Community Corner

Carlsbad Hi-Noon Rotarians Raise More Than $50k for Kids, Teens and Marines

Many in the Carlsbad community—and beyond—have benefitted as a result of te Carlsbad Hi-Noon Rotary Club's fundraising efforts during the first half of the 2012-2013 Rotary year that began July 1.

In the last six months, Carlsbad Hi-Noon Rotary has hosted its annual golf tournament and joined forces with its sister Carlsbad Rotary Club to host the annual Carlsbad Oktoberfest. As a result, Hi-Noon Rotarians have raised more than $50,000 for scholarships for teens and Marines, hosted a Jefferson Elementary School Christmas party and provided Christmas gifts to 10 Jefferson families in need (50 persons), and gave financial support to the Carlsbad Police and Fire Explorers’ program and the Agua Hedionda Lagoon Foundation.

Since July 1, almost $7,500 has been distributed to the Carlsbad Education Foundation, La Posada, La Costa Youth Organization, Trauma Intervention Program (TIP), the Veterans Association of North County, Carlsbad Music Foundation and the Carlsbad High Music Festival.

“In today's economic environment,” said club president Yvonne Finocchiaro, “Hi-Noon Rotarians use their minds, their muscles and their money to improve the lives of their neighbors.  ‘Service Above Self’ is alive and well in Carlsbad." Service Above Self is the motto of Rotary International, an organization of men and women worldwide. 

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Beyond funds, Finocchiaro said, the Hi-Noon Rotarians have provided hands-on assistance by helping the city with its Batiquitos Lagoon Trail clean-up, the Pendleton Military Outreach Ministries (MOM) with a loading dock repair, and the Carlsbad Christmas Bureau with volunteers and by providing food and gifts for some of the more than 500 families served by the bureau last December.

Club members have put on a book fair at Jefferson Elementary School and distributed dictionaries to every third-grade student in the Carlsbad school district.

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Finocchiaro said the Hi-Noon club has been involved with several international projects. So far this Rotary year, Hi-Noon has donated $2,500 for a water project in India, $2,500 for a water filtration system for an elementary school in Tulare County (CA), and $1,500 for solar panels and batteries as part of the club’s ongoing support of a school in Belize.

For more information on Hi-Noon Rotary, go to carlasbadhinoonrotary.org.


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