Clovis Rotary named top club in district
Whether it’s personally delivering dictionaries to each third grader in 13 local elementary schools or distributing 500 boxes full of food to needy families at Christmas time, Clovis Rotary Club works to fill the needs of the community.
The club’s service has been recognized at the district level.
Out of 58 Rotary Clubs in its district, Clovis Rotary was honored last month as the 2015-16 Outstanding Club. It was also one of four clubs to receive a gold level Presidential Citation.
“It’s very exciting because it is recognition of what we’ve done as a club,” said Clovis Rotary President Nelson Sebra. “We were recognized for doing the most service of any club in the district.”
The district encompasses four counties: Fresno, Tulare Kings and Monterey. Clovis Rotary has served the community since 1961. This is the first time it has been named the district’s Outstanding Club.
Rotary International is a leadership organization made up of business, professional and civic leaders who wish to give back to their local communities. The Clovis club, 76 members strong, strives to exemplify the Rotary motto of “service above self.”
“We come from all different types of jobs and educational levels and ethnicities,” Sebra said. “Politically we’re different; we have right-wingers in here and we have left-wingers in here. Yet the beauty of it all is we all come together for a common purpose in providing service.”
Each of the club’s projects benefit a different demographic.
“It’s either supporting the military families or supporting the youth or supporting veterans or women that are caught up in human trafficking,” Sebra said.
Nearly 50 organizations are supported by Clovis Rotary, including Clovis Botanical Garden, American Heart Association, Clovis Regional Library and Fresno State Renaissance Scholars.
It’s hard to estimate the number of volunteer hours put in by members, because many members are involved in other organizations and call upon Rotary members to help outside of the club.
“They’ll stand up and say I need 6 people this weekend to help me do something for this or that,” Sebra said. “The beauty of this is as a pool we don’t just isolate ourselves only to Rotary, but we go help each other with other organizations that we’re in if they have a need.”
Clovis Rotary meets at noon on Fridays at Classic Catering, 625 4th St. in Old Town Clovis. Visit www.clovisrotaryclub.com for details.
This story was originally published May 23, 2016 at 3:08 PM with the headline "Clovis Rotary named top club in district."