On November 11 at 11:00 AM, honor our veterans at the annual Ashley Pond Veteran’s Day Ceremony.
On November 17, we’ll have an evening social at Fiori e Sale at 6pm.
On November 22, we have our Meals of Hope meal packing event. The event will be held 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM at Crossroads Bible Church. We’re still short about $3000 and 40-50 volunteers. We need every hand we can get to be able to pack 25,000 in 6 hours! If you know anyone willing and able to volunteer or make a donation, help us spread the word!
That’ll put us into the week of Thanksgiving with no meeting planned.
We are also looking for a President-elect for next year. It could be anyone. Even you!
This Tuesday’s meeting will be at Wolf & Mermaid at 6:00 PM. We have some business to discuss—Meals of Hope is a less than a month away!—but mostly it’s just an opportunity to relax, enjoy some fine food and catch up with each other. They have coffee, beer, charcuterie boards, and lots of other bites. I let them know we’re coming, but if you’d like to order in advance so they can have it ready sooner, here’s some photos of the menu. Their number is (505) 584-3460.
Missed last week? You can watch Megan Jackson talk about Big Brother Big Sisters below. Our speaker next week will be Kathryn Born on using AI for humanitarian work.
Thanks to everyone who made last week’s Purple Pinky and Trick Or Treat on Main Street a success! I didn’t get very many pictures yet, but if not come in, I’ll share them.
I also had fun at the Zone Institute in Albuquerque this weekend. I also met many senior and emerging leaders there. It’s inspiring to see so many Rotarians doing so much good work!
Megan Jackson is the Program Specialist for Big Brothers Big Sisters of New Mexico here in Los Alamos. BBBSNM creates lasting one-on-one mentoring matches between caring adults and local youth—because being Big means so much when you’re little. Megan works to connect volunteers with children who share their interests, whether it’s art, sports, or science. There are 29 active matches in Los Alamos and more youth waiting for mentors. With just four hours a month, you can change a life. You can also support their Drive for Matches Golf Tournament.
Big Brothers Big Sisters Program Specialist Megan Jackson with her family on vacation
Purple Pinky & Trick or Treat on Mainstreet This Friday Oct 24
Purple Pinky gives students an opportunity to participate in Rotary’s End Polio Now campaign.
Our annual Purple Pinky fundraiser helps support the Rotary’s End Polio Now campaign to provide polio vaccinations and support for individuals inflicted by polio. If you have elementary school students, please send them to school on Friday, October 24 with this permission slip completed and optionally $1 to help support this mission. You can also give to our fundraiser on LosAlamosGives.org.
Trick Or Treat on Main Street attracts thousands of visitors from around northern New Mexico.
We will also be giving out candy at Trick or Treat on Main Street this Friday 4-6 PM. We hope you’ll come say hi in your costume!
Zone Institute This Week
The Rotary 26-27 Zone Institute started this week and continues through the weekend. It is packed full of opportunities to learn and meet Rotarians from throughout the American West!
Make A Difference With Los Alamos Gives
Los Alamos Gives
The Rotary Club of Los Alamos invites you to take part in three upcoming fundraisers that make a lasting difference in the world and right here at home.
Through Purple Pinky, we join Rotary International’s global effort to end polio—a disease reduced by 99.9% since 1988. On October 24, we’ll partner with Los Alamos Public Schools to help students learn about vaccines and global health. Just $1 can protect a child for life. Donate at losalamosgives.org/story/Purplepinky.
Join us on November 22 for Meals of Hope, a meal-packing event at Crossroads Bible Church (9 AM – 3 PM). With your help, we aim to raise $8,000 and pack 25,000 meals for Northern New Mexico families through The Food Depot. You can contribute or volunteer at losalamosgives.org/story/Mealsofhope.
You can also multiply your impact by supporting our Global Grant Fund, where each dollar is matched 180% by Rotary International and District 5520. This year, we’re funding medical, clean-water, and education projects that empower communities worldwide. Give today at losalamosgives.org/story/globalgrants.
Together, these fundraisers strengthen communities, improve global health, and give hope to those in need. Whether you donate, volunteer, or spread the word, your support fuels Rotary’s mission of Service Above Self.
Join us every Tuesday at noon at the United Church, 2525 Canyon Rd, or visit rotarylosalamos.org to learn more.
I attended the Tri-District International Project Fair this weekend where I learned about all the great Global Grant projects happening in District 5520, 4110, and 5470. I also learned how we can take advantage of Rotary fund matching programs to multiply our club’s impact. For example, we can receive District Designated Funds in proportion to our club’s contributions to The Rotary Foundation’s Annual Fund three years prior. Additionally, we can receive bonus funds if we meet our Every Rotarian Every Year (EREY) goals. Finally, for every dollar we raise to support Global Grant projects, we can receive matching funds of 100% from District 5520 and 80% from The Rotary Foundation. That works both ways when we contribute to other club’s projects and they contribute to ours, encouraging clubs to work together. I hope you will look at this year’s Tri-District Conference Global Grant projects and consider making a contribution to our club’s Global Grant fund to support them.
I want to challenge our club to commit $500-1000 to 2-4 projects this year. It’s a lot to ask considering our club’s membership has shrunk in the past few years, but that we will make the most impact if we act now. We will discuss these opportunities at our lunch meeting today 12:00 PM at United Church.
Purple Pinky October 24
A student receives their purple pinky.
We are looking for Rotarians and Interact students to volunteer at LAPS elementary schools at lunchtime on Friday, October 24. It’s always a joy to watch the students’ excitement as they come to get the purple pinky and support Rotary’s polio eradication efforts. You can also donate through our LosAlamosGives.org fundraising campaign or our Donate page.
Meals of Hope Nov 22
This year, we are committing $8000 to order 25,000 meals. That’s a lot of packing in one day! We need your help on Saturday, November 22 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM at Crossroads Bible Church. You can also help us by donating to our fundraising campaign or through our Donate page.
Our speaker this week is Los Alamos County Airport Manager Gary Stoddard. His career path began with a B.A. in Cultural Anthropology in 1998, after which he worked as an architectural designer and builder in Oakland, CA. In 2014, he earned a master’s degree in systems engineering from Iowa State University’s Industrial Engineering Department and joined Los Alamos National Laboratory as a building automation controls engineer. At the lab, he collaborated with both the Facilities Engineering and Sustainability Program teams, focusing on high-performance sustainable buildings with an emphasis on energy conservation, analysis, and optimized building control systems. For the past twenty years, he has also pursued his passion for hang gliding and piloting airplanes.
Next week, we’ll have geologist Tom McCrory followed by Megan Jackson from Big Brothers Big Sisters on October 21. You can view last week’s speaker Los Alamos Arts Council Brandi Engeman (and other past speakers) on our YouTube channel.
International Project Fair This Weekend
The International Project Fair (formerly known as the Tri-District Conference) will be held this weekend in El Paso, Texas. Come join us to see what Rotary clubs are doing to help their communities and beyond! If you’d like to support our club’s projects, visit our page on LosAlamosGives.org.
Just across the border in Juarez, our club president James Wernicke will be racing in one of the most extreme mountain bike races, the Chupacabras 100K!
Advancing Plant Forward Food Policy
Join the Environmental Sustainability Rotary Action Group (ESRAG) this Wednesday October 8 at 2:00 PM for a conversation on plant forward food policy. This presentation explores how cities, universities, and public institutions can begin shifting toward more plant-based food policies to reduce environmental impacts and support public health. It draws on Canadian case studies including six municipal wins and a national university initiative to highlight practical strategies and lessons learned.
Please join us for lunch at Ruby K’s today at 11:30 AM to meet our Peace Conference Speaker Eria Matsumae. We will be touring Bathtub Row and Los Alamos History Museum before lunch and Bandelier National Monument after lunch if you would like to join us!
Today, our guest speaker is Brandi Engeman, Executive Director of Los Alamos Arts Council (LAAC). Since its founding in 1967, LAAC has served as a catalyst for civic engagement through arts and culture. It operates the Fuller Lodge Art Center, providing gallery space, exhibition opportunities, a gallery shop, studio classes, and community programming. Through art fairs, daytime performance series, the Pajarito Literary Festival, and seasonal events like Pumpkin Glow and the Kite Festival, LAAC fosters cultural participation for all ages. Through individual, household, business, and institutional memberships, as well as partnerships with benefactors, the Arts Council harnesses community support to amplify its reach and sustainability.
Peace Conference This Friday Oct 3
Pathway To Peace Conference
The Pathways to Peace Conference will be this Friday, October 3 at La Fonda in Santa Fe. We are also still looking for volunteers to host our guest in Los Alamos this Wednesday, October 1, and to help at the conference.
Rotary Now On Volunteer Los Alamos
We now have a presence on VolunteerLosAlamos.org where we’ll be posting upcoming volunteer opportunities. You can also check out other local organizations there.
Rotary Friendship Exchange In El Paso
Alejandra and James Wernicke took a trip to El Paso this past weeked to participate in Rotary Club of El Paso Camino Real’s annual Tequila Tasting fundraiser. It was a blast and provided some inspiration for our own fundraising events!
At this week’s lunch meeting, we have Lance Metcalf and Luke Creel speaking about the experiences abroad in youth exchange.
We also have a busy weekend ahead and volunteers are much needed.
Wednesday @ 4:30 PM we’ll be carving and painting foam and decorating our homecoming float. Email info@rotarylosalamos.org or contact James Wernicke for directions.
Friday @ 1:30 PM we’ll meet at Canyon School for the homecoming parade. Please be there on time because the parade won’t wait.
Saturday @ 9:00 AM we have Clean Up Los Alamos Day at the LAHS Memorial Garden and @ 10:30 AM we’ll be switching over to the PEEC Treehouse. Contact After that, come up to Pajarito Mountain for Ullr Fest!
Sunday @ 5:30 PM we have a Rotary Friendship Dinner at Gabriel’s in Pojoaque. Clubs from Espanola and Santa Fe will be there.
It looks like Interact will be helping us with the table at Purple Mountains, so why not just show up and watch the movie to support us instead? Follow the link for tickets. Movie starts @ 1:00 PM.
Purple Mountains
Peace Conference Oct 3, Volunteers Needed
The Pathways to Peace Conference is quickly approaching. Get your tickets before they’re gone! We are urgently looking for an overnight host on September 30 for our Peace Conference guest. Please contact James Wernicke if you have a spare room.
This week’s featured image is from The Food Depot Night At The Warehouse, where Rotarians from Los Alamos and Santa Fe and other community members were treated to a tour of the facility. Did you know they feed more than 40,000 individuals across northern New Mexico every month? That’s a lot of logistics!
This Week’s Speaker – District Governor Tom Simon
This week’s speaker will be District Governor Tom Simon. Missed our recent meeting with FSN Director Jen Demas? You can watch it on YouTube. Last week, Tom McCrory spoke on the wonders of geology. We’re working on uploading a recording to our channel. Have an idea for a speaker? Let us know at info@rotarylosalamos.org.
We are partnering with the Santa Fe Passport Club to host a Peace Conference October 3 at La Fonda Hotel in Santa Fe. Tickets are limited to 100 participants.
Students are free and encouraged to submit art for the charity art auction. The deadline for submissions is September 15. See our Peace Conference page for more info.
Thanks for your interest in volunteering for our Clean Up Los Alamos Day events on Saturday, September 20, 2025. We will be cleaning up trash and loose yard waste at LAHS Memorial Garden9:00-10:30 AM and the PEEC Treehouse at 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM. Email info@rotarylosalamos.org for more info.
Los Alamos Family Strength Network’s annual Lucky Ducky Day is September 27, 2025. It’s a ton of fun and a great way to support an organization that has a huge impact on local families. You can hear FSN Director Jen Demas talk about it at our recent Rotary meeting here.
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