The Bullegraph | Rotary Club of Folsom- November 5 Club Meeting & Updates
A Little Italian Wisdom from “The Don”
Our November 5 meeting was a club business meeting, so we took care of club matters and there was no speaker. Following the Pledge of Allegiance and invocation, President John “The Don” Baciocco continued his weekly Italian lessons with a word that fits Rotary perfectly!
Italian Word of the Week: Ispirazione
(ees-pee-rah-tsi-OH-neh)
Translation: Inspiration
Rotary Thought: “Inspire others through your actions.”
Leave it to The Don to give us a little Italian culture and a Rotary lesson all in one! And in true Godfather fashion, remember: Inspiration isn’t just something you talk about. It’s something you do. Capisce?
TOMORROW! Wayne Spence Veterans Day Parade
Wednesday, November 11 | Meet by 8:30 AM | Parade begins at 9:00 AM
It’s time to show our Rotary pride as we honor the men and women who have served our country at Folsom’s annual Wayne Spence Veterans Day Parade!
We’ll gather in the Folsom Target parking lot by 8:30 AM before the parade kicks off at 9:00 AM.
This year’s float celebrates America’s 250th anniversary, so wear your Rotary gear or your best red, white, and blue!
Got leftover Halloween candy? Bring it along! We’ll be handing out candy to families along the parade route.
Let’s get a great turnout and show our veterans how much their service and sacrifice mean to our community!
Celebrating Jim Ortega: Paul Harris Fellow +4!
Congratulations to Jim Ortega, who was recognized at our recent meeting as a Paul Harris Fellow +4!
Jim has spent much of his life serving others. From nearly 30 years with the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department to serving as Placerville’s Police Chief and on Folsom’s civic commissions, public service has always been part of who he is.
He’s also been a Rotarian for 11 years, following in the footsteps of his father, a past Rotary Club President.
What does Paul Harris Fellow +4 mean? Named for Rotary’s founder, the recognition begins at $1,000 in contributions to The Rotary Foundation. Each additional level represents another $1,000, making Jim’s +4 recognition a milestone of $5,000 in cumulative giving.
Those contributions help fund clean water, education, disease prevention, and community projects locally and around the world.
Congratulations, Jim! Thank you for your years of service and continued generosity!
Rotary Shows Up for Twin Lakes Food Bank’s 40th Anniversary!
Our Folsom Rotarians were out supporting a wonderful cause Saturday evening at the Twin Lakes Food Bank 40th Anniversary Gala!
Some of our members traded their evening attire for bartending duties, while others attended as guests alongside Rotarians from the Folsom Lake and Placerville clubs.
For 40 years, Twin Lakes Food Bank has been helping our neighbors through difficult times. Today, under Executive Director Lisa Tuter and her dedicated team, the food bank serves more than 3,500 residents each month across Folsom, El Dorado Hills, and Granite Bay.
It was a great evening celebrating an organization that means so much to our community. Thank you to our members who volunteered and everyone who came out to support the food bank!
A Beary Merry Rotary Project at the Folsom Zoo!
If you’re heading to the Folsom City Zoo Sanctuary’s Wild Nights & Holiday Lights this December, be sure to check out the bear exhibit. Our Rotary crew has been busy getting it holiday-ready!
We had a fantastic turnout of members stringing Christmas lights around the bear enclosure, and our Rotary Youth Exchange students joined right in, bringing plenty of energy to the project!
Apparently, even the bears get the Rotary treatment when it comes to holiday decorating!
Thank you to everyone who came out to help make one of Folsom’s favorite holiday traditions a little brighter. And a big thank-you to our exchange students for jumping in and being part of the team! To view more photos from this project, click here: Zoo Light Hanging Project
SAVE THE DATE! December 3 Club Auction
Thursday, December 3 | Rotary Club of Folsom
Our annual club auction is coming up, and it’s time to start thinking about what you’ll contribute!
This is always one of our more entertaining club nights, and this year we’re turning up the fun!
Auction Donations: Start thinking about what you’d like to donate. Dinner experiences, gift baskets, wine and spirits, gift certificates, event tickets, hobby equipment, or even those treasures at home that someone else might love! Wrapped gag gifts are welcome too (please note their value).
IMPORTANT: Let President John know what you plan to donate, but BRING YOUR AUCTION ITEM TO THE DECEMBER 3 MEETING! Please don’t bring items ahead of time. We won’t have space to store them.
Open Bar: Yes, you read that right!
No Speaker: Who needs a guest speaker when we’ve got Joe and Bob Hoffman running the show? With these two as our auctioneers, you know we’re in for a lively and entertaining evening!
Where the Money Goes: 50% of the proceeds support our club, and 50% benefit the Folsom Rotary Foundation.
Dress Code: Loud, wild, wacky, or outrageous! This is your chance to wear something you wouldn’t normally wear to a Rotary meeting.
Bring a Guest! Have someone in mind who would make a great Rotarian? Bring them along! It’s a fun opportunity to introduce a potential new member to our club.
Start planning those donations, and remember: Auction items come WITH YOU on December 3!
THIS THURSDAY’S PROGRAM: The Power of The Rotary Foundation
Thursday, November 12 | Rotary Club of Folsom
November is Rotary Foundation Month, and this week’s program is one you won’t want to miss!
We’re welcoming Past District Governor and District 5180 Foundation Chair Bob Deering from the Rotary Club of American River, joined by District Governor Nominee Ryan Jantzen, for a conversation about the impact of The Rotary Foundation and how we can make our giving go even further.
Meet Our Speakers:
Bob Deering brings years of experience and a deep commitment to The Rotary Foundation. He and his wife, Chris, are members of the prestigious Arch Klumph Society, recognizing lifetime contributions of $250,000 or more.
As a recipient of the Citation for Meritorious Service from The Rotary Foundation and past chair of the Rotary Action Group Against Slavery (RAGAS), Bob has seen firsthand how these grant dollars operate.
Bob also helped spearhead a $400,000 Rotary Foundation Global Grant with District Governor Elect Brian Gladden to support education and outreach against modern slavery and human trafficking right here in the Greater Sacramento area.
Ryan Jantzen will discuss our local Folsom Rotary Foundation and how our clubs can put Foundation dollars to work. Drawing on his professional experience as a financial advisor, he’ll also share tax-efficient strategies that can help donors maximize the impact of their charitable giving.
A Special Foundation Month Recognition! Bob will also recognize our club’s dedicated Foundation supporters, including Major Donors and Paul Harris Fellows.
It’s a great opportunity to better understand where our Foundation dollars go, what they’re accomplishing, and how each of us can be part of that work.
Join us Thursday evening!
ROTARY REFLECTION - The Difference Our Giving Makes
November is Rotary Foundation Month, and it’s a good reminder that some of the most important things we do as Rotarians happen far beyond our weekly meetings.
A child has access to clean water. A family receives help when they need it most. A community gets the resources to build a better future.
And perhaps one of Rotary’s greatest examples of what giving can accomplish is our decades-long fight to eradicate polio. Through The Rotary Foundation’s PolioPlus program, Rotarians have helped reduce polio cases worldwide by 99.9%. We’re closer than ever to a world where no child has to suffer from this devastating disease.
And closer to home, The Rotary Foundation has helped fund efforts to combat human trafficking right here in the Greater Sacramento area, providing education and awareness to help protect vulnerable children and families. Our Foundation dollars aren’t just changing lives around the world. They’re making a difference right here in our own community.
These are real people whose lives are changed because Rotarians choose to give.
We often talk about Service Above Self in terms of the time we volunteer, but our generosity is another powerful way we serve. The Rotary Foundation turns our individual contributions into something far greater than any one of us could accomplish alone.
This month, take a moment to think about what The Rotary Foundation means to you. Whether you’re making your first contribution, working toward your next Paul Harris Fellow recognition, or continuing years of support, every gift matters.
We don’t have to see every life we touch to know that our actions matter. That’s the power of Rotary, and that’s something worth investing in.
