Rotaract Club of Downtown San Diego Weekly Announcements June 12, 2007

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Next Meeting Our next general meeting will be held on Tuesday, June 19, 2007 at 6:30 pm at Kansas City BBQ, 610 W. Market Street, Downtown San Diego. We will have a guest speaker at the next meeting: Ralph Rubio of Rubio's Restaurants! Details below. We're looking forward to seeing you!

Fifth Annual Ace of Hearts This Friday: Tickets Available! On June 15th, the Rotaract Club of Downtown San Diego will hold its Fifth Annual Ace of Hearts event in Downtown San Diego. Ace of Hearts is a Monte Carlo Casino night, this year hosted at the Luna Lounge. We play poker, craps, blackjack and more... and all for a worthy cause. Our Event Location Luna Lounge is a fantastic new location with a great vibe near the ballpark in Downtown San Diego. The lounge is the "hotspot in town where urban chic and downtown sophistication meet. Luna Lounge, where timeless elegance and contemporary cool flow together to create the ultimate new restaurant/lounge in downtown San Diego ... classy, exciting, and unique." Our Prizes You will have three opportunities to win wonderful prizes that night: a raffle, a silent auction and a "most-chips-at-the-end-of-the-night" give-away. We have amazing prizes to offer you this year, so get ready to join the fun and win big! Take a look at our grand prizes... Grand Prize #1: Trip for 2 to Las Vegas! Grand Prize #2: Vacation for 2 to Your Favorite Destination: Choose from Cancun, Puerta Vallarta, Las Vegas and Others! And many, many more great prizes!!! Our Beneficiary This year, our Ace of Hearts event will support Father Joe's Villages, a homeless rehabilitation organization dedicated to addressing the immediate and ongoing needs of underprivileged children, families and individuals who, for various reasons, have found themselves without basic life necessities. Each of Father Joe's Villages provides "one-stop shopping" – comprehensive, essential care all under one roof. Programs such as education, job training, child care, medical and dental care and substance abuse counseling enable thousands of families and individuals to discover the confidence and the ability to succeed. Honoring the dignity of every child and adult encourages them to invest in their own future. From a small center handing out peanut butter sandwiches 50 years ago (long before Father Joe arrived), Father Joe's Villages have grown to a family of seven large "villages" in the Southwest. And they are still growing. What began with a meal has evolved into a model program for serving the homeless. Ace of Hearts – A Monte Carlo Casino Night Luna Lounge 639 J Street June 15, 2007 (Friday) 7 pm – 10 pm A Benefit for Father Joe's Villages Ticket Information Take part and help raise funds for this great organization by purchasing your tickets today. Entrance tickets are $30 per person for Rotaract members, and $35 for non-members. Raffle tickets are $5 each, or 5 for $20. Both can be puchased online through PayPal using your major credit card or bank account. Tickets will be held for you at the door, so you don't need to worry about shipping. You may also purchase tickets at the door the night of the event, but there is a possibility that it will sell out. To purchase tickets, please go to our webpage. About the Rotaract Club of Downtown San Diego The Rotaract Club of Downtown San Diego is a community service and social organization made up of young professionals. Rotaract fosters leadership and responsible citizenship, encourages high ethical standards in business, and promotes international understanding and peace. For additional information about Rotaract, or for membership information, please visit www.sandiegorotaract.org. See photos from Ace of Hearts Casino Nights 2005 and 2006 by clicking the respective year. Can't attend, but would like to make a donation? Make a gift of your choosing through PayPal! Please help the cause by sharing this e-mail with friends, family and co-workers and encouraging them to tell their friends. Thanks for your support! We're looking forward to celebrating with you for a great cause on June 15th!

Prize Packaging Party for Ace of Hearts June 12 (Tuesday) 6:30 pm Dean Koci's House, 3779 Centre Street, 92103 We're having a prize packaging party for our upcoming Ace of Hearts event. Wine, beer, and hearty snacks will be provided. Feel free to bring food and drinks as well. Please call Dean for questions and to RSVP: 619.991.4088

Next Week's Guest Speaker: Ralph Rubio June 19 (Tuesday) 6:30 pm Kansas City BBQ, 610 W. Market Street, Downtown Make sure to make this meeting as we will be joined by Ralph Rubio of Rubio's Restaurants. Ralph will share some of his wisdom in creating a publicly traded company and how he managed to persevere throughout the entire process. Ralph Rubio and his father opened the first Rubio's Home of the Fish Taco restaurant in the Mission Bay area of San Diego in 1983. Rubio's Restaurants, Inc., headquartered in Carlsbad, operates, licenses or franchises more than 150 Rubio's restaurants in California, Arizona, Utah, Oregon, Colorado and Nevada and is publicly held: RUBO (Nasdaq).

Rotaract Meets and Dines with Father Joe Last Tuesday's general meeting took place at a special location: Father Joe's Villages (FJV.) Father Joe and his staff welcomed us to their parlor, where we enjoyed delicious dinner prepared by the FJV Culinary Arts Program. Father Joe spoke with us about the organization's history, activities, and impact on the community. It's no surprise that other cities around the country are trying to create programs that mirror FJV. FJV, the beneficiary of this Friday's Ace of Hearts event, shares goals and a mission similar to those of Rotaract. The Father Joe's Villages' CREED: Compassion: Concern for others and a desire to assist Respect: An act of giving particular attention or special regard Empathy: Understanding, an awareness of and sensitivity to the feelings of others Empowerment: Helping others to help themselves Dignity: Counting all people worthy of our esteem Please join us Friday at Luna Lounge for Ace of Hearts as we honor and celebrate Father Joe's Villages!

Rotaract Volunteers at Bonita Sunrise Rotary Fundraiser Several members of the Downtown Rotaract joined Bonita Rotarians Saturday night to support their club's wine tasting fundraiser. Although we were "on duty" selling raffle tickets, we had a wonderful time interacting with the Rotarians, guest Kawanis Club members, and other guests. Congratulations to Bonita Sunrise Rotary for a fantastic event!

San Diego Rotaract is Growing: New Club San Diego Rotaract is growing! A new Rotaract club is forming in the Mission Valley area. Whether you personally work or live in that area, or you know of other young San Diegans who may be interested, please spread the word. The Downtown and North County clubs are exicited to help get the club going and to support the evolution of the new branch of our local Rotaract family. Please contact Bridget with any questions or ideas. A general interest happy hour will be scheduled soon. Thank you for your support!

USCC 2007 Symposium & Rotaract Pre-Convention: Service Without Borders USCC Symposium: June 13-14 (Wednesday-Thursday) Rotaract Pre-Convention: June 15-16 (Friday-Saturday) Rotary International Convention: June 17-20 (Sunday-Wednesday) Salt Lake City, Utah "Service Without Borders" – That is this year's theme for the USCC Conference and Rotaract Pre-Convention in Salt Lake City, Utah. The annual gathering of the over 400 Rotaract Clubs in the USA, Canada, and the Caribbean is scheduled conveniently to precede this year's worldwide Rotaract pre-convention, at which clubs from all regions of the world will attend. You may check out specific info on USCC, as well as the Pre-Convention. Bascially, USCC is our opportunity to engage, share and learn from Rotaractors in our region. ...then, we are invited to stay on and network with Rotaract clubs. Truly, these events demonstrate the global span of Rotaract. We encourage our club members to attend. If you have questions, please contact Bridget Johnson and/or Andrea Espinoza.

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: June 13 TBA June 20 Dark – No Meeting! June 27 Celebration of Rotary's 2007 Projects July 01 Beginning of New Rotary / Rotaract Year July 04 TBA (Dark?) For last minute changes, please check http://www.sdrotary.org!

Members' Bulletin Board "Blue Bella" – Monthly Blues and Soul Dance Every 2nd Friday of the month (starting on June 08) 9:00 pm - 1:00 am Ciao Bella, 5263 Baltimore Drive, La Mesa, 619-337-0238 **Monthly Blues and Soul Dance held at Ciao Bella** Blue Bella will be held every second Friday of the month. Grand Opening: Friday, June 8, 9:00 pm - 1:00 am, Free, at Ciao Bella (come early for authentic Italian cuisine, reservations recommended). Explore dancing to various music and tempos provided by DJ Firemark. Free lesson with Chris on variations of blues basics 9:00 pm – 9:40 pm. Brought to you by Rotaract member Elizabeth McGuire. For more information, email Elizabeth and Andra. Heroes on the Harbor June 15 (Friday) 6:30 - 11:00 pm USS Midway aircraft carrier, San Diego Bay Heroes on the Harbor on the USS Midway aircraft carrier, San Diego Bay: An Evening with Live Music, Silent Auction, Fireworks and a Wine/Chocolate Extravaganza. On June 15th, we honor these heroes aboard the USS Midway aircraft carrier on San Diego Bay. All proceeds will benefit the Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund which provides financial assistance to those Marines and other service personnel that have paid a significant price in serving our country. Ticket Prices: $70 if purchased by May 15, $85 after May 15. All proceeds to benefit the Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund. There is a $3 service charge per ticket. For more information, please click here. Make-a-Wish Foundation® of San Diego: 5th Annual Wags for Wishes July 06 - 08 (Friday - Sunday) 9:00 am - 5:00 pm Del Mar Horse Park, 14550 El Camino Real, Del Mar The Make-A-Wish Foundation® of San Diego presents the 5th Annual Wags For Wishes, the largest and most comprehensive dog show on the West Coast. With over 2,000 competitors and 15,000 spectators expected, Wags For Wishes has everything: agility, dock dogs, herding, flyball, lure coursing, disc dogs, Jack Russell Terrier events, obedience, dockdogs and conformation. Admission is only $5.00, children 12 and under are free! So come out and help make wishes come true. Your support of this wonderful event will enable us to grant the wishes of children who are battling life-threatening medical conditions. Make-A-Wish Foundation® of San Diego granted wishes to 160 children and we expect to grant even more this year. From a laptop computer for a child who spends too much time in the hospital, to a dream Disney vacation for the entire family – no wish is too big or small. 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 Skiing Fellowship Gives Lift to Adaptive Skiers By Maureen Vaught. Rotary International News. 7 June 2007. Ski enthusiasts are always looking for that something extra — whether it's fresh snow or tree-lined runs. For the International Skiing Fellowship of Rotarians, it's adaptive ski programs. "To see someone confined to a wheelchair suddenly skiing, virtually independently, is a very special moment," says Past District 6450 Governor Brian Andersen, cofounder of the fellowship and a member of the Rotary Club of Darien, Illinois, USA. And since 1998, the fellowship has helped people with disabilities do just that by hosting an annual North American ski benefit and meeting. Last year's event drew 180 members from 11 countries to the Alyeska Resort in Girdwood, Alaska, USA. The resort boasts an adaptive ski and snowboard school operated by Challenge Alaska, a nonprofit organization that provides sports and therapeutic recreation opportunities for people with disabilities. In addition to enjoying the Alaskan skiing, the participants raised US$27,325 through auctions, a raffle, and a ski race during the event. More than half of the funds were donated to the Rotary Club of Girdwood to support Challenge Alaska's adaptive ski programs and purchase equipment. "There is always a big need for adaptive ski equipment, and it's something that benefits everybody, whether you're a child or an adult," says Beth Edmands, Challenge Alaska's executive director. The remaining money was donated to the fellowship's Davis Boyd Memorial Foundation. The funds will be used to promote skiing for the disabled by raising awareness, purchasing equipment, and training ski instructors worldwide. Created in 1974, the skiing fellowship has 410 members from 25 countries. An international ski trip, featuring competitive racing, is held every two years. This year's event was in San Candido, Italy. The 2007 North America event and meeting was held 10-17 February in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, USA, and supported the Steamboat Training Adaptive Recreational Sports. Find more information at www.isfrski.org. © Rotary International http://www.rotary.org/newsroom/programs/070606_fellowship.html