Dear Rotarians and Friends,
August is already shaping up to be a busy month for Rotary, with opportunities to serve here in Los Alamos, connect with Rotarians across three districts, support our youth programs, and start looking ahead to some major fall activities.
Welcome to Los Alamos, Filippa!
Please join us in giving a warm Rotary welcome to Filippa, our inbound Rotary Youth Exchange student from Denmark!
We are excited to have Filippa in Los Alamos for the coming year and look forward to introducing her to our community, our club, and a little bit of New Mexico culture along the way. Rotary Youth Exchange is one of the best examples of Rotary’s commitment to international understanding, and we hope everyone will take an opportunity to get to know her and help make her year memorable.
Meanwhile, Trey is now in Switzerland, where he is attending language camp as he begins his year as a Rotary Youth Exchange student. He has arrived safely and is getting an intensive introduction to German, Swiss life, and the adventure that comes with spending a year halfway around the world.
With Filippa arriving here while Trey begins his year abroad, we have a wonderful reminder of what Youth Exchange is all about: building understanding one student, one family, and one friendship at a time.
International Project Fair — August 21–22
Rotarians from Districts 4110, 5470, and 5520 will gather in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, August 21–22 for the Tri-District International Project Fair.
The Fair brings clubs with service ideas together with potential international partners and supporters, particularly for projects that may become Rotary Foundation Global Grants. Clubs will have an opportunity to present projects, learn about needs throughout our region, and build the international relationships that make Rotary projects possible.
Our club is planning to participate, and we hope the Fair will help us strengthen existing international partnerships while identifying new opportunities for meaningful service.
For anyone developing a project for the Fair, project abstracts are being requested around August 15, so please reach out soon if you have an idea that should be represented.
Rotary Oktoberfest — Sunday, October 4
Save the date for a new Rotary Club of Los Alamos fundraiser!
Our Rotary Oktoberfest is confirmed for the afternoon of Sunday, October 4, at Bathtub Row Brewing Co.
Bathtub Row is providing the venue without an event fee and has offered to donate $1 from each beverage sold during the event. Local musician Jamie O’Hara is already scheduled to perform on the patio from 3–5 p.m.
We are still working through food, sponsorship, and other event details, but expect an afternoon of music, food and drink, fellowship, and fundraising for Rotary service projects.
More information will be coming soon, and we will need plenty of Rotarians to help with sponsorships, promotion, setup, and the event itself. Please start spreading the word and mark October 4 on your calendar.
Purple Pinky Is Coming Back
Our Purple Pinky campaign will return this Rotary year as we continue supporting Rotary’s effort to eradicate polio.
Proceeds from our Purple Pinky activities will go directly to PolioPlus, helping Rotary and its partners continue the work of reaching children and finishing the job of global polio eradication.
The date and details are still being finalized, so watch for an announcement and opportunities to volunteer. Our goal this year is to make Purple Pinky more visible in the community while reminding people that Rotary has been at the center of the fight against polio for decades.
Join Us at the Friday Night Concerts
Our Rotary presence at the Los Alamos Friday Night Concert Series continues throughout the summer.
These evenings are an easy and enjoyable way to represent Rotary in the community. Come spend some time at the Rotary table, visit with neighbors, tell people what Rotary does, and invite someone who might make a great future member.
You don’t need a sales pitch — just come enjoy the music and share your own Rotary story.
Looking Back: RYLA 2026
Another successful Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) season wrapped up in July after two weeks of leadership camp for young people from across District 5520.
The boys’ and girls’ camps challenged participants through team-building, leadership development, service, communication, and plenty of new experiences. Judging from the daily RYLA journals, campers left with stronger friendships, greater confidence, and memories that will last far beyond the week itself.
Thank you to the Rotarians, counselors, volunteers, clubs, and families who helped make RYLA possible. Programs like RYLA demonstrate what Rotary can accomplish when we invest directly in the next generation of leaders.
Rotary at the Rodeo Parade
Thank you to everyone who helped decorate, organize, walk, ride, wave, and represent Rotary in the Los Alamos County Fair & Rodeo Parade on August 8.
Community events like the parade give us an opportunity to be visible not simply as an organization that meets for lunch, but as neighbors who are actively involved in Los Alamos.
Thanks to everyone who helped put Rotary out in front of the community!
Membership Dues Reminder
If you have not yet paid your 2026–27 Rotary Club dues, please do so as soon as possible.
Annual dues are $250 for the Rotary year. Dues support our club’s operations as well as our obligations to District 5520 and Rotary International.
If yours are still outstanding, please get them to Vince. Members who need to make other payment arrangements should reach out rather than letting dues linger.
There’s Plenty Ahead
Between Youth Exchange, the International Project Fair, Friday Night Concerts, Purple Pinky, and our first Rotary Oktoberfest, there are many ways to participate during the next few months.
You don’t have to do everything. Pick something that interests you, invite somebody along, and get involved. The more of us who participate, the more fun we have — and the more Rotary can accomplish.
Have a spare minute? Read a Rotarian Minute!
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