Rotary Club of Walnut Creek Early Years Rotary International had it’s beginning in 1905. This took place in Chicago, Illinois. Thirty two years later on April 7, 1937, Walnut Creek joined the other 4190 Rotary Clubs in the World. With the Charter presented on that date, The Rotary Club of Walnut Creek became a reality… Read More »Rotary Club of Walnut Creek – The Early Years

I-House Tours             Rotary Club of Walnut Creek (RCWC) has sponsored an agriculture tour of Contra Costa County for over 45 years.  The tours are composed of more than 40 students and visiting professors from about 20 countries.  Tours start from the International House (hence the name) at UC Berkeley and travel throughout the eastern… Read More »I-House Tours

The club’s Community Foundation was established in response to rulings by the Internal Revenue Service over charitable organizations.  The “Foundation” is legally recognized by the IRFS as a 501(C) (3) charitable organization.  It is the “funnel” of tax exempt money to community charitable causes.  All club members are encouraged to contribute to the fund annually… Read More »Rotary Club of Walnut Creek – Community Foundation (Established in 1989)

The Rotary Club of Walnut Creek has performed a number of projects and support activities for the City’s premier park – Heather Farm.  An early project was a new Kiosk (2003). The Club was asked by the City to design and construct an information Kiosk for park visitors. About 20 club members were involved in… Read More »Heather Farm Park (ongoing)

This library was named for a long time Walnut Creek Rotarian who donated the property and funds to the City for a library in North Walnut Creek. After the building was completed in 1975 our Rotary Club donated $8000 to furnish the meeting room which was named for his wife Nell Casey. In  2007 the… Read More »Thurman G. Casey Library (1975 & 2007)

Since 2008, the Rotary Club of Walnut Creek has been a major sponsor of Challenge Day at Northgate High School. In 2008, the Northgate’s Parent Faculty Club (“PFC”) decided that the atmosphere of bullying and intimidation at Northgate needed to change. They looked into different alternatives and decided that Challenge Day was the organization needed… Read More »Challenge Day at Northgte High School

Camp Royal Camp Royal is the Rotary Youth Leadership Award (RYLA) Conference organized each June in the mountains of northern California.  The 71 Rotary Clubs of Rotary International District 5160 have been providing this leadership learning opportunity for high school students who have finished their junior year since 1979. This is a premier leadership training opportunity… Read More »Camp Royal & Camp Venture

Inner Wheel is an international organization, closely linked to Rotary, that was founded in 1924 to unite wives and daughters of Rotarians. Currently there are 103,000 members in 3,895 clubs around the world. The objectives of Inner Wheel are (a) promoting true friendship, (b) encouraging the ideals of personal service, and (c) fostering international understanding.… Read More »Inner Wheel

Back in September, 2013, many fire fighters from the Contra Costa Fire Department were fighting the Morgan Fire on Mt Diablo. The entire crew from Fire Station 7 in Walnut Creek was included in that effort. While that crew was away, someone broke into the fire station and stole personal property of the fire fighters.… Read More »Fire Station 7 Alarm System

The Concord RotaCare Clinic began offering free health care to the most needy, uninsured, of our community in September of 2009.  This was after a two year research and effort to create a business plan, raise funds, recruit personnel and establish relationships with health care providers. Since beginning to provide urgent care, the program has… Read More »Concord RotoCare Clinic (beginning 2009)

The new Walnut Creek Library was a joint project of a non-governmental citizen’s group and the City of Walnut Creek.  The citizen’s group raised major portions of the state of the art facility situated near City Hall and adjacent to Civic Park. The Rotary Club of Walnut Creek contributed a total of $25,000 for an… Read More »New Walnut Creek Library (2008-2009)

The Soviet Union dissolved at the end of 1991 and in the wake of this upheaval, former Soviet block countries attempted to evolve from communism to democracy and capitalism. There was no roadmap for such a transition, no pre-established sets of rules or how-tos for these governments and the fledgling businesses within these countries. Many… Read More »Russian Bakers and Realtors

Meals on Wheels is an organization that provides hot meals for house-bound elderly and disabled clients. Clients pay for these meals on a sliding scale, with more affluent clients paying full price while low income clients paying minimum rates. In 2005, Rotarian Bob Romero began looking into having the Club do a Meals on Wheels… Read More »Meals on Wheels

Borges Ranch is a Walnut Creek City Park nestled in the hills of Eastern Walnut Creek.  The farm was a homestead established by the Borges family in the late 1900’s .  Today, the park is a favored venue for learning about family life in the early days of Walnut Creek.  The Rotary Club of Walnut… Read More »2004 – Borges Ranch

President Barry Slavin (2000-2001) selected this as his major hands on project.  Club Members helped design the project with the City Architect.  (The plans were subsequently used at an amphitheater at Borges Ranch.  See separate article.)  The city supplied the material and the club supplied the labor. The project was placed in a natural bowl… Read More »Sugarloaf Open Space Amphitheater (2001)

Adopt-A-Highway Advertising Day Alexander Lindsey Museum Amphitheater at Borges Ranch Amphitheater at Sugar Loaf Anniversary Celebration Annual Crab Feed Aqua Nicaragua Project Arbolado Park Bandstand at Civic Park Battered Women’s Alternative Bancroft Garden Boy Scouts Buffalo Soldiers Burkina Faso Water Project Camp Royal Camp Venture City of Walnut Creek Civic Park Flag Poles Contra Costa… Read More »Partial List Of Community Projects That The Rotary Club Of Walnut Creek Has Supported:

Rotary Club of Walnut Creek – A Brief History Walnut Creek gained a new community friend in 1937 when, on April 7, the Rotary Club of Walnut Creek (RCWC) was chartered. It was the brainchild of OP. (Opie) Erdahl (who became charter president) Bill Gean and Dwight Porter. But the Club was not easily born.… Read More »Brief History Of Rotary Club Of Walnut Creek:

The Fishing in the City program is a unique partnership between the California Department of Fish and Game, Buena Vista School, Rotary Club of Walnut Creek, and the City of Walnut Creek. This program is conducted by the Rotary Club, Department of Fish and Game and Walnut Creek elementary schools and is held at the… Read More »Fishing in the City (1999)

Since 1999, the Rotary Club of Walnut Creek has provided the “Diablo Assistance League” with service projects and financial support to help achieving their mission.  The League’s mission statement is “a nonprofit member volunteer organization dedicated to improving lives in our community through hands-on programs.” President Russ Anderson (1998-1999) selected as his major project the… Read More »Assistance League of the Diablo Valley (Since 1999)

The annual crab feed was begun under President Russ Anderson (1998 – 1999) and continues to be the single largest fund raiser for the Rotary Club of Walnut Creek.  Nearly every member of the club participates in one way or another to make the crab feed a success.  The event features tables full of “bargain”… Read More »1999 – Annual Crab Feed

            Bancroft Gardens have played an important role with the Rotary Club of Walnut Creek (RCWC) over the years.  Phil Bancroft Sr. and Phil Bancroft Jr. were both members of the club.  The family was longtime pear and walnut growers in the Ygnacio Valley area of the city. For many years, Ruth Bancroft, wife of… Read More »Ruth Bancroft Gardens (1997)

Bandstand construction was a project of the Walnut Creek Chamber of Commerce. The Rotary Club of Walnut Creek contributed funds and labor assistance assistance of club members. The three flag poles in Civic Park were a gift to the city from our club and the Rotary Club of Tokyo – Kohoku  to recognize the club’s… Read More »Civic Park Bandstand and Flag Poles (1997)