Club Visits – Yorba Linda Sunrise

Last month I wrote about my visit to the Santa Ana North club and it was well received.   Several people asked that I make a visit to their club and do a write-up.   Encourage, I decided to visit the Yorba Linda Sunrise club, also known as the Lobsterfest club.   The club’s fundraising event has become a staple within their community and an event many Rotarians place on their calendar.   I enjoyed meeting current president, Vince Campion, at hospitality night at the District Conference.   He spent the evening with a lobster hat on his head and I figured he must run a fun Rotary meeting.   I was right.

The club meets on Friday mornings at 7:00a.m.at the Black Gold Golf Club. Upon entering, I saw quite a few familiar faces of people I’d met at other district functions, Rich Peplin, Abby Cook, Dale Madsen, Geri Sexton, Ian Hicks and of course PDG Herb Trumpoldt is in this club.   The club was chartered in 1986 and has 60 members. George Giacumakis was a charter member in attendance that morning.

The golf club sets up a very nice buffet breakfast that included all the usual breakfast items, even fruit and oatmeal for members looking to eat healthy.   I preferred the sausage, bacon with biscuits and gravy.   I don’t get to eat breakfast that often and I had to take advantage of this.  

Vince does run a fun meeting.   He had the members stand for an early morning song.   I have to say that singing is not a strong suit of this club.   Maybe it was just too early.   When I was there, the club was planning for its 21 ^st annual Lobstefest.   I was told that the idea for the event was brought back to the club after one of their members attended a similar event in Canada .   It is traditional for the president elect to chair the huge fundraiser and this year that’s Rick Reilly.   On this day, many members volunteered to donate themed baskets, a use of a vacation condo, individual items, such as an Ipod and more for the silent auction and raffle at the festival. It was mentioned that each member is responsible to donate an item or service of at least $100.00 value.  

Interestingly, when the first event was held, it was held in club member, Dave Hall’s auto parts store parking lot because of permit issues.   It is now held at the beautiful Yorba Linda Community Center .     While there were about 400 people the first year and the club netted about $8,000.00, last year’s event netted the club more than $100,000 to use for it’s many projects and there were about 1400 attendees and 4600 pound of lobster sold.

On this morning, the club gave a check of $7,000.00 to Ron Brown, director of Santa Ana Teen Challenge, an organization that runs a residential program for teens at risk for drugs and gang violence.   Ron pointed out that there are over 118 gangs in Santa Ana .   Their program also provides after school tutoring and the use of a computer lab that the Yorba Linda Sunrise club help fund.   Ron mentioned that the $7,000.00 would help fund a new roof for the Teen Challenge facility.

More than $132,000 in contributions to community, vocational and international projects will be made by the club in 2007-2008.   The club is proud of so many past projects, including funding of Boys & Girls clubs of Brea-Placentia-Yorba Linda; donation of Shelter Boxes for disaster relief; holiday party for Special Needs children; Corazon house build in Mexico; the YLS Rotary Club Education Fund, established in 2001 that has provided more than $145,000 in grants to elementary and middle schools in the community and countless other projects.

I really enjoyed my visit to the Yorba Linda Sunrise club, even if it was near the crack of dawn and they were bad singers J .    I encourage all of you to visit them and see and hear for yourselves.   Try the biscuits and gravy.

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