Rotaract Club of Downtown San Diego Weekly Announcements March 13, 2007

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

Next Meeting Our next general meeting will be held on Tuesday, March 20, 2007 at 6:30 pm at Kansas City BBQ, 610 W. Market Street, Downtown San Diego. We're looking forward to seeing you!

Ace of Hearts 2007: Submit Your Favorite Beneficiaries and Venues Now! Deadline for submissions: March 20 (Tuesday) Our annual Ace of Hearts fundraiser is targeted for June 2007. You have the opportunity to help choose this year's beneficiary! We are soliciting submissions for proposed beneficiaries over the next couple of weeks. Members and prospective members are invited to nominate an organization you feel is worthy of the event efforts, funds, and attention. Any and all submissions are welcome, subject to the following criteria: • Proposed beneficiaries should have a local contact person and a valid Tax ID#. • Proposals should be submitted in writing, include a description of the beneficiary, the work that they do, and the contact information and Tax ID#. • Proposals should be submitted to both Andy Gerber and Bridget Johnson. The deadline for submissions will be our general meeting on March 20th, 2007. Selection of the beneficiary will be made by the end of March, in time for announcement at our first general meeting of April 2007. *** We are also seeking suggestions for the venue for this year's event. Although there will be no formal submission and selection process for this, all members and prospects are encouraged to propose a venue. Please direct your suggestions to Andy Gerber.

Community Service Recap: San Diego Food Bank Rotaract of Downtown shared a great community service event this weekend with the UCSD chapter. We arrived at the San Diego Food Bank at 9:00 am and headed inside to get our assignment. Once inside the warehouse, we were assigned to pack boxes of canned and dry goods that would eventually be delivered to senior citizens in need. By the end of the three hour shift, our group had packed 481 boxes – just about 10 pallets full! After the Food Bank, both chapters headed to an excellent Indian buffet at Punjabi Tandoor which was suggested by UCSD's community service chair, Vijay. We all relaxed in good company with good food. Thank you to all of those who volunteered – the Food Bank really appreciated our efforts!

San Diego Downtown Breakfast Rotary Club Blood Drive March 15 (Thursday) 10:00 am - 3:00 pm 701 B Street, 2nd floor atrium On Thursday, March 15, 2007, the San Diego Downtown Breakfast Rotary Club is sponsoring a blood drive to benefit the San Diego Blood Bank. The blood drive will take place at 701 B Street in the 2nd floor atrium. Last year we had 44 volunteers. Thank you for participating! Please type www.mysdbb.org into your web browser, enter the code IMBT, and select an appointment time -or- call 1-800-4MY-SDBB. We're looking forward to seeing you there!

27th Annual St. Patrick's Day Parade March 17 (Saturday) 11:00am At the parade: Laurel Street between 4th and 5th Avenue Our next Rotaract social is to watch the St. Patrick's Day Parade and then hang out at the beer garden which includes music and food. The plan is to meet at 11:00 am on Laurel Street between 4th and 5th Avenue. We will watch the parade and then head to the festival. We will meet latecomers in the festival at 12:30 pm on the sidewalk of Laurel Street inside the park past 6th Avenue. More info about the parade and festival can be found by clicking here. Call our Social Chair Mark Adams if you get lost (858-922-1275) and don't forget to wear green!

Rotaract's 39th Anniversary: International Potluck Celebration March 18 (Sunday) 6:00 pm The Grande South (ground floor common room), 1199 Pacific Highway Rotaract is celebrating its 39th anniversary the week of March 12-18, and in honor of this milestone, we're having an international potluck dinner. Thirty-nine may sound young. But, considering the breadth and depth of Rotaract around the world today, there is much to celebrate! Local Rotaract members and Rotarians are invited to attend the dinner and bring a dish reflective of their heritage. (Or, if you have an absolute favorite dish not of your heritage, you're welcome to bring that instead!) Please make a small label to sit in front of the dish identifying what it is and what region of the world it is from. Also remember to bring serving utensils for your dish. We invite you to join us in this celebration of both the global and local attributes of Rotaract. We're thankful to have a vibrant Rotary community here in San Diego, and we look forward to all that is to come! Thank you for your support, and we hope to see you on the 18th! To receive the evite and/or if you have any questions in advance, please email Bridget Johnson. Thank you!

Model UN Conference: Volunteers Needed March 24 & 25 (Saturday & Sunday) 8:00 am - 4:00 pm and 11:00 pm - 7:00 am Location TBA The local Rotary Clubs are gathering volunteers for the Model UN conference that is coming up on the weekend of March 24-25. Five volunteers are needed on both days of the conference (Saturday and Sunday) from 8:00 am - 4:00 pm, as well as one or two all-night chaperones from 11:00 pm - 7:00 am. Volunteers are needed for menial tasks, such as preparing and cleaning up lunch/snacks, moving luggage, etc. Overnight chaperones are necessary because the kids are high school-aged and require supervision. As described by another Rotaractor: "(This opportunity) is beneficial to Rotaract members who volunteer for this project in various ways: 1) we will work side by side with local Rotarians; 2) we will provide a necessary service to ensure the quality of this conference; and 3) we will observe debates related to contemporary issues that play important roles in international affairs." That, of course, is significant to Rotaract's goal of raising global awareness and understanding. To volunteer or for more information, please e-mail Jessica Ross Mann or call 650.288.8830.

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: March 14 Bobbi Brink Lions, Tigers and Bears An animal rescue organization housing unwanted big cats. March 21 Cecile J. Bereal, M.A. RMA Management Alliance, Inc. Generational Differences in the Workplace March 28 4-Way Test Speech Contest Finals April 04 TBA For last minute changes, please check http://www.sdrotary.org!

Members' Bulletin Board Invitation: Trip to Italy! May 31 (Thursday) - June 03 (Sunday) Italy An invitation from the Rotaract Club in Guastalla, Italy: "Dear Rotaractors, The Rotaract Club of Guastalla (District 2070, Italy) is proud to invite you to a exciting weekend in the Italian country at the border between the Italian regions Emilia-Romagna and Lombardy. Eight Rotaractors from all over the world will be our guests from Thursday 31st May to Sunday 3rd June 2007, we will visit cities and towns of our area, enjoy local food (world-famous Parma ham, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, salami, and many kinds of home-made pasta come from this region), visit local businesses, have a lot of fun together, and enjoy Rotaract's international spirit. Taking part to the event is completely free, RAC Guastalla and its sponsors will take charge of everything but the flight from your country to Italy." If you are interested in this opportunity and would like to learn more, please email Bridget. 13th Annual San Diego Walk for Animals May 05 (Saturday) 7:30 am - 12:00 pm Crown Point Shores, Misson Bay Bring your favorite four-legged friend and join more than 3,000 fellow animal lovers to help support animals in need at the 13th Annual San Diego Walk for Animals! Join the San Diego Humane Society and SPCA on Saturday, May 5, from 7:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. for this celebrated pet-friendly event, "Walk of Fame" themed event at Crown Point. Walkers will enjoy a pancake breakfast, live music, great prizes for top pledge winners and a Vendor Village filled with lots of pet-friendly products and services. Sponsorships still available. For more information and to sign up, please click here! 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@sandiegorotaract.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 2006-2007 Quarterly Worldwide Rotaract Statistics – Second Quarter Rotaract Clubs 7,179 Rotary Club Sponsors 9,616 Districts 521 Countries / Geographic Areas 162 Estimated Membership 165,117 Growth Rate Overall 1.92%