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WELCOME TO ROTARY DISTRICT 5240

Rotary District 5240 is home to nearly 3,000 passionate members across 65 Rotary and 4 Rotaract Clubs and 56 Interact Clubs. Our District covers four counties in Central California, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Ventura, and Kern, and includes unique clubs such as a Chapter Club in Guatemala and the globally-minded Rotary E-Club of One World D5240.

Clubs in our district are active across all avenues of Rotary service, local and international projects, youth development programs, leadership initiatives, and meaningful fellowship. Together, we are People of Action, making a lasting impact in our communities and around the world.

Dear Rotarians of District 5240,

What a wonderful September! Each club visit reminds me how much friendship, energy, and commitment we share across our District. From welcoming new members to celebrating decades of service, this past month gave us so many reasons to be proud of Rotary—and grateful for one another.

As October begins, let’s carry that enthusiasm forward by creating opportunities in our communities and renewing our commitment to a world free of polio.

Thank You for a Memorable September

To the Presidents, leadership teams, and members of the clubs I visited in September: thank you for your warm welcome, your hospitality, and the opportunity to learn about your work. My heartfelt thanks, in the order of my visits, go to:

Simi Valley • Ventura Downtown • Wasco • Bakersfield North • Bakersfield Breakfast • Bakersfield West • Bakersfield Twilight • Rotary Club of Bakersfield • Cayucos • Simi Sunset • Camarillo • Moorpark Morning • Passport Club • Westlake Village

I especially enjoyed spending three days in Bakersfield, getting to know our Rotarians and learning more about the clubs and the communities they serve. From there, I traveled to Cayucos for a wonderful dinner visit, enjoying more warm hospitality and Rotary fellowship before returning home full of inspiration.

A special thank-you to the Westlake Village Club for organizing such a fun evening of a boat ride and dinner. What a lovely opportunity to enjoy fellowship and spend time together!

Welcoming New Members and Celebrating Milestones

During my September visits, we inducted eight new members into Rotary! To each of you: welcome. We are delighted you have joined us, and we look forward to the ideas, talents, and friendships you will bring to our clubs.

We also celebrated Bob Phillips’ 50th anniversary in Rotary (Westlake Club) Bob, thank you for five decades of service and dedication. What an extraordinary milestone!

Speaking of celebrations, congratulations to Scott Astrosky on graduating from his District Governor training class. We celebrate this important step in your Rotary leadership journey.

Our District also held its first in-person training for next year’s Presidents-Elect at the PE Retreat in Orcutt. It is exciting to see this group beginning to prepare for their year of leadership. Thank you to everyone who helped make the retreat possible and to our Presidents-Elect for investing their time and energy in their clubs’ future.

Our Foundation Gala: A Celebration of Generosity

A heartfelt thank-you to every Rotarian who attended our Foundation Gala, where we celebrated our 2025–2026 Rotary Foundation donors and the impact of their generosity.

Special thanks to our wonderful cooks: Kim Fly, who prepared the Italian menu; Karen Kawaguchi, who prepared the Japanese menu; and Bruce McGee, who prepared the Australian menu and to the committee that made it so special and unforgettable; Randy Strong, Wade Nomura, Jack Pollock, Ryan Mills, KJenison.

And we have an incredible achievement to celebrate: District 5240 contributed $1.2 million to The Rotary Foundation during the 2025–2026 Rotary year!

October Is Community Economic Development Month

This month, I encourage every club to ask: How can we help people in our community build a stronger future?

Consider mentoring an aspiring entrepreneur, supporting job skills training, connecting young people with career opportunities, or partnering with a local organization to help families achieve greater financial stability. Start by listening to your community and identifying where your club’s experience and resources can make a lasting difference.

World Polio Day — October 24

What does your club have planned for World Polio Day?

October 24 is an opportunity to bring our members and communities together around Rotary’s commitment to ending polio. Consider hosting a fundraiser, inviting a speaker, sharing Rotary’s polio story at a club meeting, or organizing a community awareness event.

Whatever you choose, make it an opportunity to involve your members, invite others to participate, and remind your community why this work matters. Visit EndPolio.org for information and resources.

Thank you for all you do—for your clubs, for our District, and for the people whose lives you touch through service. As we move into October, let’s continue to welcome new members, celebrate our fellow Rotarians, and turn our ideas into meaningful action.

Together, let’s Inspire Action to Create a Lasting Impact.

Love,

Margarida

Together, We Are This Close to Ending Polio

October is End Polio Month, and Cambria Rotary is inviting our community to walk, sponsor, and donate to support Rotary's global effort to eradicate polio.

Polio may be rare today, but as long as it exists anywhere in the world, it remains a threat everywhere. The good news? We are closer than ever to ending it for good.

Join us. Walk for those who can't. Sponsor a participant. Make a donation. Together, we can help ensure no child ever suffers from polio again.

Rotary Club of Nipomo Begins Median Beautification Project

On September 17 & 23, the Rotary Club of Nipomo rolled up its sleeves and got to work on an important community beautification project along W. Tefft Street.

What was once an unkept, weed-filled median has now received a much-needed makeover, thanks to the hard work of our Rotary volunteers. Members spent the morning spreading bark throughout the medians, creating a cleaner, more attractive appearance along one of Nipomo’s busy roadways.

This project marks Phase 1 of a larger vision for these medians. The immediate goal is to use the bark to help suppress weeds, reduce ongoing maintenance, and give the area a more finished and cared-for appearance.

Cleveland Elementary Students Get a Back-to-School Boost Through Community Partnership

One hundred Cleveland Elementary School students and their families received a special back-to-school boost when Old Navy Santa Barbara opened its doors to participating families for a private shopping event organized through a partnership of local community organizations.

Kiwanis of Santa Barbara and Rotary Club of Santa Barbara Sunrise, together with Unity Shoppe and Old Navy Santa Barbara, helped local students prepare for the new school year. Students were selected by Cleveland Elementary School. Kiwanis and Rotary provided funding for $100 Old Navy gift cards and backpacks for each student, while Unity Shoppe provided school supplies to fill the backpacks.

Pollinator Gardens Are Popping Up across D5240 – time to join

Planting pollinator gardens has attracted eight Rotary Clubs and community partners from Cambria to Ventura. They are springing forth from Rotary District 5240’s partnership with Monarch Joint Venture. This program provides free seeds, pollinator plants, and technical assistance to participating clubs.

Every Rotary Club in District 5240 can create a pollinator garden and help bees, butterflies and more to thrive. Pollinators account for one third of the food we eat and play a vital role in keeping our ecosystem healthy. Unfortunately, pollinator populations have declined by as much as 40% due to climate change, urbanization, pesticides, and other factors. The Rotary Clubs in San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Ventura, and Kern Counties are on vital pollinator pathways. Thus, this is an ideal environmental service project for every club to support.

SERVING SMILES BEFORE THE SCHOOL BELL RINGS

Today Cambria Rotary kicked off the new school year by serving a hearty breakfast of eggs, potatoes, bacon, fruit, muffins, sweets, juice and coffee to teachers, administrators, clerical staff, custodians, and maintenance teams.

The 6 a.m. start was a little tough, but the smiles we received made every minute worth it. Here's to a fantastic school year ahead!

Solar Power Strengthens Nicaragua Water Project

In 2018-19, after years of planning, the Rotary Clubs of Ciudad Sandino and Santa Barbara Sunrise carried out a $152,000+ Rotary Global Grant water project in the two rural communities of Cuajachillo 2 and Trinidad Central in Nicaragua. At that time, we piped clean water to 576 locations, including 567 homes, two elementary schools, a community learning center, two health centers and four churches. This project has proven to be very successful. The volunteer water committee, known as CAPS, has expanded delivery of water to 600 families (3,000 people) and is financially sustainable. They now have four full-time employees: one in charge of the repumping station, an office person handling bills and payments, the meter reader, and a roving person who helps read meters and fixes pipes when something breaks. Some new families have joined the system while others have had their water cut off for lack of payment. As an example of its economic success, one family used to pay $50 per month for water and they now pay $6.00! Families even have washing machines, which has vastly improved the lives of women in the communities.