Old Mission Rotary meets Tuesdays at noon in the community room at the Copley-Price Family YMCA, 4300 El Cajon Boulevard in San Diego. Parking is free.
The Old Mission Rotary Club So You Think You’ve Got Talent show is back!
For over 13 years our club has hosted an annual talent show called “Got Talent San Diego”. Our show is being performed at the Francis Parker Upper School Hall. This year’s event will be on Saturday, May 17, 2025, from 5:30pm to 9:30pm, with rehearsal that morning from 10 am to noon.
The prizes are $1,000, $500, and $250 in cash for the top performers. You can go to www.gottalentsandiego.com for the application (no cost).
This year for the past ten years the Event beneficiary is Thousand Smiles. The Thousand Smiles Foundation is a non-profit charitable foundation that provides free cleft lip and palate surgeries and dental care for underprivileged children in Latin America.
Currently, the Thousand Smiles Foundation Surgical/Dental Clinics are held in Ensenada, Mexico. We have supported Thousand Smiles Foundation because we believe its mission and performance is outstanding and has earned our annual support.
Since its beginning in 1985 by a group of San Diego area Rotarians, over 1,700 children have received life-enhancing craniofacial reconstructive surgeries, dramatically changing their lives. Human beings who were literally outcasts in their communities have been restored to normal, healthy and respected individuals.
In addition, over 16,000 children have received dental care, ear tubes, hearing and speech therapy at their wholly owned, state of the art clinic facility in Ensenada, Mexico. For more information we invite you to explore their web site at http://thousandsmiles.org.
Susan Josephson attended the 2025 President Elect Training Seminar (PETS)
Old Mission Rotary President-Elect Susan Josephson attended the 2025 President Elect Training Seminar (PETS) for the Southwest Rotary region at the LAX Marriott from Thursday, February 20th to Sunday, February 23rd.
PETS training is designed to help incoming presidents prepare for a successful year of service to their club. The training provides the knowledge and confidence to lead with innovation and inspiration. Incoming presidents from clubs in Districts 5000, 5240, 5280 and our District 5340 attended.
Susan reported that she came back from PETS excited and filled with new ideas for her Rotary year!
San Diego Youth Ballet accepted a $10,000 grant from the Art Pratt Foundation
Founded in 1945, San Diego Civic Youth Ballet (SDCYB) has been the resident classical ballet school in Balboa Park for almost 80 years - offering affordable, year-round, high-quality classes and productions for dancers ages 4 to adult in the beautiful Casa del Prado. The organization provides over 500 students with daily ballet classes, produces ballet productions for over 20,000 patrons each year, teaches over 500 students offsite through the Outreach Program, and continues to operate in good financial health with a dedicated staff of full-time and part-time employees, as well as over 200 volunteers.
On Tuesday, February 25th, Kim Thomas, the Executive Director of the San Diego Youth Ballet accepted a
$10,000 grant from the Art Pratt Foundation that will be used to replace their aging Nutcracker set backdrop.
This was a special grant award for the Old Mission Rotary family. We all know Matt Risi, who is a longtime member of our club, a two-time past president, and longtime club publicity chairman. Angela Risi, Matt’s daughter, was a phenomenal dancer and a graduate student at Duke University working on her MFA in Dance when she was shot and killed in 2023.
The Duke Chronicle remembered her as a “supernova type of artist” with “creative brilliance and a passion for community building.” She has also been described as “a kind soul with a passion for movement and music”. This week would have been Angela’s 32nd birthday.
Growing up, Angela participated in the San Diego Civic Youth Ballet and Matt has shared some great memories from that time.
The President of the Art Pratt foundation, Lee Kaminetz noted that in the Hebrew tradition, when someone dear to us passes away, we say “May her memory be a blessing.” This award to the San Diego Youth Ballet was given in Angela’s honor.
Photo: (L-R) Art Pratt Foundation members Susan Josephson, Bob Chalfa, Shari Stauder, Stan Vogelsang, Lee Kaminetz. Judi Copeland and Tom Sandler with Kim Thomas of the San Diego Youth Ballet and Matt Risi of Old Mission Rotary.
On Tuesday, February 25th, Alana Harrell of the San Diego County District Attorney's office presented on the innovative and very successful One Safe Place domestic violence program.
One Safe Place is a sanctuary for anyone who has experienced family violence, elder abuse, child abuse, hate crimes, human trafficking or other crimes. One Safe Place in North County, Downtown San Diego and soon to open South County, provide comprehensive free services in a safe and judgement free environment that empowers people to move forward with their lives. They have dozens of community partners on site, in collaboration with the District Attorney's Justice Center offices.
Since opening their doors in July 2022, One Safe Place:
-Has partnered with108 different and distinct community partners.
-Have served a total of 7000 guests.
-Provided 15,310 pounds of food and hot meals.
-Distributed 35,629 pieces of clothing
-Provided 3152 legal services.
-Provided 176 guests with no-cost hair cuts
-Connected 486 members to emergency and permanent shelter.
-Offered care for 91 family pets.
-Served 2965 children. Their mantra is "Every child leaves with a book."
I want to share with you a couple of community service project opportunities that Old Mission Rotary club members are encouraged to participate in:
One is a suicide prevention training class being offered by the District 5340 Mental Health Initiatives Rotary Action Group. Please find the sign-up information at the following link: Mental Health Initiatives
Finally, if you are interested in helping out recovery efforts for the Los Angeles wildfires please check the following: Fire Recovery
When you become a member of Old Mission Rotary you begin a journey that lasts a lifetime.
Your time, energy, and a passion to improve your world are all you need to “Get involved with Rotary”
Become one of Rotary’s people of action or explore the many opportunities we have for anyone — whatever your age or interest — who wants to improve lives in communities near and far.
Join Rotary’s 1.4 million neighbors, friends, leaders, and problem-solvers who see a world where people unite and take action to create lasting change – across the globe, in our communities, and in ourselves.
Old Mission Rotary brings together people across generations who share the ideals of service, leadership, diversity, friendship, and integrity and wish to create lasting change in the world, in their communities, and in themselves.
This history of the past 75 years of our Club is dedicated to all of our past presidents. Take a moment to click on the image and read our history.
Remember the Bwana of Old Mission, Mike Rogers is our longest tenured member. He joined our club in 1962. That is remarkable.
Read his section on our past presidents in the beginning of the history. Dave Blum who kept the Tom Baumann Old Mission Rotary History Book is included. Win Bishop's photo albums are included. Many parts of Matt Risi's past newsletters are included.
In the "About our Club" section of our website are all the individual sections of the History. You can download and save them for yourselves.
Read and offer edits or updates. Unlike a regular printed book, this is a living document that I can update till end of my time.
Join us at the Copley-Price Family YMCA in City Heights – Kensington at 4300 El Cajon Blvd. We meet on Tuesdays at Noon for lunch, fellowship and guest speakers that make a positive difference in and around our community. All are welcome to attend.
Copley-Price Family YMCA is "Located at the Corner of Fairmont and El Cajon".
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