Long Beach Rotary is an active club with many opportunities for community service. Their Projects have served the Long Beach community for 89 years.
ROTARY CENTENNIAL PARK - Rotary raised $130,000 to help Long Beach Parks, Recreation and Marine build a new 1.2 acre park at Pacific Coast Highway and Junipero. The Long Beach City Council approved naming the new park "Rotary Centennial Park," which commemorates the 100th anniversary of Rotary International. Long Beach Rotary's contributions provided the play equipment and enhanced soft and hardscape elements of the park. A Planet Walk was designed and executed by Robin and Philip Smith and a Sun Dial sculpture was created by Patrick Vogel. Construction was completed in February, the Club dedication was held in March and the City dedication took place on June 25, 2005.
CAMP ENTERPRISE - Fifty local high school juniors participate in a three-day interactive camp experience learning about our free enterprise system. Rotarians share their business experiences with the students Wednesday morning then the students join Rotarians for lunch and a special lunch speaker. Camp Enterprise students and Rotarians bus to Camp Oakes in the Big Bear mountains where they form business teams, participate in team building activities, develop and present a business plan and produce a product commercial, all with the goal of developing the entrepreneurial talents of the student participants.
CENTENNIAL SPORTS TROPHY - The Rotary Centennial Sports Trophy is presented annually to the Long Beach high school with the most sports points accumulated during the school year, honoring one male student, one female student and their athletic director.
EDUCATOR OF THE MONTH - Once each month an educator (teacher, parent volunteer, administrator or anyone who has enhanced the educational environment) from the Long Beach area schools is honored at a Rotary meeting for their unique contribution to the education of our students.
LONG BEACH ROTARY CHARITABLE FOUNDATION - Generous support is given each year to community groups including the Boys and Girls Clubs, Boy Scouts, YMCA, Day Nursery, Long Beach Unified School District and the Carpenter Center Youth Outreach.
LONG BEACH ROTARY SCHOLARSHIP FOUNDATION - Each year Rotary assists in funding more than 200 scholarships for students at Long Beach City College and California State University, Long Beach.
OPERATION SANTA CLAUS - Rotarians volunteer to help an underprivileged family enjoy a happy holiday season. Families in need of financial assistance are identified by the LBUSD and the family's needs and wishes are provided. Rotarians then shop for and deliver the presents to the families. More than 60 families were adopted this year.
PUBLIC SERVICE AWARDS- Police officers and firefighters are honored annually for their outstanding service to the Long Beach community.
READING BY NINE - This FIVE YEAR program has provided more than 62,000 new library books to 62 local school libraries - 1,000 books each and has now started all over again giving all 62 schools another 1,000 books. Rotarian donated funds were matched by the LA Times Reading by Nine program and Scholastic, Inc., leveraging the dollars which purchased books hand selected by the school librarians.
ROTARY READERS - 100+ readers volunteer at least one hour per week to read to K-3 students throughout the Long Beach Unified School District. Computers (over 170) have been donated to Lee Elementary School (training center for Rotary Readers).
*Click Here To Learn How To Launch A Rotary Readers Program!*
ROTARY SPEECH COMPETITION - Long Beach Rotary sponsors a yearly Rotary Speech Contest for high school students. Cash prizes are awarded, topics reinforce Rotary themes and ideals and winners have an opportunity to participant in District competitions.
*Click Here To Learn How To Launch A Rotary Readers Program!*
SERVICE ABOVE SELF AWARDS - Between 35-40 high school seniors from 8 different Long Beach area high schools are honored every year for their service to others by inviting them to a Rotary meeting and presenting them with an elegant plaque for their Service Above Self.