Members of the Chula Vista Sunrise Rotary meet at sunrise- hence their name- every Thursday, at the San Diego Country Club at 88 L St. to figure out how to improve their community and the world.
Most Sunrise Rotary members work in the business sector or are retired so meeting first thing in the morning works best into their schedule than the other two Rotary Clubs- one meets in the afternoon and the other in the evening.
“(Attending a Sunrise Rotary meeting) is a great way to start the day,” said Trish Rogers, a retired teacher and past president and membership of the Chula Vista Sunrise Rotary.
“I can’t imagine a business person having to stop (what they are doing) in the middle of the day to go to a (Rotary) meeting.”
The club is part of the Rotary International Network and with only 20 members and 10 executive directors it is a smaller club from the larger Rotary Club of Chula Vista.
But, Chula Vista Sunrise Rotary’s mission is the same as the same as every other Rotary Club – to give back to the community and professionally network.
“Each club has their own makeup,” Rogers said. “They have different personalities, (involved with) their own projects but all three Rotary Clubs in Chula Vista are committed to making a difference (in the community) and doing good in the world.”
The Sunrise Rotary makes a difference in an array of ways. Locally they financially support groups such as the Chula Vista Community Collaborative, which works to ensure collaboration among local partners and stakeholders in Chula Vista; the Living Coast Discovery Center and South Bay Community Services.
The club also has sent its generosity internationally by raising funds for Earthquake Relief in Ecuador and training teachers in Honduras.
They have also helped combatted hunger in the Philippines and Vietnam through the Rise Against Hunger organization.
Rogers said giving back as a Rotarian means a lot to her.
“It feels good to make a difference in other people’s lives,” she said. “It puts other people’s lives in front of your own.”
In order to assist these organizations and projects, the Chula Vista Sunrise Rotary holds its annual trivia night, which happens every Spring to raise money for the club through entrance fees, silent auctions and a beer and wine bar. Club members say hundreds of people participate in the event, raising thousands of dollars that go into the club’s community benefit fund.
“That (fundraiser) allows us to fund projects throughout the year,” said Rowena Bell, Chula Vista Sunrise Rotary’s executive secretary.
For the holidays, the Sunrise Rotary adopted a needy family of six through the Chula Vista Collaborative. Their goal is to somehow make the family’s Christmas’s wishes come true.
The club’s treasurer Tom Miller, who’s been with the club since its inception in 1986 when it was first the Bonita Sunrise Rotary Club, said the club not only gives back but it creates lifelong friendships.
“Over time you create great relationships,” Miller said. “The guy that repaired my car was in Rotary, my optometrist was in Rotary, my accountant was in Rotary, all of a sudden the networking and friendships become amazing.”
If interested in joining the Chula Vista Sunrise Rotary, email info@chulavistasunriserotary.org.
