La Mesa Flag Day ParadeOn July 14 our La Mesa Rotary Club, and other La Mesa Service organizations were the Grand Marshall Club President for 2025-2026s of the La Mesa Flag Day Parade. We were honored as this is our 100th year anniversary. Bonnie Welch is our Club President for 2025-2026. We had many Club members walking and some in special cars. The Grossmont High School Interact students walked and carried our large La Mesa Rotary banners.
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Century of ServiceFor current information, please click on CENTURY OF SERVICE at the top of this page.
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Grossmont H.S. Awards evening |
Memorial Day Flags |
Century Of ServiceFor current information please click on the header above CENTURY OF SERVICE
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Julian Oaks Camp Grounds |
Supporting the La Mesa Sunrise Fundraiser |
National Association Mental IllnessLa Mesa Rotarians and GHS Interact students joined with about 2,500 other supporters to walk at Liberty Station to support of NAMI. Our Rotary District 5340 raised nearly $5,500+.The NAMI organizers had arranged for about 50 other mental health organizations to have tables with current information to be shared with those seeking help, or for any individual who might help someone else in need. With all of these caring walkers, they raised over $190,000.
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Bill Kalt Scholarships at Patrick Henry H.S.The Bill Kalt scholarship has been awarded to PHHS students by the Mission Valley Rotary and the La Mesa Rotary since 1998. We have presented over 60 scholarships to students graduating from PHHS. This year three students were each awarded a $3,000. This scholarship grant may be used, in a wide variety of ways, to assist the students pursue further education in a vocational school, community College, or four year university. The students have two years to determine how they will use the money. These students were selected early during their freshman year. The Rotarians have met and mentored the students, in a group setting, twice a year. For more information call Bill Ashman 619-876-6784
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Rotary Club of La Mesa, California "Century of Service"Join the Rotary Club of La Mesa, California as we celebrate a century of service, community, and impact! On Saturday, October 18, 2025, we’ll mark this historic milestone with an unforgettable evening aboard the luxurious Hornblower Cruise Line. Against the stunning backdrop of San Diego Bay, we’ll honor our rich legacy and toast to the bright future ahead.  |
Project Mercy House Building |
Urban Street Angels Barbeque |
Rotary's Model U. N. |
Sub-Regional Four Way Speech Contest |
Thousand Smiles Foundation |
La Mesa Chamber Spring Fest |
La Mesa National Little League Opening Day |
Supporting The Home of Guiding Hands |
Mt. Soledad Veteran's Memorial Park |
Student Music contest |
Free Wheelchair Mission After Nikki Schbert spoke at our meeting, on January 15,2025, our Rotary Club donated $700 to this foundation. This organization is an international faith based non profit providing wheelchairs for people with disabilities in developing nations who do not have access or the resources to obtain one. The wheelchairs are developed, packaged and shipped at the cost of $96 each. The organization has 49 vetted distribution partners serving 33 countries. For more information see the January 29,2025 Tattler on the right side of this webpage. |
Grossmont Foothillers InteractThe Interact Club was very involved in the community this Fall. Several members walked in the Alzheimer's walk at Liberty Station in October. The students helped at several Fall Festivals at the local Elementary schools. On Fridays they helped to make lunch and snack bags at the Joneyney church. These bags were given to unhoused individuals in San Diego. The Interact students made Thank You bags for Veterans in Nov. They assisted with the Legacy church to serve a Thanksgiving dinner for the needy. In Dec, the students assisted at some elementary school Winter Festivals. Their latest project was assembling bicycals with the La Mesa Rotary to give to second graders at Avondale Elementary school for Christmas.
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Bikes for Christmas |
Grossmont College ScholarshipThe 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.
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Grossmont H.S. InteractMay 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.
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Mt. Miguel High School PEACE Pole |
Save the Date!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!
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East County Chamber MixerOn 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.
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Backpacks for studentsLa 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.
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Interact Beach CleanupThe 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.
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Interact students build a house in MexicoThe 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.
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Grossmont H. S. Interact visits Ronald McDonald House |
Pickleball for a PurposeSIGN UP TODAY TO PLAY IN OR SPONSOR THIS YEAR'S EXCITING FUNDRAISER ON MAY 5, 2024. DETAILS COMING SOON!
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Rolando Street FairOur 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.
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Lake Murray Little League Opening DayOn 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.   |
La Mesa National Little LeagueOn 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.
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Student Speech Contest and Bake saleOn 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
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New Member Mary NelsonMary 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.
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Grossmont High School Interact ValentinesThe 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
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Instrumental Music ContestLa 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. |
Bikes for KidsLa 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.
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Comedy Hypnosis Show April 1, 2022 |
Congratulations to Keith & Ellen DindingerCongratulations to Keith & Ellen Dindinger! On Wednesday June 9th Keith & Ellen were honored by District Governor Steven Weitzen with their Level 3 Major Donor Award!  |
La Mesa Rotary supports East County Food BankLa 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 95th AnniversaryLa 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
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La Mesa Rotary 5k and Family Fun Day
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
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Shelter-To-Soldier Program 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!
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La Mesa Rotary Sponsors High School 4-Way Test Speech Contest |
La Mesa Rotary Sponsors Bikes for Kids |
Comedy Hypnosis Show a Roaring Success! |
Bill Kalt Scholarship AwardsThe Bill Kalt Scholarship was started in the Mission Valley Rotary club and has carried over to La Mesa. Each fall the committee selects 2 incoming freshman at Patrick Henry High School to participate in the Bill Kalt Scholarship program. They must sign a commitment letter about their grades and behavior for the next 4 years. They must meet with the committee four times a school year. Upon graduation they are presented with a $2,000 scholarship. This year Bonnie was able to award these awards to 2 very deserving seniors: Chanti Butler & Tony Lam. Congratulations!
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