The Rotary Club of South Pasadena will be hosting its Annual Community Awards Dinner on Saturday, April 23, at 6 p.m. at Almansor Court in Alhambra.
This year's recipients of the "Service Above Self" award will be local businessman and philanthropist Joe Coulombe, best known as the founder of Trader Joe's grocery chain, and the Friends of South Pasadena Public Library.
Commenting on the selection, Scott Feldman, President of the South Pasadena Chamber of Commerce, said "Joe Coulombe started Trader Joe's in South Pasadena, where he owned and operated it's precursor - Pronto Market. Many South Pasadena Folk recall that adventurous new idea, and are proud to say" Trader Joe's started here!"
In December 2000 Los Angeles Magazine named Joe Coulombe as one of the 10 "almost famous"
people who reshaped the culture of Los Angeles during 1960 -2000. In 2002 Supermarket News named hime one of the 50 people who transformed the grocery industry in the 20th century.
Founded 60 years ago, the Friends of the South Pasadena Public Library are commited to serving the information, educational, and culturalneeds of the patrons of the Library and the community at large. Today, more than 700 "Friends" help to maintain the "Library's role as a cornerstone of community life."
Through the Technology Endowment Fund (TEF), established in 2007, and the longstanding Book Endowment Fund, Friends acquire materials for the Library. Members staff the Friends Bookstore and put on special events such as Restoration Concerts.
Rotary President Lind Hunt said " Both the Friends of the South Pasadena Public Library and Joe Coulombe are very deserving honorees. Service above self is the motto of Rotary International, and both honorees certainly fit that definition. I hope to see a large turnout at our dinner where the community will have the opportunity to thank them for their service."
Proceeds from the dinner will provide the majority of the funding for the Rotary Club's service projects in the 2001-2012 year. The community is invited and tickets can be ordered by going to the Rotary Club's website at www.southpasadenarotary.org and printing out the order form, or by contacting Paul Brassard at 626-437-9985.
Movie Night at South Pasadena Middle School
On Friday, May 14th at 6:30 p.m., students from South Pasadena Middle School Junior Interact Club will host a fundraiser to benefit the Pasadena Humane Society. The event takes place on the South Pasadena Middle School Field, and features a raffle, BBQ, bake sale, and a screening of the family-friendly movie Marley and Me. There will also be special appearances from SPPD's K9 unit and Pasadena Humane Society's Mobile Outreach Unit. The event starts at 6:30 p.m., with the movie beginning at 7:30. Tickets are $2 and include a free raffle ticket. Additional raffle tickets can be bought at the event for only $1 apiece. Bring the whole family for a great picnic on the field and support a worthy cause! For more information or to buy tickets, contact Junior Interact Club Advisor Mr. Ron Buranasakorn, rburanasakorn@fc.spusd.net. All donations are welcome and will benefit the Humane Society.
Annual Rabies Clinic
Bring your dogs to the South Pasadena Rotary Club's annual Rabies Clinic, Thursday, April 15th at the South Pasadena Fire Station (817 Mound Avenue), 6-8 p.m. Licensed veterinarian Dr. Malcolm Jones will be giving dogs shots to help keep them healthy. The following vaccines will be offered:
Rabies $12.00
Lyme $22.00
Five in One / Parvo $15.00
Bordetella $15.00
Dog licenses for the City of South Pasadena will also be available.
John Vandercook, Chinese-American Club honored by Rotary Community Awards
John Vandercook, 2010 Service Above Self
(Individual) Award Recipient
John Vandercook, longtime South Pasadena resident and owner of Reimagine Your Home, and the South Pasadena Chinese-American Club, are both being honored by the South Pasadena Rotary Club "Service Above Self" Award. Mr. Vandercook, active in the Tournament of Roses Committee, is receiving the individual award for outstanding service to the community, and the Chinese-American Club is receiving the organization award for its stellar community service of 20 years. They will be accepting the awards at the South Pasadena Rotary Community Awards Dinner on Saturday, May 22, 2010 at 6 p.m. at Almansor Court in Alhambra. To celebrate with them, print out the dinner reservation order form on the left side panel of this screen, or call Paul Brassard, event chair, at 626-437-9985.
Left to right, Rotarian Elisa Mann, South Pasadena Rotary Club
President Sara Munshin, Richelle Huizar, and her husband
Los Angeles CityCouncilmember Jose Huizar
South Pasadena Rotary Club Volunteers at Barrio Action Thanksgiving Dinner
On November 19, 2009, members of the South Pasadena Rotary Club helped to serve an early Thanksgiving dinner to 700-800 people in El Sereno at the Barrio Action Youth and Family Center. Barrio Action Youth and Family Center has spent over 30 years serving residents of all ages in El Sereno, with emphasis on high-risk and at-risk youth, young adults, and their families. Barrio Action provides programs in education, youth and family counseling plus case management, recreation/sports, and community engagement and empowerment. Parenting classes, domestic violence prevention, and after school programs are also among the programs offered.
The South Pasadena Rotary Club takes pride in having participated in the Thanksgiving Dinner. Barrio Action Youth and Family Center thanks Senator Gloria Romero, Assemblymember Kevin de Leon, Councilperson Jose Huizar, and the Station 47 Fire Department for sponsoring the dinner.
Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Training Coming to South Pasadena
The South Pasadena Public Safety Commission has arranged for the County of Los Angeles Fire Department to present free Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training to the public, for the three consecutive Saturdays of March 20th, 27th, and April 3rd, in 2010. The trainings will be held from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in the Community Room of the South Pasadena Public Library, at 1115 El Centro Street in South Pasadena. Those interested in helping their neighborhood and their community after a disaster should contact the South Pasadena Fire Department at (626) 403-7300 to enroll in the course. The Rotary Club Disaster Preparedness Committee is helping with the event.
Police, fire and medical professionals may not be fully able to meet all the demands placed upon them after a major disaster, so people might have to rely on each other to meet life-saving and life-sustaining needs. This is particularly true in isolated neighborhoods which face the risk of being cut off from the main roads. The County of Los Angeles Fire Department’s CERT program was developed to give basic training in safety and life-saving skills.
March 20, 2010, the training will cover disaster preparedness, disaster fire suppression, and disaster medical operations 1. March 27th, the course will cover disaster medical operations 2, light search and rescue, and disaster psychology. April 3rd, the training will cover CERT organization, terrorism, and a course review plus disaster simulation exercise.
Students have to complete all twenty hours of the course, all three Saturdays, for a certificate of completion, and all students must be at least eighteen years old to participate. Class size is limited, so enroll today by calling (626) 403-7300. All the training is free.
November 14, 2009 is World Diabetes Day
This Saturday, November 14, 2009, New York City ’s Empire State Building , as well as monuments around the globe, will light up in blue in honor of World Diabetes Day, a day declared by the United Nations at the request of Rotary International, the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF), and other organizations. In 2008 Rotary International established an Action Group for Diabetes (RAGD) under the leadership of C. Wayne Edwards ( Tallahassee . Florida ), Dr. Massimo Benedetti ( Perugia , Italy ), Dr. Martin Silink (Lane Cove, Australia ), and Dr. Larry C. Deeb ( Tallahassee , Florida ).
On Sunday, November 8, 2009 Arcadia Rotary members Tony Parille, Michael Ojeda, Eric Barter and Dirk L. Hudson were among an estimated 15,000 people who took part in the Los Angeles Dodger Stadium Walk for a Cure to benefit the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. They walked as part of “Team Miranda Sarah” named after Dirk’s four year old grand-daughter Miranda Sarah Speirs who was diagnosed at age three with the condition. Other Arcadia Rotarians who were not able to walk that day nevertheless made donations to the JDRF.
The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF), the world's largest charitable funder and advocate of type 1 diabetes research, is encouraging the public to learn about type 1 diabetes and its complications by observing World Diabetes Day. As observed by Syed Azmatullah, a Phoenix Rotarian:
“It is shocking to learn from Martin Silink, president of IDF [and Secretary of Rotary’s Action Group] that half of the 440,000 children with diabetes worldwide lack access to the insulin they need to live. It is necessary that every Rotary District observes World Diabetes Day to spread awareness of and help detect and treat the silent killer.”
Currently Rotary Action Group (RAGD) members have matching grants for children with diabetes in 3 countries, Bolivia , Nigeria , and Cameroon . Rotarians are active in projects in Nepal and Sri Lanka . Commitments are in place to provide insulin to 25,000 additional children and to raise the potential to 40 countries by 2012.(Lack of insulin is the leading cause of death for children with diabetes worldwide) Rotary Action Group members support at least 5 foot care projects in the Caribbean through the matching grant process.
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