Louisa Roberts, Alysa Sakkas, and a strange alien announced next week’s speaker: Seth Shostak of the SETI Institute on “Science Searches for the Aliens.” Note the change: next week is a 9:00 AM coffee morning on October 28 at Community Hall, with homemade treats and no lunch. Bring flowers, herbs, or foliage to share. Other changes: November 4 at noon at Quinlan (Diwali); Tuesday, November 10, at noon (Veterans Day); and November 18, the Avenues of Service and Affinity Groups Project Fair.Louisa Roberts, Alysa Sakkas, and a strange alien announced next week’s speaker: Seth Shostak of the SETI Institute on “Science Searches for the Aliens.” Note the change: next week is a 9:00 AM coffee morning on October 28 at Community Hall, with homemade treats and no lunch. Bring flowers, herbs, or foliage to share. Other changes: November 4 at noon at Quinlan (Diwali); Tuesday, November 10, at noon (Veterans Day); and November 18, the Avenues of Service and Affinity Groups Project Fair.
Veterans Day is coming up and Dolly Sandoval and Mauri Okamoto-Kearney have these reminders of our Special Program!Tuesday, November 10, not Wednesday, November 11 is our meeting day at Quinlan. Mauri will send a link to update our Veteran service members slideshow for the program. Submit by 10/30 5PM.
Sponsor a Veteran to Lunch! Click here to sponsor a Veteran to our lunch meeting. If you are bringing your own Veteran to lunch, sign up "the usual way".
We will tour the visiting Vietnam Veterans Wall after our November 10 meeting. Volunteering to Protect the Wall - We need volunteers to sit in their car and report any concerns to the Sheriff.
Please contact Trudie Wallick, 408-661-7239 to volunteer with the following info: 1) When you would like to volunteer - date(s) and time - example 11/10 2PM - 6PM 2) Your name, email and mobile number
Jagi Shahani then kicked off the 2026 Rotary Foundation (TRF) Campaign, which runs October 21 through November 18. (November is Rotary Foundation Month.) TRF, Rotary’s charitable arm, funds our humanitarian work and the fight against polio.
Wyatt Adams of the Rotary Club of Palo Alto knows polio firsthand. He caught it at age 9 and spent time in an Alabama hospital ward before going home with no lasting effects, then went on to West Point and the Air Force. Polio is highly contagious and often has no symptoms, so it spreads easily with travel. The U.S. had 50,000 cases in the 1950s, and the wild virus was eradicated here, but vaccine-derived virus has turned up in Brooklyn sewer water around 2022. Cases in Afghanistan rose sharply in 2025 and 2026. Consider donating today, and join Polio Plus at $100 a year until polio is gone. Our club (through CREF) gives $5,000 to Polio Plus each year.
The ask: Every member gives at whatever level they can. The suggested level is Double Sustainer ($200); Sustainer is $100, Super Sustainer $500, and Paul Harris $1,000. The minimum is $25.
The goal: $60,000, with a stretch goal of $70,000. Last year we blew past $60,000 with $90,000. So far, 53 donors (25% of our 210 members) have given $31,000.
The leverage: Our Annual Share goes entirely to international projects. TRF invests it for three years, then returns it as District Designated Funds plus an 80-cents-per-dollar Foundation match, which Jagi calls “SuperDuper Dollars.” Our $104,807 is now supporting projects worth $2,239,136, and our total giving since inception is $3,059,938. We are the Catalyst!
Case in point: Clean Water for the Western Highlands of Guatemala, in the Central American Dry Corridor, where residents must collect surface water. Sixty-three Rotary clubs from 12 districts raised $430,654, World Vision matched it with $400,000, and local communities contributed money and labor.
How to give: Use the mailer, give online at tinyurl.com/trf2627donation, or give Frances a check made out to The Rotary Foundation (not CREF). For donor-advised funds or 401(k)s, ask Jagi or Stuart for the wording. Team captains will be calling you.
Alysa Sakkas asked, “What if Rotary could help eliminate polio from the face of the earth?” Since Rotary launched its effort in 1985, wild polio has fallen from 350,000 cases a year to 52 in 2025 and 42 so far in 2026, all in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Vaccine-derived cases persist (245 in 2025, 189 so far in 2026). Rotary has given more than $2.9 billion, second only to the Gates Foundation, protecting more than 3 billion children in 122 countries. Just $3 vaccinates a child, $25 or more to Polio Plus earns Paul Harris points, and the Polio Plus Society asks $100 a year until polio is goneJagi Shahani joined the President’s Club to celebrate winning the Silver and People’s Vote awards in a Photographer of the Year contest with six of his photos.
Helene Davis and Jim Walker took us through the 22-year history of Cupertino Rotary’s Oktoberfest. Conceived during Merv Roberts’ presidency (1981–82) and launched in 1982 under Jim Walker, it grew into a two-day German cultural fair for the whole family, complete with Irv Webster’s copyrighted “little man” logo (a woman and child joined him in 1989). The room honored tradition by doing the Chicken Dance!
Reena Rao invited everyone to our Diwali Festival of Lights celebration at the November 4 noon meeting at Quinlan, with a special $25 Indian lunch. Watch for the lunch sign-up.
Louisa Roberts and Jagi Shahani presented Paul Harris awards. Byron Rovegno became a Paul Harris Fellow +8 with three rubies, plus a District certificate. Paul Harris Society District Certificates (for giving $1,000 or more a year) went to Janet Riddell, George Tyson, Rose Ann Woolpert, Jagi Shahani, and Donna Austin.
Ram Mohan and Peter Troop wrapped up Silicon Valley Fall Fest 2026 with a fun video and great numbers: 3,000+ attendees; 51 community partners, 7 food trucks, 9 merchants, 10 sponsors, and 6 robotics teams; 25 team leads and 100+ volunteers; zero parking problems or incidents; and $15,000 raised for the club’s charitable giving budget. Send feedback to Ram (ram@singularventures.com) or Peter (ptroop@sbcglobal.net).
Alysa reported on a successful Walk to End Alzheimer’s – Silicon Valley (watch the video). Team Rotary District 5170 fielded 16 walkers from 4 clubs and raised $4,095 from 42 donors before the walk. Next up: the Breast Cancer walk this Saturday.
Mauri Okamoto-Kearney and Bob Pruitt recapped October’s Cocktail Affinity party and announced November’s: champagne cocktails and mocktails on Saturday, November 7, at George and Stephanie Tyson’s home. Reply to Bob’s email to sign up. The first 17 get in, and the waitlist gets priority next time. Bring an appetizer! A post-Christmas party at Dana Stern’s on December 28 may be next.
Louisa told the story of Dame Mary Berry of The Great British Bake Off, who caught polio at 13 and spent 12 to 13 weeks in isolation, seeing her parents only through glass. It left her with a curved spine and a weaker left arm, and it even shaped how she rolls pastry. She credits the ordeal with her resilience and is a strong supporter of vaccination.
George Denise put out the call for the 2026 Thanksgiving Meals Sharing Program. Volunteers meet at the Safeway parking lot to hand out pre-prepared meals to people signed up by local partner agencies. Sign-ups are open for five more weeks, so watch your email. Gobble gobble!
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Terry Sturtevant introduced the Humanities Scholars Work Experience Program, a new Workforce Development project with De Anza College that places humanities students in nonprofit internships. Members can help them build networking skills in a fun practice session. She also needs volunteers for mock interviews at the FUHSD Adult School on Thursday, November 12 (career navigation) and Monday, November 16 (office assistant). The sign-up link is in the ClubRunner email.
Padma Chari asks for volunteers to hand out blankets to the homeless at the Sunnyvale Library this Sunday.
President Louisa Roberts called the meeting to order, and Sunita Merchia got everyone dancing to the song of the day, “Where Is the Time to Hate.”
President-Elect George Tyson introduced visiting Rotarians and guests, including Bhavana Sharma of the Rotary Club of IT Corridor in Bangalore, who exchanged flags with our club. Her club has adopted 21 government schools and is gearing up for its Bangalore Midnight Marathon fundraiser on December 5.
The following information is for club members with articles to submit to the Rotator.
Deadline for Article Submission: To help the editors in the work they do, please plan to make your submissions by the end-of-the-day Thursday. Please email them to cupertinorotary@gmail.com. Later submissions might be deferred to the next week's Rotator, depending on how far along the editor is in processing the meeting and program staff reporting for the current week.
Our outstanding editors are assigned as follows: First Wednesday - Kalpana Aroda; Second Wednesday - Open (Stuart) Third Wednesday -Gary Latshaw ; Fourth Wednesday -Dana Drysdale; Fifth Wednesday - Peter Troop.
Our highly esteemed meeting reporters are assigned as follows: First Wednesday Sharon Sammon; Second Wednesday Debbie Timmers Third Wednesday -Lisa Chapman Fourth Wednesday - Dana Stern-; Fifth Wednesday Open
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