The Rotary Club of Simi Sunset was asked by Make-A-Wish to support a local Simi Valley resident. Joey fell into a swimming pool when he was 18 months old. The accident dramatically changed his and his family's lives. Now at the age of 15, he suffers from a nervous system disorder which has left him confined to a wheelchair. He can communicate through a tablet and with smiles and noises. His wish... An adaptive swing! Many wish kids avoid large groups during COVID-19 as it could put their health at risk. Having this swing would allow him to enjoy being outside with his family.
Current Meeting Status
Due to concerns surrounding the COVID-19 Pandemic, our meetings going forward will be conducted via video conference only. Stay tuned for updates and please feel free to contact us.
Scott Mosher, CEO of the Boys & Girls Club of Moorpark/Simi Valley, joined us at yet another hybrid meeting. He discussed the services that the Boys & Girls club are currently offering during quarantine and the challenges they are overcoming.
Simi Sunset Club Member, Bill Saunders, owner of WJ Saunders Insurance right here in Simi Valley, delighted us with being a speaker! Bill is also the Board Chair for El Rancho Simi Cemetery (Pioneer Cemetery) -- the first recorded cemetery in Simi Valley. Established in 1890, Bill says there is a section devoted to Pioneers and their families. Bill was proud to mention that since he's been involved with the Cemetery their financial position and grounds have been improving. It was great to learn a little about Simi's history.
Our first official "hybrid" meeting. Those who wanted to attend in person, met at 'The End of the Road' while the rest continued with the video meeting. Our speaker was Brian Reed, Board Chair for the Simi Valley Chamber of Commerce and Manager at Simi Hills Golf Course. Brian updated us on how the Chamber operates and our members, of course, asked questions about Simi Hills.
We just had a packed meeting!
First...Some of our members piloted a socially distant gathering at one of their homes. They were able to join the meeting remotely while bonding (read: testing beer). We shall see if this takes on a bigger role in our future.
Next, we had Trevor Cordova present his Eagle Scout project to the club. Trevor is a very well spoken and organized individual that plans to improve the Simi at the Garden location with a memorial for US Veterans! We will provide details for how to help his cause in another post.
Lastly, we had Angel Sierra, President of The Simi Valley Senior Center, come explain how the center has been utilized over the last few months during COVID. With it's large facility they've been able to obtain and provide meals for the elderly. One program, the Senior Share Program, packages meals for eligible seniors for pickup on a weekly basis. Another, their Meals on Wheels program delivers meals to those who are physically unable to pickup or are practicing social distancing. The Senior Center is in need of help! If you are so inclined to volunteer, please call (805) 583-6363
Sylvie Belmond, Editor for the Simi Valley Acorn gave us a quick update as to how The Acorn operates and how she selects editorials on a weekly basis.
This is a first! We got to virtually tour San Fernando Brewing Company (@sanfernandobrewingco )!!! Our Club Service Chair, Mike Kort organized a virtual tour with Frank Martinez at the brewery. Mike even took orders and delivered beers to the club. As we learned all things hops and grains at the brewery, we were also able to taste the product.
President Markus did well for his second meeting. Organized and with a presentation. Quite the recovery, well done! Our speaker was Simi Valley's City Manager, Brian Gabler. It's always a pleasure to hear from him about city updates. He elaborated on COVID and a couple new businesses opening up soon. It appears that Amazon will utilize a new building in Central Simi for storage and shipping. Brian says that should bring in quite a few new jobs. Thanks for spending the time, Brian!
The New President's first meeting never goes as planned in Simi Sunset. While they try to conduct a true meeting, the club has a different agenda. Immediate Past President Joey planned for shenanigans. While Prez Mark thought we were struggling to get online (to the Zoom meeting), we all changed our names to "Reconnecting..." and a bunch of us went to the Birdie Bar to have some food and drinks. While there, Mark tried to get some words in, but the sounds of horns, birds, "elk calls," and the newly established chant, "Markus," were too overpowering. A couple times Mark was "muted" by the Zoom host so the club can talk about other things. Somehow, Mark was able to share his slideshow, but he was promptly removed from the Zoom meeting. He eventually made it to the Birdie Bar, showing off his, "where are my paaaants?" garb. We gave him a warm welcome and tagged his truck. As Mark said, we showed him nothing but love. It's gonna be a great year, Mark! Good planning Joe and Mike!
Trying to stay true to form... We couldn't exactly plan for a Simi Sunset Demotion the way we wanted during COVID, so we did the next best thing... Planned a prank online meeting on his birthday (with a special speaker) where our now Past President, Joey, waited for us to get on the call. After waiting a while we all did a drive-by with signs, decorations, and water balloons. We will get our demotion in when this is all over. This is just the beginning.