Projects are the heartbeat of what we do. Described below are projects that we have completed in the last two years as well as those that are recurring. Projects originate from our members and collectively represent what we CARE about. |
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| Barn Raising Lamorinda Sunrise Rotary members joined students, parents, and community volunteers to help build a new goat barn at Campolindo High School, supporting the school’s horticulture program and the Moraga 4-H Club. With the building's foundation and materials already prepared, LSR volunteers contributed hands-on labor throughout the barn-raising by framing walls, installing siding and roofing, setting windows, and hanging doors. The completed structure now provides a safe, dedicated home for the goats, keeping them separate from the garden area.
Last Event: November 2025 Project Lead: Don Dupont Partners: Campolindo High School and Moraga 4-H |
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| Beds for Kids Too many children go without a bed or even a pillow. Sleep in Heavenly Peace, an organization that supplies beds and bedding for those in need, works to correct that deficiency. Members of Lamorinda Sunrise Rotary rolled up their sleeves alongside other volunteers to build 52 beds. The need is great. At last count, 552 bed requests were waiting to be fulfilled.
Last Event: February 2026 Project Lead: David Lipscomb Partner: Sleep In Heavenly Peace |
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| Breakfast with Champions Lamorinda Sunrise Rotary has teamed up with DVC and Year Up to help students in the Business Program develop the skills necessary to succeed. Year Up's job training program is tuition-free and offers access to today's best companies and a proven path to career success. Rotarians join Year Up students at a business breakfast to help students practice the finer arts of interacting with seasoned business people.
Frequency: Annual Project Lead: Chuck Yeager Partner: Diablo Valley College |
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| California Boys & Girls State We provided financial support to Lafayette Post 517 for its sponsorship of California American Legion Boys & Girls State. This respected program, held each June at Sacramento State University, gives exceptional high school juniors the opportunity to learn about leadership, citizenship, and government through hands-on experience.
Event: June 2026 Project Lead: Paul Bettelheim Partner: Post 517 |
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| Camp Cantare We financially supported Cantare’s Summer Music Camp, which provides the life-changing benefits of high-quality music education for 150 disadvantaged 4-9th graders. Our project also underwrites the salaries of 12 camp counselors, 11th-12th graders, also from under-resourced Oakland communities.
Event: June 2025 Project Lead: Fred Stambaugh Partner: Orinda Rotary |
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| Campolindo High School Greenhouse Irrigation We worked with some Campolindo High School students to install an overhead irrigation system in the School's greenhouse so that students can grow seedlings in winter and share them with other schools in the area.
Event: January 2024 Project Lead: Mark Lewis Partner: Campolindo High School |
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| Camp Royal Camp Royal is a leadership camp for promising high school juniors to help teach leadership skills and instill the confidence needed by tomorrow's leaders. The program is a one-week experience held in the beautiful Lassen National Forest. Camp alums look back at this week as a life-altering positive influence at a crucial time in their lives. LSR typically sponsors the cost of 1-4 students.
Frequency: Annual (June) Project Lead: Ernie Furtado Partner: Rotary District 5160 |
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| Camp Venture Camp Venture is a four-day program sponsored by Rotary that teaches future entrepreneurs the basics of teamwork and developing ideas into marketable products. The program takes place at St. Mary’s College and is designed for high school juniors. LSR typically sponsors the cost of 1-4 students.
Frequency: Annual (June) Project Lead: Ernie Furtado Partner: Rotary District 5160
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| Cancer Support Community Lamorinda Sunrise Rotary supports individuals and families facing cancer through an ongoing partnership with the Cancer Support Community. Club members participate in the annual Hope Walk and, in 2025, made a substantial contribution to the CSC Building Fund while encouraging broader Rotary involvement. In 2026, the club will host the NorCal Kids Triathlon, with proceeds benefiting cancer support programs serving communities throughout the San Francisco Bay Area.
Frequency: Annual (May) Building Campaign (November-December 2025) Project Lead: Brian Donohue
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| Elementary School Educational Gardens Lamorinda Sunrise Rotary, in collaboration with the non-profit Growing Healthy Kids, has partnered to assist elementary schools in the Mount Diablo Unified School District in upgrading their student vegetable gardens by installing drip watering systems controlled by timers. This will guarantee that the vegetables planted in the spring continue to thrive and remain healthy until the children return to school in the fall. Systems were installed in five school gardens this year.
Last Event: June 2024 Project Lead: Mark Lewis Partner: Growing Healthy Kids, MDUSD |
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| Good Character Awards Every year, we honor and recognize middle school students who have demonstrated kindness, integrity, perseverance, compassion, and service to others. These values are embodied in the Rotary 4-Way Test. We collaborate with faculty and administration to identify students exhibiting these positive traits. This process culminates in an award ceremony attended by the students' families, friends, teachers, administrators, and public officials. During the ceremony, attendees hear inspiring stories and witness the presentation of awards to these exceptional individuals.
Ceremony Event: Annual (March) Project Lead: Bob Marino Partners: Joaquin Moraga Middle School, Orinda Intermediate School, Stanley Middle School |
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| Guatemalan Student Sponsorship We sponsor a Guatemalan student and their family through Common Hope, an organization dedicated to ending the cycle of poverty through education and family support. The program provides access to schooling, healthcare, housing, and social services. By supporting education and well-being together, LSR helps make graduation and long-term stability possible. This project embodies Rotary’s mission of creating lasting change by empowering families and communities to achieve brighter, more hopeful lives.
Frequency: Annual Project Lead: Skip McCowan Partner: Common Hope |
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| Guatemala Hydroponics We contributed $2,000 to the project, which will benefit a group of 28 indigenous women from Comalapa and their families, including approximately 25 children. The income generated from the sales of the produce will provide these women with an opportunity to break the cycle of poverty that many indigenous people in Guatemala face.
Last Event: 2023 Project Lead: Skip McCowan Partners: Rotary Club of Vista Hermosa, Rotary Club of Skidway Island, Phalarope |
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| HOME Team Rotary HOME Team is an iconic LSR Project that provides “handyman” services to senior citizens in the Lamorinda area at no cost. Rotarians and volunteers visit seniors by appointment to perform odd jobs that allow seniors to be more independent and stay in their homes as long as possible. This is one of our signature projects, adopted by 30 other Rotary clubs.
Frequency: Every other month Project Lead: Gary Satterfield Partner: Lamorinda Village |
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| Hope Solutions Lamorinda Sunrise Rotary works with Hope Solutions, an organization dedicated to alleviating the impacts of poverty and homelessness by offering permanent housing solutions and essential support services to vulnerable families and individuals. For nearly twenty years, LSR has provided all the ingredients for a Thanksgiving Dinner for each of the families residing at Garden Park Apartments, a Hope Solutions property.
Frequency: Annual Project Lead: Tom Guyette Partner: Hope Solutions |
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| It’s a Wonderful Life Lamorinda Sunrise Rotary serves hot chocolate and marshmallows to 1,500 attendees at the annual Holiday Celebration in Lafayette Plaza. While it may not save lives, this festive gesture fosters goodwill among community members and creates the warm atmosphere of a Midwest Christmas fair.
Frequency: Annual (December) Project Lead: Chris Laszcz-Davis Partner: Lafayette Chamber of Commerce, City of Lafayette |
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| Jump into the Piranha Pool! Each year, DVC offers a challenge to its business students to develop a business plan and present it to a panel for review. Like TV’s Shark Tank, student teams compete for top honors. Rotarians mentor these teams, provide real-world business experience and coach them toward success.
Frequency: Annual (November) Project Lead: Chuck Yeager Partner: Diablo Valley College |
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| Lamorinda Three-Quarter Century Celebration We proudly host the annual Three Quarter Century Club Celebration, honoring Lamorinda residents aged 75 and older who helped shape their community. It celebrates seniors with traditions like crowning a King and Queen and honoring the Longest Married Couple. More than recognition, it’s a joyful reunion promoting connection and gratitude.
Last Event: October 2025 Project Lead: John Fazel Partner: Lamorinda Village |
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| Las Trampas Creek and Leigh Creekside Park Restoration An ecological revitalization is underway, thanks to a partnership between the LSR and the Lafayette Creeks Committee, and the efforts of 30 volunteers who removed invasive plants during the 2025 Lafayette Community Day. Funded by Lamorinda Sunrise Rotary and supported by the City of Lafayette, the project includes infrastructure improvements and the planting of native vegetation, with plans for further removal of invasive species in the coming months. Additionally, conceptual planning has started for the restoration of other creeks in Lafayette.
Last Event: November 2025 Project Lead: Mark Lewis and Paul Bettelheim Partner: City of Lafayette Creeks Committee |
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| LN4 Hand The LN4 hand is a low-cost, durable prosthetic designed to restore basic hand functionality for individuals who will benefit. It enables users to perform essential daily tasks (e.g., grasping, holding, and carrying objects), thereby increasing their independence, confidence, and ability to participate in work, education, and community life. The LN4 hand creates profound value by enhancing quality of life, promoting dignity, and enabling greater social and economic inclusion.
In 2023, a group of 81 Lamorinda Sunrise Rotarians and guests gathered at the Lafayette Veterans Building to assemble 36 prosthetic hand devices. The LN4 Hand is provided to the recipient at no cost. Lamorinda Sunrise Rotary has financially supported the LN4 Hand project for nearly 20 years, and this is the second time we have hosted an assembly project.
Annual Financial Support Project Lead: Terry Pickering Partner: LN4 Foundation |
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| NEW (New Education for Women's) Leadership Lamorinda Sunrise Rotary supports the St. Mary's College NEW Leadership Institute. It is a one-day leadership symposium geared toward college-age women interested in pursuing roles in the political process. The curriculum includes lectures on networking, working with legislators, advocacy and immersion in social and political movements.
Event: September 2025 Project Lead: Chris Laszcz-Davis Partner: St. Mary's College |
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| NorCal Kids Triathlon The NorCal Kids Triathlon inspires children ages 4–14 to stay active and build confidence through swimming, cycling, and running in a fun, safe, and supportive environment. With age-appropriate courses and an encouraging community atmosphere, the event welcomes both first-time participants and young competitors. Proceeds from the event benefit the Cancer Support Community.
Event: Coming August 2026 Project Lead: Terry Pickering Partner: The Orinda Community Foundation |
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| Peace Through Art Peace Through Art is a community initiative led by Rotary in partnership with local middle schools. This program invites students to express their personal interpretations of peace by painting wooden pickets. Each student designs and decorates a picket to convey what peace means to them, focusing on themes such as kindness, empathy, listening, compromise, and understanding.
Each piece reflects themes such as empathy, active listening, compromise, and understanding. We plan to display the pickets throughout the Lamorinda community. These installations connect values, voice, character development, and are aligned with Rotary’s long-standing commitment to peacebuilding.
Event: March 2026 Project Lead: Brad McCullough Partners: Joaquin Moraga Intermediate School, Orinda Intermediate School and Stanley Middle School. |
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| Polio Plus Since the Eradication Program started 35 years ago, members of LSR have donated over $200K. RI has raised $2.5 billion, which the Gates Foundation has matched with $5 billion. Every member has contributed every year since inception, and seventeen members make additional yearly contributions.
Frequency: Ongoing Project Lead: Rich Shearer Partners: Rotary International, WHO, CDC, UNICEF, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and Gavi. |
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| Resettle Afghan Families Afghan refugee families resettling in the U.S. often face unmet needs in key areas such as affordable housing, stable employment, and access to English language education. Many struggle to navigate the healthcare and legal systems, especially with limited language support and cultural understanding. Reliable transportation, ongoing financial assistance, and integration support are also lacking, making it difficult to achieve stability.
The support we provide is tailored to the specific needs of the family. We have helped families find employment, access affordable transportation, and obtain a driver’s license. Most recently, we have been providing groceries on an interim basis until families receive their CalFresh benefits.
Last Event: January 2026 Project Lead: Peggy Cabaniss Partner: Jewish Family Community Services
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| Scholarships LSR offers a range of scholarships designed to support first-time junior college students in advancing their education, with the goal that professional training will serve as a catalyst for their long-term career aspirations. Current scholarship offerings are in the Nursing, Automotive, and STEM disciplines.
Funded at $9,500 Frequency: Annual Project Lead: Chris Laszcz-Davis Partner: Various |
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| Shelterbox It is estimated that more than 100 million people around the world have lost their homes due to natural disasters and conflicts. In response to this issue, the Lamorinda Sunrise Rotary has partnered with Shelterbox to provide emergency shelter, essential tools, and household supplies to displaced families. Our objective is to help them rebuild their lives and restore their hope. Annually, Lamorinda Sunrise Rotary contributes funds to support Shelterbox's mission.
Frequency: Annual Project Lead: Jamie Textor Partner: Shelterbox |
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| STEM Conference AAUW-OML (American Association of University Women - Orinda, Moraga, Lafayette), as part of its mission to advance gender equity for women and girls through research, education, and advocacy, has sponsored an annual STEM Conference at Saint Mary's College since 2016. The Conference is a one-day event that offers interactive STEM workshops to 200 middle school girls from Contra Costa County.
The Lamorinda Sunrise Rotary provides financial support and scores of volunteers led by successful professional women. The club contributes speakers, conference planners, volunteers and finances.
Event: Annual (March) Project Lead: Chris Laszcz-Davis Partner: AAUW-OML |
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| Trinity Center Breakfast Based in Walnut Creek, CA, Trinity Center provides essential services for individuals who are homeless and experiencing poverty. Each month, Lamorinda Sunrise Rotary (LSR) members purchase ingredients, prepare and cook breakfast, serve meals, and clean up. This tradition began with Walnut Creek Sunrise Rotary, and LSR proudly continues it, serving more than 300 meals each year to support our community.
Event: Monthly Project Lead: Mike Ball Partner: Trinity Center |
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| Valley View Middle School Woodshop Lamorinda Sunrise Rotary led the community efforts to revive the woodshop program that was dormant for ten years. The initiative involved replenishing tools, purchasing and installing a modern and safe table saw, and organizing work parties to prepare the woodworking spaces. One objective of the project was to enhance safety in the shop by installing a modern table saw with the best safety features available. The new saw cost approximately $4K, and Lamorinda Sunrise, Pleasant Hill Rotary, and Diablo Woodworkers provided the funding for procurement, assembly and installation. Video
Installation Event: January 2024 Project Lead: David Lipscomb Partners: Valley View Middle School, Pleasant Hill Rotary and Diablo Woodworkers |
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| Wagner Ranch Nature Area The Wagner Ranch Nature Area is a nature preserve and historic site that offers hands-on experiential education to approximately 1,000 Orinda school children annually. The Nature Area's programs have helped students embrace the connection between themselves and their environment and develop a sense of lifelong stewardship.
Unfortunately, the preserve was shut down due to 2022 storm damage. We contributed $5,000 to help restore it, installed deer fencing, and constructed raised beds.
Project Lead: Brad McCullough Last event: May 2024 Partners: Friends of Wagner Ranch and Orinda Unified School District |
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| Walker Ranch This project was a district grant project orchestrated by the Rotary Club of Rossmoor. We have contributed $1,000 to the project, which will benefit adults with autism who have aged out of the public school system and enrolled in the B. Walker Ranch (BWR) day program. The Rotary project will purchase and install a holding tank, an integral part of BWR’s irrigation system supporting their horticultural program.
Timing: 2024-2026 Project Lead: Dan Herbert Partner: Rotary Club of Rossmoor |
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| White Pony Express White Pony Express rescues fresh, perishable food and distributes it to over 80 charitable organizations and food banks, where it is offered to the food-insecure among our neighbors. In 2023, Lamorinda Sunrise Rotary raised over $90,000 to purchase a new refrigerated delivery van for WPE. Since then, LSR volunteers have been helping at the WPE distribution center once a month, and some volunteers have been helping through the Food Rescue Hero Initiative.
Frequency: Monthly Project Lead: Fred Stambaugh Partner: White Pony Express
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| Winter Workshop For Kids Each December, the Lamorinda Sunrise Rotary hosts the Winter Workshop for Kids in Lafayette Plaza Park. More than a hundred children and adults participate in the event, choosing from four craft stations to make a gift for someone they love. Attendees receive free gift materials, a book to take home, hot chocolate, games, and a chance to learn about Rotary. Over thirty-five club members participated. It's a joyful event for all!
Last Event: December 2025 Project Lead: Terry Pickering & Jamie Textor Partners: Lafayette Recreation, All Ages Recreation Downtown |
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| Youth Homes Cherry Lane Facility Improvements We installed artificial turf in the backyard of the Youth Homes' Short-Term Residential Therapeutic Program, enhancing both the beauty and utility of the space for the residents. Additionally, we rehabilitated the fruit orchard, which included deferred pruning, planting replacement trees, and installing drip and gravity-fed irrigation systems. We also dismantled some old equipment that posed an electrical risk. These improvements have created a more welcoming and attractive environment for the residents of Cherry Lane. The enhanced orchard allows them to tend, harvest, and share fruit from their trees, promoting a healthy lifestyle. We are told the residents enjoyed the fruits of their labor by baking apple pies.
Last Event: January 2025 Project Lead: Mark Lewis Partner: Youth Homes |
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