“Together, we see a world where people unite & take action to create lasting change - 
across the globe, in our communities, & in ourselves.”
  
Follow & tag us on social media: @losgatosrotary
Club News
Meeting Notes from May 13, 2025
Los Gatos Rotary Meeting notes The Cat Tale

Call to Order
Doug Brent called the meeting to order at 12:30pm

 

Pledge
Ron Cassel

 

Guests
Joe Russo, Monique Guo, Joe and Luis from Grande Center, and Samira Esposito

 

Inspiration
Jean-Marc told two stories about music, entitled Music to My Ears. One was about the musicians on the Titanic who played to keep people calm as the ship went down—all perished in the tragedy. The second was about A.D. Benedetto, known as Tony Bennett, a tireless civil rights advocate who marched from Selma to Montgomery in 1965 with Martin Luther King. Both stories exemplified service above self.

 

Rotary Birthdays
Hal Rosen, Riley Barr, Gordon Levin, Randy Cobb, Andrew Stearns, Jean-Marc Blanchard, Carol Goedde, and Thomas Lettiere

 

Rotary Anniversaries
Ed Bowen, Michael Frangadakis, Eric Eberle, Andrew Howard, Meghan Burton, Randy Cobb, Sandeep Gopisetty, Cindy Gentile, Emi Eto, Fabio Giannetti, Ane Troger, Tsovo Massena, Ryan Rosenberg, and Dan Spalding

 

 

St. Luke’s Eggs
This week celebrated the 100th anniversary of Disneyland

 

Three Activity Slides
Fisher Middle School Track Meet, JW House Dinner, and First Tuesday at the Terraces

 

 

Grande Center for Education in El Salvador
Joe and Luis thanked the club for ongoing support of their K-12 education center. Permanent construction is complete, desks have been purchased, and Paul Johnson and the school district are sending books for the library. The Rotary-purchased school bus is essential for getting children to school who otherwise couldn’t attend.

 
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Meeting Notes from April 22, 2025
Los Gatos Rotary Meeting notes The Cat Tale
 
Doug Brent opened the meeting at 12:30
 
Paul Yeadon led the flag salute
 
Visitors
Gregg Butterfield introduced his brother Jim Butterfield
 
Ramon Ware gave our weekly inspiration:
He spoke about what it takes to maintain a good relationship in a marriage, and compared it to Rotary. Whether in relationships or in service, we show up. We contribute. We build communities and change lives. Keep leading, keep serving. And if all else fails just nod and agree like a good married man!
 
 
 
This week’s eggs for St Lukes were decorated for Easter
 
End Polio Now
Rachelle Lopp spoke of the urgency of this particular year to give to the Polio Plus Foundation as big changes are happening in government agencies that support ending polio. This is our moment. AND she announced a $100 match to every first time donor who gives $100 or more. So if you’ve never given before you can make a real impact this year. If you are not at the meetings to sign up to give, please email Marty Fishman with your pledge before the end of April.
 
Doug Brent explained how Rotary charity contributions work.
As a Los Gatos Rotarian, we are part of three entities: the club, yes, as well as the Scholarship Fund (currently valued at $2.1M for our high school scholarships) and the Charities Foundation (currently at $1.8M for all the grants our club gives annually).
 
Our membership also makes us part of the International Rotary Foundation - it will give out 2,000 global grants this year, each at $30,000-$400,000, always with a local partner and always with a plan for its sustainability.
Please know that almost half of any money we donate to the Rotary Foundation as Rotarians comes back to our club in 3 years for us to give grants out of our club. These are called DDF funds.
 
 
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Meeting Notes from April 29, 2025
Los Gatos Rotary Meeting notes The Cat Tale
 
Doug Brent opened the meeting at 12:30
 
Greg Gentile led the flag salute
 

Visitors

  • Tammy from Los Gatos Morning Club
  • Mary Lynn Pelican from Niles Fremont Club
  • Julia Anderson, chocolate maker, has spoken at our club in the past
 

Ramon Ware gave our inspiration:

Let’s celebrate the heart of Rotary- the spirit of service. Churchill said

“We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give.”
The beauty of Rotary is that we don’t just hope for a better world, we build it.
We are the difference makers.
 
 
 
 
The eggs for St Lukes this week were decorated for the NBA finals. Go Warriors!
 

Polio Plus

Doug Brent reminded the club of the importance of our Rotary commitment to End Polio Now. There is a $100 match for all first time donors who give $100 or more, so be sure to make your donation by emailing Marty Fishman if you haven’t yet indicated your pledge on the sheets passed around the meetings.

 

 

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Meeting Notes from April 15, 2025
Los Gatos Rotary Meeting notes The Cat Tale
 
Meeting called to order by President Doug Brent at 12:30pm.
 
Randy Cobb led the pledge of allegiance.
 
Ramon Ware gave our inspirational message. A poem inspired by AI:
  • Together we stand, a purpose we find
  • Integrity, Excellence
  • Bold and united; hope and compassion
  • Building Bridges; building a global community
As Rotarians, we can do it all. 
 
VISITORS—a rare instance without visitors
 
Decorated eggs St. Lukes Pantry— Passover Eggs
 
 
 
 
Announcements:
  • Last Saturday, Hunger at Home video. 
  • Rachelle Lopp, End Polio Now Campaign. If you’re a Rotarian, you are an ambassador to eradicate Polio. The “plus” in PolioPlus means that Rotarians are doing more than stopping the spread of polio in the last four countries in which it is endemic; they also are building a legacy of infrastructure and partnerships that will support the fight against infectious disease long after polio is gone. PolioPlus has many more implications other than Polio; however, our goal is to eradicate Polio. Please consider a donation to END POLIO NOW.
  • District Learning Assembly & Speech Contest Finals West Valley College; Saturday, April 26
  • JW House—1 of 3 events; first on April 29
  • Fisher Middle School Track meet April 30
  • First Tuesday, May 6, 5-7pm at the Terraces of Los Gatos
 
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We meet most Tuesdays, 12:00-1:30PM at
Shir Hadash
20 Cherry Blossom Lane
Los Gatos CA 95032

Upcoming Events
 
 
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Centennial Video
Our club is celebrating 100 years of service in our community. Check this out to see what we've been up to!
Weekly Meeting/Speaker Schedule
In-Meeting Service Project
May 20, 2025
Making Pet Blankets for the Humane Society of Silicon Valley
Los Gatos Police
May 27, 2025
Paw Patrol
Drs.Tom Caruso and Ellen Wang, Anesthesiologists
Jun 10, 2025
Virtual Reality to Minimize Pain & Anxiety During Pediatric Medical Procedures
Mike Ricci, Former San Jose Shark
Jun 17, 2025
There Is Life After Getting Your Front Teeth Knocked Out!
View entire list...
Our Long List of Service to the Community!
We packaged 22,000 meals with Rise Against Hunger in April 2025 (an annual event for us).
 
We feed families burdened by extended hospital stays at JW House on a regular basis
 
We assembled hygiene kits in May 2024 for the Catholic Charities Shower of Hope Mobile Van bringing hot showers to the unhoused population in East San Jose.
 
We raised over $14,000 at our February 2024 CrabFest for the Bill Wilson Center Safety Net Shelter for at-risk youth.
 
Every year, we partner with Rebuilding Together Silicon Valley to help fix up a home in our area.
 
Each Fall, we stuff back packs full of essential back-to-school supplies for underprivileged kids.
 
Each year, we help prepare 30,000 meal packs for Rise Against Hunger.
 
We assembled activity kits for isolation patients at El Camino Hospital in February 2023.
 
We helped prepare materials for solar kits for Lighting For Literacy in December 2022.
 
Each holiday season, we donate hundreds of toys for Toys For Tots.
 
We volunteer every year at Second Harvest Food Bank.
 
We volunteer to clean up the Los Gatos Creek.
 
We donated then sorted hundreds of books for children being treated at Stanford Children's Hospital.
 
Every week, we donate food to the homeless at St. Luke's Church Los Gatos.
 
Here we are packing PPE equipment for the elderly at one of our Summer 2022 meetings. 
 
Our Leigh High School Rotary Interact students volunteering at Second Harvest.
 
We donated bikes to Good Karma.
 
We sorting items donated for fire evacuees in Summer 2020.
Choose a Rotary Cause & Donate here