COMMUNITY & CLUBS:

Mike Scheafer, past president of the Costa Mesa Newport Harbor sent out a letter that many local non-profit organizations have been looking forward to receiving. The letter invites recipients to attend a special Lions Club dinner March 25 at the Costa Mesa Golf and Country Club to receive part of the proceeds from the Club’s annual Fish Fry.

“Over the 60-plus years that our Lions Club has held the event, we have been able to give back well over $1.5 million. It is our mission and goal to serve our community, and we have found no better way to do that than in giving to organizations who also serve,” Scheafer said.

The 2008 Fish Fry will be May 31 and June 1 at Lions Park in Costa Mesa. Book the date and plan on bringing the family to a wonderful community event.

ROTARY’S GROUPs exchange visits between U.S., Chile

A Rotary Group Study Exchange Team from District 4320 in northern Chile is spending February with Rotarians in Orange and Los Angeles counties, according to District Gov. John Brainerd. The five include one Rotarian serving as team leader and four non-Rotarians, all of whom have home stays with local Rotarians, vocational visitation to learn about their U.S. profession and who see attractions, such as Disneyland.

Leading the tour is Jorge Gonzalo Vega Diaz, a Rotarian since 1993 in Valparaiso, Chile, who provides assistance to businesses involved in International Trade. Team members include Edith Andrea Contreras Tobar, who is studying to be a veterinarian; Carla Francesca Anziani Ribera, a journalist, TV and radio correspondent; Mauricio Andres Hermosilla Lara, an English teacher; and Jorge Cristian Lohse Munoz, a veterinarian and a professor at the Universidad de Vina de Mar.

This coming week, the GSE Team members will be home, hosted by Rotarians from the Rotary Club of Newport Irvine, while Rotarians from Newport-Balboa will provide daytime vocational visits, including Monday afternoon’s tour of the Daily Pilot and Los Angeles Times’ facility on Sunflower Avenue in Costa Mesa. Starting Friday, the GSE team joins more than 700 local Rotarians at the annual district conference at the Hyatt Regency Newport Beach. In April, a delegation from Dist. 5320 will head to Chile for its part of a monthlong exchange.

WORTH REPEATING

Thought for the Day as provided by Greg Kelley of the Newport Mesa Irvine Interfaith Council “Real difficulties can be overcome, it is only the imaginary ones that are unconquerable.”

COMMUNITY & CLUBS is published Saturdays. Send your service club’s meeting information by fax to (714) 921-8655 or by e-mail to [email protected].