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Sunrise Rotary Project List

August 7, 2026 - Habitat for Humanity Work Day at Leisure Mobile Home Park

Last Friday, at Leisure Mobile Home Park, Sunrise Rotarians, along with Habitat for Humanity lended their hearts and backs to clean landscaping and yard clean up for residents there. Lead by the Golden Hammer, Leroy, members Rob Sanville, Peter and Mary Banks and Dave and Shauna Lorenzen weeded, trimmed, pruned and hauled off nearly 1,000 gallons of yard clippings

January 24, 2026 - Multi Club Redwood planting at the Jenner headlands

On Saturday 52 Rotarians from 20 clubs in District 5130, along with community volunteers, planted over 1,400 redwood tree starts half way up the mountain at Jenner Headlands. The weather was cool, excitement and enthusiasm high, the slopes gradual in the morning but somehow seemed to get steeper as the day progressed.

Working in teams of two or three, patches of ground were cleared, small holes dug, redwoods tamped down into rich soil, duff returned around the plants to help retain moisture and flags inserted. The project was hosted by Forest Unlimited (which spoke at our club a few years ago), which regularly conducts planting days and which has now planted over 11,000 redwood starts at Jenner Headlands. They check flagged plants for three years and estimate that the success rate over that period is about 50%. - Link to Story with Photos

January, 2026 - Verity Backyard Project

As overgrown grass and the leaves off the now barren trees are removed a clearer path around the backyard emerges. Executive Director Rebecca Fein remarked how she is looking forward to using the now more hospitable area for classes in a more ordered, serene setting.

Removing the debris and transferring it for recycling punctuated this workday. Jorge Pappas and Max Childs took a load to grab and grow for a conversion to mulch. Bill from Sebastopol went to another site to dispose of fencing and pipe remnants.

FYI, Verity.org - Link to Story with Photos

November 14th Annual Veterans Luncheon Celebration - Santa Rosa Veterans Memorial Building

Organized and sponsored by Santa Rosa Kiwanis and Rotary Club member and their business this year the event resumes at the Santa Rosa Veterans Memorial Building. Colonel Misty, Zelk Air National Guard Physician and combat veteran of Iraq and currently Medical Director at Spring Lake Village is our keynote speaker. - Link to Story with Photos

October 4th at Ridgeway High School - Peter Planned Another Work Party!

The garden and the grounds around Ridgeway High School are truly inspirational for the students who go there. Look for more opportunities to volunteer coming soon! - Link to Story with Photos

Multi-Club Tree Planting a Super Success!

On Saturday five Sunrisers- Harry Coffey, Jim Moir, Olin Leasher, Paul O’Rear and led by Madame President Jennifer Adams- and 10 East-West Rotarians planted over 100 oak, madrone and maple trees and several hundred acorns on the “Perry Parcel”. Undeterred by occasional drizzle, wind and cool temperatures, the Rotarians were directed on where and how to plant the young trees by five Regional Park personnel, who will water the young trees until they can survive on their own. The group got an excellent full body workout hiking a steep last mile from where cars were left to the top of a ridge at 2,350 feet of altitude. The Perry Parcel sits atop a ridge accessed off of St. Helena Rd. which offered tremendous views of the Valley of the Moon to the west, Napa Valley to the east and the San Francisco skyline and Bay Bridge far to the south. When annexed next year, the Perry Parcel will connect Hood Mountain and Sugarloaf Regional Parks. Being at such elevation went to Olin’s head and he could not resist pulling a golf ball and driver out of his car and lettin’ fly in the thin oxygen environment. Last seen, the ball was headed for Vacaville. - Link to Story with Photos

Decimating Arundo Donax from the Banks of the Russian River

Last Saturday volunteers from the Windsor, Healdsburg Noon and Santa Rosa Sunrise Rotary clubs, as well as strapping youth from the Healdsburg High School Interact club, enjoyed a wonderful three hours decimating as much Arundo Donax along the banks of the Russian River as possible. Close to one-half acre was reclaimed from the bamboo-like grassy plants and at one point a stone bench on the banks of the river was “rediscovered” and liberated! - Link to Story with Photos

North Bay Science Discovery Day - LINK

The North Bay Science Discovery Day was a huge success. The parking lot was full and the fairgrounds were crowded with families enjoying a creative day of hands-on discovery. Interact students and Rotarians were overwhelmed with thank You's and appreciation as we asked folks to fill out exit surveys. Yes, many were very tired, but they took the time to fill out a feedback form. We handed the kids a thank you magnifying glass and received a last smile. We were left with hope for the future scientists who will help change and improve our world!!! - Link to Story with Photos

Gravenstein Apple Fair - LINK

For the past four years Rotarians have manned the craft beer and apple cider tents at one of SoCo’s premier community festivals.

Sunrise Rotarians had a Type-A day pouring craft apple cider at the Gravenstein Apple Festival. From the opening bell at 10:00 am each day until last call late in the afternoon it was nonstop pouring samples, talking cider, helping fair attendees select from 17 ciders on offer and generally having a great time. Enough Sunrisers volunteered this year that rumor has it that Fair management is considering going straight to Rotary for help at future festivals. Manning the craft cider tent was Penny Millar, Mark and Julie Campbell, Matthew Crooks, Peter, Treleaven and daughter Amanda, Stacey Drucker-Andress, Cindy Gillespie, Jeri Leasher and Dan Rosachi. Having just as much fun and non-stop business but pouring craft beer on Saturday were Paul O’Rear and Matthew Crooks. A fun, sudsy time was had by all!

Santa Rosa-Kagoshima Student Exchange Program - LINK

Sunrise Rotary founded this sister-city student exchange program in 1987.Alternating each summer, high school/college students spend 2-3 weeks/year in each other’s countries, cities and homes, learning about customs, culture and language. Over the years 315+ students have travelled through SRKSEP. Sunrise Rotary also supports SRKSEP with substantial funding.

The purpose of SRKSEP is to send exchange students to Japan and to host exchange students from Japan in order to improve the cultural understanding of our young people and to broaden their horizons. The Programs sends students to Japan one year and the following year receives students from Japan. For the eighteenth time, in the summer of 2024, Santa Rosa will receive 9 students and 1 chaperone from Japan. LINK to 2024 Photo Album

Emergency Prep Help for Seniors (4 seminars) - LINK

Rotarians provide event-hosting assistance for EPH’s seminars which teach seniors the importance of preparation for natural disasters and assist them in assembling emergency kits.

Seniors are a huge part of Sonoma County’s population. Senior comprise over 20% of the overall Sonoma County population. Other North Bay counties, including Marin, Mendocino, and Lake, have even higher percentages of seniors. Seniors are among the most vulnerable populations in national disasters and emergencies. For example, in Hurricane Katrina in 2005, half of those killed were over 75. In the Camp Fire (Paradise), 25 people died and all but 12 were over age 60. The special challenges for seniors include minimal resources for emergencies, limited access to information, compromised health or mobility, and lack of support services.EPH gives 2-part workshops tailored for older adults. The topics include making a plan, putting together go-bags, accessing warnings and alerts, pet safety, and power outages. The workshops deal with the particular problems created by earthquakes, fires, flooding, heatwaves, and cold snaps. In the first workshop they give out go-bags and first aid kits. They also have guest speakers, including fire and police department first responders. They also give out a form to aid in emergency preparation, including addressing questions like where you will go, how will you get there, and who needs to know about the plan. They also have a go-bag checklist. They give out a go-bag with supplies and have the seniors come back in 2 weeks for the 2^nd part of the workshop, bringing their personalized go-bags. They give incentive gifts for seniors who come back with their go-bags personalized! They also give a list of items to keep in the seniors’ homes for emergencies.

Thanksgiving meal project at The Living Room - LINK

TLR provides shelter for abused women with children. At Thanksgiving they expand their outreach to food insecure individuals so all can have a traditional meal with friends and family. Rotarians helped prepare and package over 500 Thanksgiving dinners-to-go over three days. Sunrise Rotary also supports The Living Room with annual grant funds.

17 Sunrise Rotarians, partners, spouses, even a former Sunriser, volunteered over 90 hours over five days at The Living Room helping to fix hundreds of Thanksgiving dinners for TLR residents and community people in need. Rotarians sliced, diced, carved, stirred, chopped, scooped and boxed meals alongside dedicated TLR kitchen staff and regular volunteers. The team also assembled bags of groceries for pickup by drop-in clients. A festive holiday spirit was in the air and as far as was reported, all fingertips are accounted for. Joining in the fun were Steve and Kathleen Amend, Peter and Mary Banks, Mark and Julie Campbell, Marty Behr, Max Bridges, Harry Coffey, Stacy Drucker-Andress, Tom Eakin, Don Floriani, Cindy Gillespie and Bill Bailey, Steve Herron, Bonny Landers and David O’Rear, Penny Millar and Paul O’Rear, Brian Rondon and Jennifer Adams. A special thank you to Steve Herron for coordinating to project with The Living Room! - Link to Story with Photos

Santa Rosa Rural Cemetery clean up - LINK

Rotarians teamed up with the Elsie Allen High School Interact Club (a Rotary sponsored organization for high schools) to spruce up this Santa Rosa historic site. Lori Rodrigues and Shauna Lorenzen prep, scrub the nearly two century standing stone masonry bounding the south entrance of Santa Rosa Rural Cemetery. Elsie Allen senior Jennifer, Interact Secretary were the first of the cleanup crew met on the entrance trail. Elsie Allen High School Interactor's Icelia and Hawaii Interact Vice President pause in their cleaning of the Fujihara and neighboring grave. Over 5,500 pioneers are interred here. An extensive directory is available, documenting many family histories, including, Carrillo, Doyle and Farmer. Supervising more Interactors is Merle Hayes. Pedro, Interact Treasurer and President Maria work around a resilient oak asserting its arc in history. Not all our time was perspiring: We had a lesson from Carol, a Rural Cemetery ring the site for 30 years. She holds the available book with the histories of interred. The book is sold at Finley Center and Steele Lane volunteer who has been actively resto Library. "Many hands make light work" as the saying goes. The work crew of Elsie Allen Interact, their faculty Advisor, Government and AVID Teacher, Richard Malloy, Sunrise Advisor Willie Billeter and energetic daughter Amelia filled out the two dozen helping hands. Matthew Crooks our Public Image Director is spreading the news on social media. There is more to be done, and we can do! Together Everyone Achieves More!! - Link to Story with Photos

Greenhouse construction for the UC Master Gardener Program - LINK

The Master Gardeners needed a renovation of an existing large plastic-covered seed shed to grow plant starts. Who ya gonna call? Steve Amend, Max Childs, Harry Coffey, Matt Crooks, Dave Lorenzen, Ken Petro, Dan Rosachi, Rob Sanville and Peter Treleaven perspired, persisted in installing the final phase of rehab to the succulent greenhouse. Leroy Carlenzoli's Golden Hammer Crew wrapped up a multi-month greenhouse renovation for Sonoma County Master Gardeners. Way to get out there, Dan! Golden Hammer and job boss Leroy starts the curly wire securing phase. Dave secures the plastic wrap while Max studies the technique. Foreground back to camera, Ken Petro and Peter Treleaven spot Max on the ladder. No - not Caltrans. This front view gives an idea of the structure's design. Sunrise task was to rehab the framing, install the mesh then wrap to roof and sides with plastic to create a greenhouse environment for Master Gardeners cash crop of succulents. The adage "the job's not done 'til the cleanup's through" applies here. The old, torn sheeting is rolled up. Master Gardener members may have plans to repurpose some of the useable material. - Link to Story with Photos

Multiple ongoing Leroy’s Golden Hammer projects (Women’s Recovery etc)

A retired civil engineer in Sunrise Rotary works 30-40 hours/wk building, repairing and maintaining the physical facilities and grounds of several local non-profits. Depending on the job 3-6 other Rotarians usually help out. Sunrise Rotary also supports these projects and the non-profits served with annual grant funds. Warren Smith, Sunrise Charter President continues to blaze a trail. At Women's Recovery Services Sunrise House, Warren's skill at selectively sorting weed from what matters is clearly visible. He is effective clearing by hand or weed-whacker, which he used to reduce unwanted growth in another area. Rich Randolph took a break to document the progress. This is a before shot of Warren's territory. Inside, Leroy,Golden Hammer Carlenzoli and Don "Flo" Floriani replaced the antique microwave and a thermostat.

Don (L) and Leroy (R) had interior assignments. Leroy's property management expertise keeps his skills sharp and schedule full as he recruits and supervises Sunrise volunteers at four non-for-profit properties. If you would like to add some sweat equity, call Leroy for an interview! - Link to Story with Photos

Mike Kelly Warm Coat Drive

Each winter the club collects dozens and dozens of coats, along with other winter-wear, and distributes to the homeless in our community.

This is your response to the coats and warm clothing drive so far. The bags are stuffed!!! I can't begin to show you everything. With the cash I have received, I am buying hats, gloves, underwear and more....distribution starts this Saturday... I will continue this through the cold winter months. It is never too late to help out.

Dubbed The Annual Warm Coat Drive by local Real Estate celebrity and late Sunrise Past President Mike Kelly, his compassionate legacy continues. This year again organized by Stacy, the warming call went out weeks ago to gather in-kind or cash donations to protect climate at risk Sonoma County residents. - Link to Story with Photos

Ridgeway Garden projects (assembling and filling metal planters and building walkway) - LINK

Sunrise Rotary supports a local landscape architect who builds, maintains and improves the landscaping and garden areas of a local continuing education high school. Sunrise Rotarians helped landscape architect Curtis Short and a dozen Ridgway High School students and teachers build and install four new metal garden beds in the Ridgway High garden. The crew assembled side and end pieces of corrugated sheet metal, held together with 480 tiny nuts and bolts, using power and hand tools. Representing Sunrise Rotary were Peter Hoberg, Leroy Carlenzoli, Ken Petro, Willie Billeter and Paul O’Rear. Next Friday’s project………..fill them with soil! - Link to Story with Photos

Laguna de Santa Rosa Native Plant work morning - LINK

Sunrisers join other community members to provide ongoing maintenance of native plant communities, usually through removing invasive species. Dedicated “Lagunistas” cleared a 50-yard swath of wild blackberry bushes and planted native sedge grass along Irwin Creek at the Laguna de Santa Rosa. Representing Sunrise Rotary were President Jennifer Adams, Ken Petro, Rob Sanville, Penny Millar and Paul O’Rear. The morning started with a short talk by Laguna Foundation Executive Director Anne Morkill, Volunteer Director Maggie Hart and Director of Restoration & Conservation Wendy Trowbridge. The volunteer group them trudged half a mile across boggy wetlands to Irwin Creek where they split into the “destruction” team chopping and pulling up blackberry bushes and the “construction” team planting sedge grasses. The morning began foggy as can be but by noon layers were being shed. All were ready to call it a day after three hours of restorative work. - Link to Story with Photos

Bike build

For the last several years, Rotarians have lent their mechanical expertise to assembling hundreds of new, donated bikes to the Secret Santa programs in time for distribution at Christmas. Saturday morning Sunrise Rotary and the Elsie Allen Interact Club assisted Santa Claus by assembling 50 or so donated, new bicycles for Santa Rosa kids through the Secret Santa program. Some of us went right to work, some of us learned how to adjust brakes and derailers, and some of us just learned which end of a wrench goes into the bicycle. Representing Rotary were Leroy Carlenzoli, Olin Leasher, Ken Petro, Merle Hayes, Paul O’Rear and Willie Billeter, Rotary Interact Advisor.The new Interact Student Advisor, Rich Malloy, was a great help and was accompanied by nine Elsie Allen students. The group enjoyed Mountain Mike’s pizza after a morning of bicycle construction. - Link to Story with Photos

FISH canned/dry goods collection - LINK

Quarterly, Sunrise Rotary collects and donates canned and dry goods to support F.I.S.H., a small foodbank operating in the Roseland area of Santa Rosa. Sunrise Rotary also supports the foodbank with annual grant funds. We give wholesome groceries to anyone needing a helping hand — struggling families, seniors, disabled, homeless, unemployed, and working people. Everyone is eligible to receive food and no one is turned away empty-handed.
We are 100% dependent on donations. Link to Story with Photos

Gran Fondo - Link to Photo Album

Sunrise Rotarians look forward to the buzz of “working the race” each year, checking in riders at the start line, distributing food at relief stations and taking down gates and chutes after the event. Ten truly early rising Sunrisers saw the sun rise Saturday at Levi's Gran Fondo cycling classic in Windsor. Coordinated by Sunrise biking legend himself Peter Hoberg, our cohort of volunteers checked and labeled riders extra gear. Betsy Randolph and Kristine Burns legibly numbered hundreds of satchels while runners Matt Crook, Rich Randolph, Roy Johnston, Olin Leasher, Paul O Rear kept the lines moving. Penny Millar and Peter Hoberg did what they wanted, supervising. Our man with the camera Warren Smith captured images. Everyone shivered a bit in he high 40's to mid 50F. No complaints ~ the cyclists enthusiasm facing 25-120 miles of pedaling tempered any temptation to whine. The bags piled up quickly. This crew was happy to leave check out to another cohort! It was dark when the crew checked in. The neon yellow shirts helped conserve precious body heat!

Hope to see more volunteers next year! - Link to Story with Photos

Senior Center Oktoberfest - LINK

Dozens of seniors enjoy traditional German meals, oom-pah-pah bands and dancers at the Finley Center. Rotarians help out with cooking and serving meals to attendees. The setting for this year’s Octoberfest was perfect on this beautiful, sunny day of September, held in the outdoor central courtyard of the Santa Rosa Senior Center located at College & Stoney Point Roads.

The staff of the Senior Center was well-organized, arranging and covering all of the outdoor serving and dining tables before our Rotary team arrived at 10am. Most if the 100+ total of seniors showed up promptly for lunch just before noon. Shauna organized non-alcoholic beer this year which was popular on this beautiful, sunny Friday. She lead the team including Stacey, Eloise & Rich serving beverages. Ken P., Tom, MJ, Brian, Eloise, Marty and Steve's H and Z worked well as a grill team, and served the seasonal sausages for this annual event, which were appreciated by all. Stacy’s guest Kevin oversaw the long line of condiments and salads. For dessert, the staff provided ice cream sandwiches—always a big hit with the senior crowd. The senior participants were very appreciative showering the team with numerous thank you’s on their way out of the courtyard. - Link to Story with Photos