them if they need assistance, but the club decisions are made by the club members. The students learn leadership skills as well as community giving.

Sober Grad Night — The Rotary club helps with the annual Sober Grad Night presented by the Police Activities League to high school seniors the night they graduate. It is an all night event filled with fun and activities to keep the grads safe following graduation. Rotary donates money to help buy needed supplies, but equally important are the Rotarians who donate their time to attend the event and deal cards or serve food or clean up after the event.

Speech Contest — Each year the Los Banos Rotary Club takes part in the Rotary 5220 Speech Contest. Students are asked to compete in a speech contest of which the attend one of our meetings and perform their speech and are judged by club members. Prizes are given to the top three winners each year. The top winner advances to the next level of competition.

Wee Wigglers — Every Thursday at 10 a.m. at the Los Banos Library anyone can come and listen to stories being read by local community leaders as part of the Los Banos Rotary Club sponsored Wee Wigglers Story Hour. Snacks are served as part of the event and are provided by the Rotary club. Rotary Club member Program Chair Colleen Menefee has been running this program for years and is always looking for volunteers to assist her.

Library Beautification Project — The Rotary club has taken the Los Banos Library under its wing and has helped lead a movement in the community to clean up and beautify the local library in Los Banos. The library is part of the Merced County library system, but with limited county funding, the Rotary club is working with the Friends of the Los Banos Library group to make the library a place where everyone can learn and have fun at the same time. Rotary club members has recently helped paint, weed the flower beds and power wash the outside of the building. Lowes has donated much of the supplies and has committed to planting flowers in the flower beds.

Youth Exchange — The Rotary club participates in the annual youth exchange program. For more information on this program please check out www.rotary.org.

Polio Plus — The main goal of Rotary International worldwide is to eradicate polio from the earth and with the help of all Rotarians and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation it will become a reality as we only have a couple countries still battling polio. For more information on Polio Plus please check out www.rotary.org.
Every 15 Minutes — Every other year Los Banos High School presents Every 15 Minutes (check it out at www.every15minutes.com) which is a program developed by Mothers Against Drunk Drivers and the California Highway Patrol to help spread the word to juniors and seniors in high school that drinking and driving do not mix. Local emergency agencies, CHP, Los Banos Police and Fire Departments, local ambulance companies, Medi-Flight, and many others come together to simulate a car crash where pre-selected high school students are used as actors to portray crash victims complete with blood and broken bones to make it as real as possible for the entire junior and senior class who are brought out to watch the crash scene and how the victims are drunk driver are handled.

Rotary's role in this event is to make and serve lunch to everyone involved in making this event possible. Following the event everyone involved is invited to the fire station for a barbecued chicken lunch.




	Los Banos Rotary's Events, Activities, and Projects The local Los Banos Rotary Club is involved in a large number of projects, events, and activities throughout the year. Here is a general sampling of some of those activities. Note: For a list of upcoming activities and associated dates, times, and locations please see the Los Banos Rotary Club Calendar Page. For stories, information and photos of recent Los Banos Rotary Activities or information about recent speakers at Rotary select the link. In addition, please see our Club History section for more detailed information on some of what the Los Banos Rotary Club has done in the past. None of the activities listed below could be possible without the generous giving of our local Rotarians. Many people are under the impression that Rotary is only for the wealthy business person. That is not true. Rotary is for those who want to give. Giving of one's time and energy outweighs any monetary amount and it is giving of ones time that make the events below successful. Crab Feed — Usually in March, this is the largest of all fundraiser for our club. We raise about $12,000 in profit that is used for local projects, but primarily this money funds our scholarship giving each year to Los Banos High School and San Luis High School. It is an all-you-can-eat dinner which includes, cold cracked crab, salad, bread, pasta and wine. The event also features an open bar prior to the dinner, lots of donated raffle prizes and door prizes. It is held in the Exhibit Hall of the Los Banos Fairgrounds. Two Pancake Breakfasts — As part of the Los Banos Chamber of Commerce Downtown Street Fair the Rotary club serves a pancake breakfast. The two street fairs take place in April and September and feature, pancakes, ham, eggs, coffee, juice and milk all for $8. There are take-outs available as well. Again, the proceeds from these breakfasts benefit local community projects. In the past we have used the profits to assist Boy Scout Troop 85 with their needs for equipment. Empty Bowls Project - The Empty Bowls Project is aimed at alleviating hunger in our community. Rotarians and community volunteers create beautiful bowls. Each Winter a fund raising soup dinner is held and all the proceeds benefit local hunger relief organizations. Los Banos High School Football Team Dinner — Every year in October the Los Banos Rotarians cook dinner for the Los Banos High School football team and coaches (about 75 people). The team asks various clubs and organizations to help feed the team before each home game. Our club feeds them before a home game in October. We usually serve them a barbecued meal. Rotary North-South All Star Football Game – Each year our club supports the game by purchasing game tickets which we give to the high school coach for his players and families to attend. We also purchase a full-page ad in the program. All the proceeds are used to fund high school scholarships. Bob Green who leads this event is always looking for Rotarian volunteers to help. Interact — The high school equivalent to Rotary is called Interact. Many high school campuses have Interact Clubs and those student member perform much like the adult Rotary counterparts in that they have fundraisers to assist the needs of the community. They are led by a local Rotarian(s) who volunteers to mentor the club and guide them if they need assistance, but the club decisions are made by the club members. The students learn leadership skills as well as community giving. Sober Grad Night — The Rotary club helps with the annual Sober Grad Night presented by the Police Activities League to high school seniors the night they graduate. It is an all night event filled with fun and activities to keep the grads safe following graduation. Rotary donates money to help buy needed supplies, but equally important are the Rotarians who donate their time to attend the event and deal cards or serve food or clean up after the event. Speech Contest — Each year the Los Banos Rotary Club takes part in the Rotary 5220 Speech Contest. Students are asked to compete in a speech contest of which the attend one of our meetings and perform their speech and are judged by club members. Prizes are given to the top three winners each year. The top winner advances to the next level of competition. Wee Wigglers — Every Thursday at 10 a.m. at the Los Banos Library anyone can come and listen to stories being read by local community leaders as part of the Los Banos Rotary Club sponsored Wee Wigglers Story Hour. Snacks are served as part of the event and are provided by the Rotary club. Rotary Club member Program Chair Colleen Menefee has been running this program for years and is always looking for volunteers to assist her. Library Beautification Project — The Rotary club has taken the Los Banos Library under its wing and has helped lead a movement in the community to clean up and beautify the local library in Los Banos. The library is part of the Merced County library system, but with limited county funding, the Rotary club is working with the Friends of the Los Banos Library group to make the library a place where everyone can learn and have fun at the same time. Rotary club members has recently helped paint, weed the flower beds and power wash the outside of the building. Lowes has donated much of the supplies and has committed to planting flowers in the flower beds. Youth Exchange — The Rotary club participates in the annual youth exchange program. For more information on this program please check out www.rotary.org. Polio Plus — The main goal of Rotary International worldwide is to eradicate polio from the earth and with the help of all Rotarians and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation it will become a reality as we only have a couple countries still battling polio. For more information on Polio Plus please check out www.rotary.org. Every 15 Minutes — Every other year Los Banos High School presents Every 15 Minutes (check it out at www.every15minutes.com) which is a program developed by Mothers Against Drunk Drivers and the California Highway Patrol to help spread the word to juniors and seniors in high school that drinking and driving do not mix. Local emergency agencies, CHP, Los Banos Police and Fire Departments, local ambulance companies, Medi-Flight, and many others come together to simulate a car crash where pre-selected high school students are used as actors to portray crash victims complete with blood and broken bones to make it as real as possible for the entire junior and senior class who are brought out to watch the crash scene and how the victims are drunk driver are handled. Rotary's role in this event is to make and serve lunch to everyone involved in making this event possible. Following the event everyone involved is invited to the fire station for a barbecued chicken lunch. © Copyright 2009 - 2012 by Rotary Club 585 & Memorable Places Web Design of Los Banos