You could certainly understand if they were tired, but they didn't appear to be. Instead, the members of the Rotary Club of Brentwood went about putting on their annual Trade Club Dinner last week with the same energy with which they tackle the many service projects they conduct during the year.
There's the annual golf tournament, booth-manning at the CornFest, and a holiday shopping spree for underprivileged kids. The Rotarians accompany their high school Interact chapters on home-building trips to Louisiana and Mexico, sponsor Interact's service for the elderly and Glide Memorial's Homeless Meals program, and distribute thousands of dictionaries every year to far East County fourth-graders (every kid gets their own).
The Rotarians participate in international youth exchange programs and other global good works such as the Wheelchair Foundation. They cook dinner at the yearly East Contra Costa Historical Society BBQ, and if you ask the members of the Brentwood Regional Community Chest; the Art, Wine and Jazz Festival and the high school Grad Night Committee, they'll verify that it seems like you can't swing a spatula at a community event without hitting the club's omnipresent pancake trailer, serving up free flapjacks and sausages.
Rotary is a great organization that does a lot for the community, said club President Dirk Zeigler, adding that the club has doubled its membership to 85 in the last four years. The more members we have, the more hands there are to do things.
The Future Farmers of America acted as food servers for the dinner and entertainment was provided by Rotarian Peter Morrison, who wowed the crowd with his magic. Another club member grabbed a bit of the spotlight when Jim Wangeman and his wife Anne were honored on the occasion of their 33rd wedding anniversary, which neatly coincided with the fact that it was also the 33rd anniversary Trade Club Dinner.
The event also featured the distribution of $500 checks to the Brentwood Police Activities League and the Brentwood Regional Community Chest. For some members, the opportunity to help locals and make an impact globally is key to their membership, as is the chance to associate with people with the same goals.
Ed Stack, a Rotarian for 35 years, said he often travels, and Rotary makes it easy to find friends. Anywhere I go in the world, I meet other Rotarians and have instant friends, he said. The organization really does wonderful things all around the world.
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