Rotary Clubs

Rotary Clubs of Atascadero & Templeton

By Camille DeVaul and Christianna Marks

For more than 110 years, Rotary Clubs around the world have dedicated their time and efforts to taking action to create lasting changes across the globe, in local communities, and in themselves.

Our local Rotary Clubs in North County have made countless efforts to support our youth and community, from the Fourth of July Parade in Templeton to the Annual Crab Feed in Atascadero — they are always up to something.

So it is only fair to take some time to highlight our three local club chapters and understand their role in our communities.

Templeton

The Rotary Club of Templeton is one of the newer clubs in the North County, now celebrating 21 years of being a chapter.

Most notably, the Rotary Club of Templeton is known for putting on one of the county’s most notable Fourth of July parades. Each Independence Day, thousands gather along Main Street in Templeton to watch patriotic parade entries stroll down and then purchase fireworks from the booths scattered around town.

The parade is the club’s largest fundraiser of the year, raising funds for scholarships handed out at the end of the school year. Five 2022 graduating Templeton High School students received scholarships this year.

2022 Scholarship Winners:

• Ashlyn Janzen — $1,000 • Madeline Bobbitt — $750 • Ashlyn Estes — $750 • Molly Floberg — $500 • Mackay Langley — $500 (Vocational/ Trade)

When the club isn’t preparing for the Fourth of July, they take their time and skills around town to either fix up things like the Templeton Park Gazebo or wherever they can lend a hand.

The Rotary Club of Templeton meets every first and third Tuesday of the month at McPhee’s Grill on Main Street in Templeton at 7 a.m. For more information, visit templetonrotary.club

Atascadero

Atascadero’s Rotary Club is no stranger to the community. Starting in 1950, the club has become a staple in the city, and pulls in long-standing members, such as Frank Platz, who joined in August 1951 and is still attending meetings today.

The current 56 members meet every Wednesday at Spring Hill Suites in Atascadero from noon until 1:30 p.m.

“We encourage people to visit us at any of our meetings to learn more about who we are and what we do, have some fun, and meet other community members,” said President Bob Tanaka. “Our meetings consist of individual business owners, community members, and many interesting people presenting their stories, providing updates in the community, as well as raising funds for charity events, and providing scholarships to high school students.”

On top of that, the Rotary Club also created The Club Foundation in 1991 and has, since its start has, given an estimated $150,000 in scholarships to local high schools.

“We have Rotary Foundation, which is, the foundation has well over a million dollars, probably closer to 2 million dollars that does scholarships and then there’s a community fund also,” said former President Joel Clay. “And then there’s the club itself that does different things throughout the community.”

Every year Atascadero Rotary holds multiple fundraisers, like the Annual Crab Feed. This year it took place in March and raised $9,500. The club also hold the Cork and Cap fundraiser that benefits the CTE program at Atascadero High School, along with many other events.

The Atascadero Rotary Club meets on Wednesdays at 12 p.m. at the Springhill Suites by Marriott at 900 El Camino Real. For more information, visit rotarydistrict5240.org/ clubinfo/atascadero. 