Rotaract Club of Downtown San Diego Weekly Announcements October 03, 2006

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Next Meeting Our next general meeting will be held on Tuesday, October 03, 2006 at 6:30 pm at Kansas City BBQ, 610 W. Market Street, Downtown San Diego. Angela Brannon with the It's All About the Kids Foundation will be our special guest at our first October meeting to explain about the 3rd Annual Life Skills Scavenger Hunt (details below) and to answer our questions. This is a really great event, so please show your suppport! We will be going to Rock Bottom Brewery for dinner after our meeting. Please join us and get to know your fellow Rotaractors better! We're looking forward to seeing you there!

A Message from Our President, Bridget Johnson: Passion in Action "Passion in Action..." This is a simple yet strong phrase that exemplifies our goals and objectives in Rotaract. Continuing Rotary International's 2005-06 theme of "Service Above Self," we strive to learn about existing needs and to then use our skills and resources to help improve those conditions. As someone proud to be involved with our strong San Diego club, I am also proud to be affiliated with passionate people around the world who are extending their hearts and hands in service. The following link offers a glimpse into another club's efforts. Please take a few minutes to check out this great presentation by the Rotaract Club of Mumbai Ghatkopar, India. (Please click here, if you can't see the video above.) I was touched by the video because not only does it educate us about another culture, but it also shows how Rotaract is alive and making a difference. There are so many deserving causes around the world, but also locally, to which we can direct our energies. We are proud to continue the traditions and annual events that our club engages in annually, and we are excited to explore new opportunities to serve. Thank you for taking the time to read this newsletter, learn about Rotaract, and hopefully becoming involved in the action. Bridget Johnson President 2006-2007 The Rotaract Club of Downtown San Diego

3rd Annual Life Skills Scavenger Hunt October 14 (Saturday) 10:00 am Downtown San Diego Please mark your calendar for this year's 3rd Annual Life Skills Scavenger Hunt for Saturday, October 14th. This event is put together by the It's All About the Kids Foundation as an educational program for the teens at the Toussiant Academy. The Toussaint Academy is a safe haven for children who are unable to live with their families due to abuse, neglect, or other circumstances. As a volunteer, you will be assigned an occuptation to "act" such as a rental agent, undercover cop, cable customer service rep, etc. Then, the teens will come to you and complete whatever activity is at your station. Angela Brannon with the It's All About the Kids Foundation will be at our first October meeting to explain the progam and answer our questions. This is a really great event, so please show your suppport!

Promoting Jazz for Juvenile Diabetes October 15 (Sunday) Time TBA UCSD Campus, School of Medicine lawn Hey Rotaractors - want to help promote our annual Jazz for Juvenile Diabetes fundraiser? We're looking for a few folks that would like to help man a booth at the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) 2006 Walk to Cure Diabetes on Sunday, October 15th. We'll spend a couple of hours handing out flyers for Jazz, answering questions about the event and about Rotaract, and hopefully rubbing elbows with some potential corporate sponsors. If you're interested, please e-mail Andy Gerber or call him at 858-248-7010. More about the 2006 JDRF Walk to Cure Diabetes in our bulletin board section.

Tijuana Homebuilding: Come Make a Difference! October 21 (Saturday) 5:45 am - 7:00 pm Tijuana The annual Tijuana Homebuilding event is coming upon us again and this year, the Rotaract Club of Downtown San Diego is hoping to have another caravan of enthusiastic, energetic, helpful members who are willing to spend a day helping to build homes in Tijuana. We will be working side by side with the Mexico Caravan Ministries Group to build two homes for poverty-stricken families south of the border. The Mexico Caravan Ministries was founded fifteen years ago by Dave Burdette, a missionary who aimed to bring Canadian and American students and adults to help the homeless in Mexico. Groups of 10-15 people go out early in the day with their assigned guide who has expertise in building these homes. Through teamwork and collaboration, by the end of the day the group has built a solid 12'X16' shelter! We will be leaving very early in the morning (5:45 am) on October 21st. People may park their cars at the Old Town Trolley station for the day. We will carpool in vans to meet up with the ministry guide in Chula Vista by 6:30 am. We need to make sure that we are on time as the guide will be taking us into the heart of Tijuana province. We should be back into San Diego by 7:00 pm that evening. This event will make a difference in the lives of everyone involved. The project aims to help those less fortunate and reach our hearts and hands across cultural borders. It's amazing what can be accomplished in only one day! No construction experience or tools are required. Tools are provided by the guides. Participants need only to be prepared for an incredible time – to have a lot of fun and laughter with other Rotaractors while creating a lasting legacy in Tijuana. Join in on this wonderful event and make a difference in someone's life! We will need 25 members (must be a member by October 21) to join this free service event: We already have 10 spots filled, so please contact us soon to reserve a spot! Non-members, we may have room, so please get on the list and get your requirements done. Contact Chantelle Swaby or Dean Koci to sign up, or for more details. Picture yourself creating a home for the homeless.

Social: Culture & Cocktails October 26 (Thursday) 6:00 - 8:00 pm San Diego Museum of Art, 1450 El Prado, Balboa Park Our next Social event for October will be the return of Culture & Cocktails at the San Diego Museum of Art on October 26th from 6:00 - 8:00 pm. The museum website describes the event: "Following a sold-out event in July, the fall installment of Culture & Cocktails will feature the influential art of father and son artists Matta and Gordon Matta-Clark. Explore the groundbreaking exhibition Transmission: The Art of Matta and Gordon Matta-Clark and enjoy lively DJ'd music and refreshing cocktails in the rotunda." An evite will be sent soon. If you have any questions, please contact our Social Chair, Mark.

Senior Center 2nd Saturday of each month Volunteers (2-3) are needed the 2nd Saturday of each month from 11:00 am - 1:00 pm to help serve lunch at the Senior Center Downtown. Please contact Cade for details and availability.

San Diego Downtown Breakfast Rotary Meeting The San Diego Downtown Breakfast Rotary Club is meeting every Wednesday at 7:00 am at the Symphony Towers University Club, 750 B Street, Suite 3400. Next scheduled speakers / events: October 04 Nancy Graham President, CCDC "The Face of Downtown" October 11 Teresa Shanahan, Ph.D. From LifeLine Health: "The 10 Warning Signs of Alzheimers Disease" October 18 TBA October 25 TBA For last minute changes, please check http://www.sdrotary.org!

Members' Bulletin Board Volunteer Opportunity: San Diego Sculpture Show October 14 & 15 (Saturday & Sunday) Embarcadero Marina Park North (located directly behind Seaport Village) First visit the website to see what great volunteer opportunities are available; then please send an email with your areas of interest. Or contact Carol Jensen, San Diego Downtown Breakfast Rotary. Volunteers Needed for 2006 Walk to Cure Diabetes October 15 (Sunday) 7:00 am UCSD Campus, School of Medicine lawn Volunteers are needed for the 2006 Walk to Cure Diabetes. Check-in starts at 7:30 am and the Walk starts at 9:00 am. We hope you can help again this year because the Walk is a great fundraiser for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, but it's also a great way to inform our community about Type I diabetes, and the support services provided by JDRF. This year's Walk promises to be bigger and more fun than ever. 200+ volunteers are needed to hold this event, so please consider volunteering at this great event. Volunteers are needed for: site set-up, check-in, food booth, parking, route monitors, general floaters, greeters, route cheerers, kid zone, clean-up… For a complete list of volunteer opportunities and descriptions, please visit the JDRF website. For questions or to sign-up, call the JDRF office at 858-597-0240 or email Tracy. Thank you!! Post your own message here! Do you need a roommate? Trying to sell your car? Let Rotaract work for you! Post your message here in the newsletter and have it be seen by over 100 like-minded people. Just send an e-mail to newsletter@sdrotaract.org with "Bulletin Board" in the subject line. Please remember to also include a general time frame for your message, e.g. 3 weeks, 2 newsletters, or until November 1st.

Rotaract & Rotary Trivia Correction: The answer to last week's question – In how many countries and geographical regions do Rotaract Clubs exist? – was, of course, supposed to be: The previously mentioned 7,377 Rotaract Clubs come from 154 countries and geographical regions all over the world. Interact Clubs come from 111 countries and geographical regions. What are Interact Clubs? Interact is a Rotary-sponsored service club for young people ages 14-18. The program gives young people an opportunity to participate in fun, meaningful service projects while developing leadership skills and meeting new friends. Through service activities, Interactors learn the importance of developing leadership skills and personal integrity, demonstrating helpfulness and respect for others, and advancing international understanding and goodwill.