Author: Rotary Club of Los Alamos

Nov 26: Happy Thanksgiving!

Dear Rotarians and Friends,

As we enjoy delicious meals and cherished company this holiday, let’s take some time to reflect on all we have to be thankful for, and extend our gratitude to the community that supports us, the partners who join us in our efforts, and each one of you who dedicates your time and talents to making an positive impact in our community and beyond. Thank you for being an integral part of this Rotary family. May your Thanksgiving be filled with warmth, joy, and food comas.

Yours in Rotary,
James Wernicke

LAHS Interact Club Raises $1334 To Combat Human Trafficking

Dear Rotarians,

Bob and I attended the Interact fundraiser last night in support of Vos Tambien, a non-profit in Argentina that works to prevent human trafficking.  A representative from the organization gave a very informative presentation about Vos Tambien’s work and the heart-breaking circumstances they try to alleviate, especially among women and children.  A sobering comment:  “Drugs can only be sold once; a child can be sold over and over and over.”

With donations, a bake sale, and silent auction, Interactors raised $1342.  They are to be congratulated for their hard work, attentive planning, and enthusiasm.  We are so fortunate to have them representing Rotary!

See you on December 3rd.  In the meantime, best wishes for a healthy and abundant Thanksgiving!

– Linda H.

Flowers For Linda

Dear Rotarians,

On behalf of our Club, I ordered this arrangement from Flowers by Gillian
for Linda Bullock as she recovers from her recent fall.  She assured me the
flowers are beautiful and lifting her spirits!

– Linda H.

RYE Student Annabelle Rosette On Spain

Last week, Annabelle Rosette presented on her experience with Rotary Youth Exchange last year in Spain. During her time abroad, she fully embraced the culture, immersing herself in the language, traditions, and daily life of her host community and international friends. In addition to Spanish, she took Latin and Greek classes, walked the Camino de Santiago, and hiked the Pyrenees.

2025 Zone Institute Early Registration Ends Nov 30!

After an absence of 15 years, the Zone 26/27 Institute will be held in Albuquerque next October 23-25, 2025. This is a wonderful opportunity to experience Rotary beyond our communities and our District. Every Rotarian is welcome to attend the Institute but, based on my experience as a Club President and Governor, Club and District leaders will especially benefit from the Zone Institute experience!

You’ll meet Zone leadership as well as Rotary International and Rotary Foundation leaders. You’ll meet Rotarians from our Zones with lots of programs and ideas. Rotarians from West Texas to Hawaii, from New Mexico to the northern border (and even Vancouver, BC) will be there!

Experience peer-to-peer sessions, presentations on topics as diverse as AI, experiences of our Peace Fellow, a Polio Day project, dedicating a Peace Pole and, of course, presentation of District 5520 Governor-Elect Jeff Weinrach and Clare.

Early registration at considerable savings is available now through the end of November. Register now HERE or using the link on the attached flyer! See you there!

Tom Walker
District 5520 Zone Institute Support Co-Chair

Tonight: County Proclamation For Los Alamos Gives, Support Your Favorite Non-Profits For A Surprise $1000 Grant

At tonight’s meeting, the County Council will recognize community organizations and Los Alamos Gives. Show your support by wearing your community organization shirt and nominating them for a chance at a $1000 grant. Visit https://losalamosgives.org for more info on how you can support location community organizations.

Nov 19: Youth Leadership, Interact Silent Auction Nov 23, Bi-District Conference Recap

This week’s speakers will be Malin Eidenbenz and Annabelle Rosette, who will share their experiences with Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) and Rotary Youth Exchange (RYE). If you can’t attend in person, please join us on Zoom.

Interact Silent Auction Nov 23

The Los Alamos High School Rotary Interact Club is hosting a silent auction supporting a local anti-human trafficking program called Vos Tambien! The event will be on Saturday, November 23, 6:30PM to 8PM at Fuller Lodge! There will be a guest speaker, a live string quartet, baked goods, and hot chocolate! Many local businesses have donated coupons and products to auction off, so this is your chance to get lucky!

Bi-District Conference Recap

This past weekend, I attended our Bi-District Conference in Juarez, Mexico to see what’s new with our southern neighbors in District 4110.

Friday’s icebreaker was an opportunity to meet new members and reconnect with old acquaintances over glasses of sotol, Chihuahua’s agave-based social lubricant. The conference ceremonially opened with a warm welcome of the conference back to Mexico and exchange of gifts between District Governors Sergio Tejeda and Yasser Murga.

After the opening ceremonies, it was off to the dinner hall where members traded flags of their home countries and were treated to a mariachi performance.

I shared a dinner table with our District 5520 Immediate Past Governor Richard Haas, Truth or Consequences Club President Stephen Buckley, and members of the Monclova Club in Coahuila, Mexico.

At Saturday’s Project Fair, the Monclova club presented their work providing purified water to schools in their hometown. Many students in their community suffer from diabetes and other health effects due to drinking sugary drinks because there is no safe water available to drink in their schools.

Other Global Grant projects included the prevention of Rickettsial (tick-borne) disease, improving math education through gamification, a sensory chamber for children with neurological impairments, and cooling chambers to reduce the harm of oxygen deprivation in premature births. Other projects included providing cataract surgeries, meals for afterschool programs, orthopedic surgeries, wheelchairs, heart surgeries, and an ambulance to communities in need. More details about these projects can be found at 4110-5520.com.

There’s a big world of Rotary outside of our club. Here’s some links to learn more:

Meals Of Hope Packs 25,000 Meals!

Thank you to everyone who came to Meals of Hope! Here are some photos from the event.

Nov 12: Schoenberg on Fusion

This week, Kurt Schoenberg will present his follow-up talk on fusion energy.

Kurt is an accomplished physicist and scientific leader with over 30 years of experience at large and complex R&D organizations, facilities, and projects. At the Los Alamos National Laboratory, he developed and led major research initiatives in neutron-based science, high energy density physics, inertial confinement science, magnetic fusion energy, plasma-based manufacturing, plasma-based space propulsion, and more. Most recently, Kurt was a member of the senior management team at Los Alamos, where he was Director of the Los Alamos Neutron Science Center (LANSCE) and Deputy Associate Laboratory Director for Experimental Physical Sciences. As LANSCE Director, he led the Laboratory’s premier accelerator-based facility for national security, energy security, isotope production, and fundamental science research. He also directed experimental physical science research in material science, nuclear physics, and plasma physics within the Physical Sciences Directorate at Los Alamos.

Today, Kurt is managing partner of Applied Science Enterprises LLC, a scientific consulting company providing science-based counsel to government and industry. He also serves as the Spokesperson for the High Energy Density Physics Collaboration (HED@FAIR) at the Facility for Antiproton and Ion Research (FAIR).

Kurt received his B.S. in Engineering Physics with high honours from the University of Illinois in 1972 and earned his Ph.D. in Physics from the University of California, Berkeley, in 1979.

Welcome Our Newest Member, Victoria Garcia!

Last week, Victoria Garcia was inducted into our club. Victoria is a dedicated and results-oriented Sales Manager with over a decade of experience in the Senior Care industry. She combines strong client relationship management skills with a deep commitment to enhancing the lives of seniors through compassionate, safety-focused service. Bilingual in Spanish, she excels in cross-functional communication, project management, and training development. She obtained her Associate’s Degree in Early Childhood Development and is a Certified Dementia Practitioner. She also designed this year’s Meals of Hope flyer. Welcome, Victoria!

Bi-District Conference Next Weekend!

The Bi-District Conference is almost here! See you in Ciudad Juarez! Questions? Contact Raul Cota or Donette Wagner.

Nov 9: Please Help Us Provide Meals of Hope!

Please join us tomorrow morning November 9 at 8:30 AM at Crossroads Bible Church to help us pack 25,000 meals for families around New Mexico. Please also consider making a tax-deductible donation to help us offset costs.

A special guest—District Governor Yasser Murga—will be joining us. As a token of our appreciation, we are giving him a gift basket containing things that symbolize Los Alamos. If you would like to include something, please bring it tomorrow morning to add to the basket.

Nov 5: Jessica Taylor on Junior Achievement, Meals of Hope Nov 9, Bi-District Conference Nov 14-15

At today’s meeting, Jessica Taylor will discuss junior achievement. If you can’t join in person, please join us on Zoom.

Meals of Hope Nov 9

Please join us this Saturday at Crossroads Bible Church at 8:30 to help pack 12,000 meals for local food banks! Please sign up here as it helps us track performance for future funding.

Bi-District Conference Nov 15-16

The Bi-District Conference is just a week away! See you in Ciudad Juarez! Questions? Contact Raul Cota.

Oct 29: The Food Depot

Thanks to everybody who came out last week for Purple Pinky and Trick or Treat on Mainstreet. A special shoutout to our Interact students for helping!

The Food Depot Executive Director Jill Dixon will present their actions to combat hunger in northern New Mexico. The Food Depot programs and partner agencies distribute 10 million pounds of food annually across a nine-county service area. 1 in 7 New Mexicans experiences food insecurity, a lack of consistent access to healthy foods. As your Northern New Mexico food bank, The Food Depot’s partner nonprofits and innovative hunger-relief programs are here to provide food and support services to 40,000 people experiencing food insecurity. In 2023, The Food Depot’s fleet of vehicles traveled over 400,000 miles across nine counties.

Don’t forget Meals of Hope coming up November 9 and the Bi-District Conference November 14-15!

  • Packing meals at a Meals of Hope event.
    Packing meals at a Meals of Hope event.
  • Meals Of Hope
  • Filling bins with pasta at a Meals Of Hope event.
    Filling bins with pasta at a Meals Of Hope event.
  • Packing meals at a Meals of Hope event.
    Packing meals at a Meals of Hope event.

Today is World Polio Day

What is polio?

Polio (poliomyelitis) is a crippling and potentially deadly infectious disease caused by the poliovirus. It mainly affects children under the age of 5. Polio can cause permanent paralysis and even death.

How is Rotary making a difference?

  • Collaborating with global partners to organize mass immunization drives, reaching millions of children, even in remote and hard-to-reach areas.
  • Raising awareness about the importance of polio vaccines, helping dispel myths and encouraging participation in vaccination campaigns.
  • Advocating to governments to ensure sustained political and financial support for eradication efforts.
  • Building infrastructure such as healthcare systems, laboratories, and rapid-response teams to detect and contain outbreaks.
  • Innovating solutions like traveling by boat, camel, or foot to ensure no child is left unvaccinated.

Our work has already made a significant impact, reducing polio cases by 99.9% since 1988.

Why do we need your help?

Even with only a few cases left, we must continue our efforts until the world is polio-free. As long as one child remains infected, children everywhere are at risk. Your donations and volunteer efforts are crucial in delivering vaccines, supporting surveillance, and providing life-saving resources.

Protecting a child from polio for life only costs $3.

How can you get involved?

  • Donate to help fund vaccines, healthcare workers, and community education.
  • Volunteer to join a local Rotary chapter and participate in vaccination efforts.
  • Raise awareness about polio eradication efforts on social media.

Together, we can make history by ending polio for good. Be part of the solution – join Rotary today! For more information, visit EndPolio.org.

  • A class of students who received their purple pinkies.
  • Service Chair James Wernicke poses with a student who received their purple pinky.
  • Club President Tim Bullock and Service Chair James Wernicke pose for a photo in between student groups.
  • Club President Tim Bullock applies purple ink to indicate a vaccinated a child.

Oct 22: General Assembly & Youth Exchange Presentations

This week, we’ll gather for a General Assembly and Youth Exchange presentations. We also have Purple Pinky and Trick or Treat on Mainstreet this Friday, October 25.

Thanks to Victoria Martinez for making this year’s Meals of Hope flyer! Please share with your friends and join us November 9 at Crossroads Bible Church. The Bi-District Conference is also fast approaching November 14-15!

Lastly, please respond to Club President Greg Viola if you plan to attend our Holiday Dinner at Muy Salsas on December 10th. Be sure to include any guests so we know how many mouths to feed!

  • A class of students who received their purple pinkies.

Oct 8: Lemonade Living

This week’s speaker is Melissa Arias from Lemonade Living.

When a developmentally disabled or special needs young adult ages out of high school, parents may wonder, “What next?!” Local families have been faced with the choice of leaving Los Alamos for services or letting their loved ones sit at home and age. Many families have left to find services elsewhere. We want to change that. Lemonade Living wants to make life sweet here in Los Alamos.

Inspired by the high school’s Living Skills program, Lemonade Living was founded with the dream of a farm with therapy services that would blend into the community and provide life enrichment activities through arts and music, academic and job skills development, and social activities throughout the community.

Can’t make it in person? Join us on Zoom! Don’t forget to check out upcoming events like Purple Pinky and Trick or Treat on Mainstreet on our calendar!