Oceanside Rotary Celebrates Independence Day with Community Pride
The Oceanside Rotary Club was proud to participate in this year's City of Oceanside Independence Day Parade, joining thousands of community members in celebrating our nation's birthday and the spirit that makes Oceanside such a special place to live and serve.
Our club's patriotic float reflected Rotary's commitment to Service Above Self and highlighted the many ways Rotarians work throughout the year to strengthen our community through service projects, youth programs, scholarships, and local partnerships. The parade provided a wonderful opportunity to connect with residents, greet families along the route, and share the mission of Rotary with the community.
Adding to the excitement was the participation of the Oceanside High School Interact Club. As Rotary's youth service organization, Interact empowers high school students to develop leadership skills while making a meaningful difference through volunteer service. Their enthusiasm, school spirit, and commitment to giving back were on full display as they proudly represented the next generation of community leaders.
The Independence Day Parade is more than a celebration of our nation's freedom—it is a reminder of the importance of civic engagement, volunteerism, and neighbors working together to build a stronger community. We are grateful to everyone who helped decorate the float, marched in the parade, cheered from the sidelines, and represented Oceanside Rotary with pride.
A special thank you goes to our dedicated Rotarians, Interact students, and volunteers whose teamwork made this event such a success. Your energy and commitment exemplify the values of Rotary and demonstrate the positive impact we can make when we come together in service.
As we begin another exciting Rotary year, we look forward to continuing our tradition of serving Oceanside through projects that support youth, veterans, education, food security, environmental stewardship, and international humanitarian efforts.
If you are interested in making a difference, building lifelong friendships, and giving back to our community, we invite you to visit one of our meetings and discover how you can become part of Oceanside Rotary.
Together, we are creating lasting change—one act of service at a time.
MiraCosta College Foundation is proud to partner with the Oceanside Rotary Club in providing scholarship support to students.
This year, the Oceanside Rotary Club is continuing its long tradition of service by investing in the next generation of healthcare professionals at MiraCosta College. As a leadership organization made up of local business and civic leaders and connected to a global network of service, Oceanside Rotary is committed to turning meaningful ideas into action that strengthens the community. The club chose to fund a scholarship in honor of Theresia Heyden, a beloved past Rotarian whose dedication to service and compassion left a lasting mark. The scholarship will support MiraCosta nursing students as they pursue careers focused on care, leadership, and community impact.
Through this gift, Oceanside Rotary continues to empower students who will go on to make a difference in Oceanside and beyond.
Oceanside Rotary Members Participate in Epic Day of Service at Operation Appreciation
Members of Oceanside Rotary Club proudly participated in Rotary’s Epic Day of Service during this year’s Operation Appreciation event held at the Oceanside Pier Band Shell on May 16, 2026.
Rotarians joined community volunteers in supporting active-duty military members and their families through hospitality, event support, and community outreach efforts. The event reflected Rotary’s commitment to “Service Above Self” and our dedication to strengthening the communities we serve.
Operation Appreciation provided an opportunity for Oceanside Rotary members to come together in fellowship while honoring the men and women who serve our country. Volunteers assisted with guest hospitality, event coordination, and welcoming military families attending the community celebration.
The Oceanside Rotary Club is proud to support projects that promote community service, patriotism, and partnership throughout North County San Diego.
To learn more about Oceanside Rotary and upcoming service projects, visit oceansideCArotary.com
The Oceanside Rotary Club recently completed a meaningful community project in support of VisTAY, collecting and donating 26 sets of sweatshirts and sweatpants for the young adults they serve.
VisTAY is a vital local program that provides safe housing and supportive services for young adults—typically ages 18 to 24—who are experiencing homelessness or housing instability. Their mission is to help participants build independence, stability, and a brighter future through structure, resources, and community support.
Recognizing a simple but important need, Oceanside Rotarians came together to provide comfortable, everyday clothing that promotes dignity and well-being. For many of these young adults, something as basic as a warm, clean set of clothes can make a meaningful difference in their confidence and daily life.
Thanks to the generosity of club members and supporters, 26 complete sets were delivered—each one representing care, compassion, and a commitment to service above self.
This project is just one example of how Oceanside Rotary continues to make a hands-on impact in our community—supporting not only immediate needs, but also the long-term success of local youth.
THIS IS A BIT DIFFERENT. Often when friends ask for support, they're tackling a big personal challenge like a long walk or ride. Rotary is pioneering something new… a big service challenge to see how much good we can do all around the world all in one day.
OUR GOAL THIS YEAR is to organize 20,000 Rotary and public volunteers to serve in 1,000 communities on 4 continents. With our passion for Service Above Self, we'll soon expand to all 1.2 million Rotary members - plus public volunteers - in 36,000 communities worldwide.
HOW CAN YOU HELP?
DONATE to support my Club's year-round projects. Rotary serves many community needs, like job training for the homeless… building neighborhood gardens… funding mental health programs… and more. Your generosity is magnified by our own donations and volunteering.
VOLUNTEER on a project. It'll be fun, rewarding, and a great way to bring the community together. Everyone is welcome, especially our friends and family.
Rotary Members from Oceanside, El Camino Oceanside, and the Eco Club of Encinitas, along with Oceanside High Interact club members, took part in Oceanside's parade. Thank you, NK Towing, for the use of your truck and driver!
Oceanside Rotary assists Oceanside Adventures with their Annual Boat Rides with Santa event. Over 500 riders enjoyed a journey around the Oceanside Harbor with Santa and his Elf! Members of the Oceanside Rotary Club assisted riders in loading and unloading the boat. On the dock, two members of Breakwater church entertained those waiting in line with Holiday Music. All the proceeds from the event will be donated to the Oceanside Rotary to assist them in their community service.
The Members of the Oceanside Rotary Club contributed by volunteering at Tri-City Pantry's annual Thanksgiving food drive.
The Oceanside Rotary Foundation Donated $3,500 to help Tri-City Pantry purchase non-perishable food for families for their Thanksgiving Feast. The members joined other Community members for a morning of filling 300 bags with food to distribute to needy families.
District Governor Don Fipps presents Oceanside Rotary President Shor Denny with a certificate from Rotary International in anticipation of the Club's 100th Anniversary in April 2024. Come back and visit our Website for updates regarding the celebration!
The Rotary Club of Oceanside Inducted La-Rene Malcolm. Pictured with La-Rene is her sponsor Shor Denny President Elect to the right, and Current Club President, Renee Richardson center.
Oceanside Rotary Volunteers at Tri-City Food Pantry
On Saturday, May 13, 2023, members of the Oceanside Rotary Club Volunteered to assist in sorting pantry items that the Vista Postal worker collected on their routes! 38 trucks rolled in after collecting food from the community. Members of the Oceanside Rotary Club and members of the community join together in Service Above Self!
Oceanside Rotary members family and friends participated in Rotarians At Work Day on Saturday, April 22, 2023. For the second year in a row, our members worked at Oceanview Cemetery, resetting headstones and cleaning up trash! In 2006 Rotarians At Work Day was established by our own District 5340 and currently is observed in cities, States, and Countries around the world! Check with your local Rotary clubs and find out what projects they are working on Rotarians at Work Day.
Oceanside Rotarians supported the City of Oceanside and Friends of Oceanside Parks by competing in the Heritage Park Chili Cook-Off. President Renee Richardson, Bill Dern,
Brad Fisher, Paul Wendee, Vickie Prosser, Anchisa Farrant, and potential new member Marie Herz enjoyed a day of Chili tasting with live music! Best of all we were able to connect with new friends and spread the word about what Rotary does throughout the world!
Oceanside Rotary Members 14 strong, volunteered to register over 2,000 to participate in the race this year. Our shift was 6 hours long and we made many new friends through out the day.
Thank you Rotarians; Jacqueline Brownlee, Bill Dern, Anchisa Farrant, Martha Farris, LJ Fimbres, Dave and Terri Hall, Dale Maas, AJ Mazzarella, Tina Ortiz, Vickie Prosser, Renee Richardson, Jim Schroder and Lola Sherman.
It's that time of year again when Oceanside Rotary helps the homeless! Please help make our annual tradition with Brother Bennos an overwhelming success!
This year we will be collecting frozen turkeys on November 12th.
Drop pf location is Oceanside Abbey Carpet & Floor, 4001 Avenida de la Plata, Oceanside 92056. Drop off time is between 10 AM and 11 AM, we don't want those frozen turkeys defrosting before taking them to Brother Bennos, so please do not drop off the turkeys any earlier!
There will be a truck parked in front of Abbey's Carpets so just put them in the bed of the truck and we will do the rest!
We are excited to announce that our website for our May 8 Virtual Fundraiser, PERFECT PAIRINGS, An Evening of Wine, Cheese and Chocolate is ready to sell tickets and take donations! All of us have been working so hard to present a unique and fun evening, complete with Silent Auction items and opportunities to donate towards our projects. We have received many donations from Rotarians to help us get interesting auction items and now we need YOU!
All funds raised go to supporting Oceanside Rotary's Youth Development programs in the Oceanside Unified School District.
Our very own Jay Crawford, Community Service Chair, presenting Vallie Gilly from Oceanside Kitchen Collaborative with a check from the funds raised by our Club.
Feel free to visit their website for more information!
All who serve use paracord, which gets its name from parachute cord and can hold up to 550 lbs. of weight. The bracelet provides 7.5 feet of cord in an emergency. Paracord “Survival” Bracelets can be used to:
Secure camouflage nets to trees or vehicles
Build a makeshift shelter
Extend a security strap or rope to reach and haul heavy objects
Create a harness to extract an injured person from a bad location
Oceanside Rotary is a leadership organization made up of local business professionals and civic leaders. We meet regularly, to get to know each other, form friendships and through that we are able to get things done in the Oceanside Community.
Our Club generally meets on Fridays at noon, at El Camino Country Club located at 3202 Vista Way, Oceanside CA 93056. The meetings begin at 12:30, but you are encouraged to come at noon for some great networking opportunities. Members are not just limited to Fridays luncheons. Please check out our event calendar and you will see that we engage in other activities such as after work socials, barbecues, Moonlight theater performances, work parties, international projects, fundraising and so much more! If you are interested in networking and building friendships in the Oceanside Community, Oceanside Rotary is the club for you!
The Motto of Rotary is "Service Above Self", and we take this to heart with all of our activities!
Our club embarked five years ago on a multi-year project under the direction of Rotarian Larry Hatter, to help bring meaningful, positive change to an area of our city that has been notorious for gang violence - Crown Heights. We have entered into a partnership with Life Line that provides services to the target area and with the Oceanside Unified School District. A team of dedicated Rotarian's volunteer to take youth out of this area and expose them to basketball games, Padres games, museums, theater, music concerts, tours of Camp Pendleton, and the Oceanside Harbor. Funding for this project is raised by members of the Oceanside Rotary Club and enhanced by a matching grant from Rotary District 5340.
Oceanside Rotary supports a variety of local and international projects. Through Rotary International, we support the international efforts of Rotary to eradicate polio world-wide! Rotary and the Gates Foundation are determined not to let Polio make a come back!
If you feel compelled to make a difference in your community please join the 1,230,399 like-minded Rotarians who feel the same!
The Oceanside Rotary Clubs of Oceanside are proud to announce their Annual 39th Golf Tournament.
This years tournament will be held at El Camino Country Club located at 3202 Vista Way, Oceanside, CA 92056 on Monday, June 24, 2019. Shotgun start takes place at 1:00 PM. There are many ways to get involved. We are looking for sponsors, golfers, tee sponsors and raffle prizes. The proceeds benefit students and programs of Oceanside and El Camino High as well as other local Rotary Charities.
A fee prior to June 1st of $140.00 includes: 18 hole scramble, Complimentary beer at three holes, awards dinner, entry in a drawing for a major prize, putting contest, raffle and silent auction. Entry Fee after June 15th $150.00
For registration forms or additional information please contact Renee Richardson-Wendee at 760-518-5076
Rotarians at Work Day was held on Saturday, April 28, 2018 at Ivey Ranch in Oceanside. Over 30 members and friends of the Rotary Club of Oceanside gathered for a morning of Community Service. At the conclusion of painting the fences on the property a tree was planted in honor of the day and a BBQ meal was served.
Ivey Ranch is dedicated to encourage the interaction of those of all ages, with and without disabilities, by providing educational and recreational activities. Since 1983 they have served children and adults with disabilities but will not exclude the able bodied, since interaction, inclusion and interaction are important components of their program. They serve over 200 individuals a month.
Rotarians at Work Day is held on the last Saturday of April world wide. The concept was conceived from District 5340 the district which our club falls in. Each club chooses a specific project in the community and the club members participate though work and fundraising. For more information call Renee at 760-518-5076.
your truck and driver!
Oceanside Rotary members family and friends participated in Rotarians At Work Day on Saturday, April 22, 2023. For the second year in a row, our members worked at Oceanview Cemetery, resetting headstones and cleaning up trash! In 2006 Rotarians At Work Day was established by our own District 5340 and currently is observed in cities, States, and Countries around the world! Check with your local Rotary clubs and find out what projects they are working on Rotarians at Work Day.
Oceanside Rotary Kicks off the Holiday Season with a Donation Drive for Women's Resource Center and Bread of Life.
