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ANNUAL CLUB HOLIDAY PARTY DECEMBER 15!

Happy Holidays one and all! Orinda Rotary will host its annual holiday party for club members on Friday, December 15 from 5:00 to 9:00 PM at St. Stephen's Episcopal Church.

Members and guests will enjoy a fabulous filet mignon or salmon dinner with all the fixings, dessert, and appetizers catered by our own Leslie Masler. Wine, champagne -- or whatever spirits make you happy -- will also be served. Plenty of entertainment, including music and singing, a trivia contest, “elephant” gift exchange, and a visit from old St. Nick is not to be missed!

Cost is $75 per person. Checks made payable to Orinda Rotary can be brought to our meetings on November 29 or December 6 or mailed to: P.O. Box 44, Orinda, CA 94563. Please RSVP by December 9. Contact Ken Jew or Sue Farmer with questions.

JOIN ROTARY VOLUNTEERS TO HELP OUT AT THE CONTRA COSTA FOOD BANK

Orinda Rotary's commitment to help out at the Contra Costa/Solano County Food Bank continues to assist families in need! WE NEED YOU THERE! Food Bank distributions and need jumped tremendously because of the pandemic, and there is no sign it is slowing down.

Volunteer sessions are scheduled each month. Our next outing to the Food Bank is Friday, December15, from 1-3 PM. Participants carpool and often share lunch prior to their work at the warehouse. Please contact Clay Deanhardt if you are interested participating.

DONATE HERE FOR THE MAUI FIRES RELIEF FUND

Rotary clubs throughout the U.S. are rallying support to assist those impacted by the devastating wildfires on Maui. Here in Northern California, we are all too familiar with the devastation wildfires can cause.

The Rotary Club of Orinda is collecting donations through our endowment to send to Rotary District 5000 (Hawai'i) for direct Maui Fire Relief where it is needed most. Click here to donate to the Maui Fires Relief Fund trough the Rotary Club of Orinda Endowment Fund, a 501(c)(3) charity fund, and we will be sure you receive a tax donation letter.

If you would like to donate directly to District 5000 (Hawai'i), click here to donate to the Rotary District 5000 (Hawai'i) Maui Fires Relief Fund, which is also a 501(c)(3) charity organization.

If you would prefer to donate by check, please make your check out to the "Orinda Rotary Endowment" with the notation: "Maui Relief Fund" in the memo line. You can bring your check to one of our regular Wednesday meetings and join us for lunch, or mail it to: Rotary Club of Orinda, P.O. Box 44, Orinda, CA 94563.

Rotarians have a long history of "Service Above Self" and of coming together in times of need. We thank any and all who are able to support this effort.

CLUB MEETINGS ARE "HYBRID" - IN-PERSON AND ONLINE

Orinda Rotary offers in-person meetings that include scheduled speakers! Our in-person meetings are held in the Founder's Auditorium at the Orinda Community Center and include no-host hot lunches. You must be fully vaccinated (two vaccinations and a booster) in order to attend in-person. Because of the increase in COVID cases, masks are encouraged when not actively eating/drinking. We trust that you will follow the Rotary 4-Way Test and adhere to our policy. Social gathering starts at noon and the meetings begin promptly at 12:30 PM. Click here to let our caterer, Leslie, know if you plan to attend in person and have lunch (cost is $25 per person)!

We also use the online teleconferencing service "Zoom" for those who prefer to attend virtually. Each week, members receive an e-mail from Club President, Clay Deanhardt with instructions on how to join the upcoming meeting, including the requisite meeting ID and password. Members can join video conferencing from their computer or via phone. Non-members interested in participating in our meeting(s) may contact President Clay to request the Zoom link.

Upcoming speakers: Wednesday, November 29: J. R. Wilson, President, Delta Veterans Group will present about The last "Stand Down" for area veterans; Wednesday, December 6: Paula Winland, International Projects Chair for Rotary will discuss ongoing humanitarian projects in Africa; Wednesday, December 13: Andrey Poliakov shares the history of the Ukrainian war with Russia and his family's harrowing escape from the war zone, and what life is like today as the war in his homeland continues; Wednesday, December 20: Tom McKinnon, Friends of Orinda Creeks will give an update on their activities; No meetings on December 27 or January 3 in observance of the Christmas and New Year holidays; Club Assembly with President Clay on January 10.

Additional Upcoming Events and Programs: Friday, December 15: Monthly Volunteer Outing to Contra Costa Food Bank (see above); Friday, December 15: Annual Club Holiday Party (see story above for details); January 10: Club Assembly with President Clay.

If you have questions, please contact President Clay or more information.