In September, the Rotary Club of San Pedro celebrates its 100th anniversary, marking a century of service, not only here in our community but throughout the world.

“We are proud of this milestone and the service we have provided in San Pedro over the years,” says attorney Anthony Vulin, who joined Rotary in 1980 and maintains a perfect attendance record at the club’s weekly meetings. “Think about it — our club survived the Great Depression, World War II, Vietnam, the invention of computers, and so many changes in our society and culture. Yet we kept going, putting service above self, and promoting peace and fellowship.”

Despite its long tenure, mention “Rotary” and many still wonder what it’s all about. Isn’t Rotary just another one of those clubs for old white guys who get together to reminisce about their glory days?

Actually, no. First, a little history: Rotary started in 1905, when Chicago attorney Paul Harris organized a group of his friends from different professions to foster friendship and the exchange of ideas. Less than 20 years later, Rotary had spread like wildfire to six continents. By the time Rotary arrived in San Pedro in 1922, more than 100 clubs had been chartered.

Current members of the Rotary Club of San Pedro, photographed July 2022. (photo: John Mattera Photography)

Today, Rotary International boasts 1.4 million members in 46,000 clubs worldwide. In 2021, Rotary Clubs invested $333 million in projects and 47 million volunteer hours. Rotarians work to solve some of our world’s most challenging problems — eradicating polio, providing safe drinking water, and promoting peace.

“You know, a lot of people like to wring their hands and say, ‘Well, what can I do about all the problems in the world?’ But small things done with love make a difference. That’s what I love about Rotary,” says Angie Boles, a retired nurse who just finished a year as club president.

During the pandemic, Rotary stepped up to help distribute food at the Boys and Girls Club. “Looking at the line of cars stretching down the street forever, it was kind of overwhelming,” Boles continues. “But you see the gratitude in people’s faces, and it makes you feel so good.”

The list of community projects San Pedro Rotarians accomplished over the last 100 years could fill a thick book. Rotary passes out gifts to children at the YWCA’s Breakfast with Santa every year. In 2010, when Harbor Interfaith Services’ new building was under construction, Rotarian Bob Wolfenden turned his Auto Palace warehouse into a distribution center for Thanksgiving turkeys, Christmas hams, and gifts. San Pedro Rotarians have made hygiene packages for the men of Beacon House, care packages for soldiers overseas, and “Warm and Fuzzy” backpacks for foster kids taken into protective custody in the middle of the night. Rotarians have donated thousands of books to local schools and spent countless hours reading to children. They’ve given blood, painted murals, and picked up hammers for Habitat for Humanity.

Rotarian Arlene Dickey spearheaded the Buddy Bench project at Fifteenth Street School after seeing a bench at Park Western Place Elementary School. The bench provides a safe haven for kids who feel overwhelmed or bullied. “It was a simple but brilliant idea, and now the benches are all over the L.A. school district and beyond,” Dickey shares. “That’s what Rotary can do — take a good idea and support it.”

San Pedro Rotarians participating in their community reading program at San Pedro Library in 2016. (photo: Rotary Club of San Pedro)

Each month, Rotary recognizes students of the month and each year honors community heroes such as teachers, firefighters, and police officers. “Rotary was based on an exchange of ideas across vocations, so it’s important to us to honor the professionals whose hard work and dedication make our community tick,” says Leon Carroll, named San Pedro Rotarian of the year for his work recognizing students, overseeing the club’s scholarships, and creating a dialogue between police and local youth. Rotary also sponsors clubs for future Rotarians — Interact at the high school level and Rotaract for college students and young professionals.

During COVID, Interact students kept busy with cleanups at Cabrillo Beach and helped weed the Aquarium’s garden. “It meant a lot to these kids to stay active during the pandemic,” says Yolanda Valle-Perry, who served as youth services director for three years.

International service is a huge component of Rotary, and many club members have traveled all over the world to participate in projects — everything from delivering wheelchairs to assisting doctors with polio corrective surgeries or opening a kitchen in an orphanage.Thanks to Rotary, club member Rica Viola has traveled to many destinations since 2008 — Panama, Trinidad and Tobago, Colombia, Guatemala, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Peru, and Mexico. “I want to be part of something bigger than myself,” Viola says. “It’s nice to go to those places, where you are hosted by other Rotarians who teach you about their culture and make sure you’re taken care of while partnering with them on meaningful projects in their country.”

I first learned about the San Pedro club in 1991 when I wrote a story for the News-Pilot. Then-president Chuck Hanchett invited me to accompany the club to Tijuana, where the members built a one-room house for a family over the course of one day. I had my Rotary moment that day when I interviewed the mother, who was my age but already had six children. We all cried when we turned over the keys.

To keep Rotarians cohesive, fellowship is essential. In recent years, Rotarians have competed in cardboard boat races, raced go-carts, and made multiple trips to the Hollywood Bowl. Then there’s the annual Mystery Trip, which challenges Rotarians to board a bus for a 12-hour odyssey without any idea where they’re going or what they’ll see. “We’ve been to an orchid farm in Carpinteria, the Caltech earthquake center, Greystone mansion in Beverly Hills, and watched a helicopter being built right in front of our very eyes,” says Vulin, who planned the secret adventure for many years. “It’s a great way to get a behind-the-scenes look at things most people don’t see.”

For Valle-Perry, the weekly meetings keep her informed and challenged. “That’s why I joined the Rotary — I never want to get old or set in my ways,” she said.

Preparing “Warm and Fuzzy” backpacks for foster kids in Feb. 2022. (photo: Rotary Club of San Pedro)

Although the meeting’s location has changed many times over the years, the club currently meets at 7:15 a.m. every Thursday at the Grand Annex. “Liz and Taran Schindler are both members, and we have supported the Warner Grand Theatre for years, so we are thrilled to meet here,” Valle-Perry says. Each meeting starts with breakfast and a welcome song, with members merrily clinking glasses for visitors. “Anyone who has been to a San Pedro meeting remembers that song,” says Cristian Amaya, an insurance agent who recently visited from his club in Wilmington.

As the San Pedro Rotary prepares for its celebration dinner in September, several members reflect on the club’s life-long influence on their lives. As second-generation Rotarians, Steve Cole, David Martin, and Andrea Clark fondly remember their fathers attending club meetings. “I am so proud to carry on the tradition of community service started by my father, Andy Marincovich,” Clark says. “I can’t imagine my life or this community without the San Pedro Rotary Club.”

Tom Norman, this year’s club president, says if it wasn’t for Rotary, he never would have applied to Harvard. “Rotary literally changed the trajectory of my life,” he shares, “and now I’m happy to give back.” spt

Caroline Brady serves as executive director of Friends of Cabrillo Marine Aquarium. She has been a member of Rotary since 2000.

The Rotary Club of San Pedro’s Centennial Celebration will take place at 5:30 p.m., Sept. 10, at the Dalmatian-American Club (1639 S. Palos Verdes St., San Pedro). Event is open to the public. For tickets, go to sanpedrorotary.eventbrite.com.