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2025 - 2026 TRF Contribution 
It’s time to kick off our annual The Rotary Foundation (TRF) contribution. Thanks to your generosity, we’re able to change lives every day by providing clean water, sanitation, hygiene, supporting education, promote peace, develop communities and more! We need your help to keep moving forward to spread health and hope in areas that were once ravaged by diseases like polio. Every gift makes a difference!

What impact can one donation have?

  • For as little as 60 cents, a child can be protected from polio.
  • $50 can provide clean water to help fight waterborne illness.
  • $500 can launch an anti-bullying campaign and create a safe environment for children.
Goal for the year 2025-2026 is $30000 for TRF and $3000 for polio plus. You can contribute on our Saratoga Rotary Club website (login to myRotary) or simply write your check to "TRF" and pass it to Moe Baniani or Sheree Williams.
The Rotary Foundation and the Power of Giving Back
The Rotary Foundation and the Power of Giving Back
By Sangita Seshadri
 
In the world of philanthropy, few organizations allow donations to come full-circle, returning in ways that benefit the very people who contribute. One notable exception is The Rotary Foundation (TRF), a global powerhouse of goodwill and service.
 
Read more...

Saratoga Rotary Charitable Foundation
Spotlight On Grants
 
We are pleased to report that on August 21 the SRCF board met and approved 2 grants for a total of $9,916.56. The recipients are:
  1. South Bay Musical Theatre- The grant will replace aging electronics equipment for stage management communications during shows and box office computers.
  2. Art4Hearts- this is a Saratoga High School 501(c) 3 created by students to provide Art and craft kits for victims of sexual abuse through the Grateful Garment Project, which SRCF has given grants for emergency clothing for sexual abuse victims. 
This is all made possible by the Art Show and donations to SRCF.
Thank you for helping to make a positive impact on our local community!
 
Rotarians Shih and Young start plastic recycling program
In Mike Nichols’ Oscar-winning 1967 film The Graduate, young Benjamin Braddock was given this word of advice regarding his business future: “Plastics!”.
 
Now, nearly sixty years later, that advice has come back to haunt us all. The world is now awash in plastic waste. Microplastic particles pollute our food, our water, even our blood. And the problem is getting worse. Plastic production is expected to triple by 2060, according to the Global Plastics Outlook Database.
 
While we may feel we’re doing our part by putting plastics in our recycling bins, the sad truth is that only a small portion of that ever gets recycled. While worldwide action is needed to mitigate the crisis, Saratoga Rotarians Nancy Shih and Phil Young decided to act locally.
 
 
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Thompson Scholarship Winners 2025
The Thompson Scholarship Fund has been the primary source of scholarship funds for Saratoga Rotary for the last 13 years. Fund oversight is provided by the Saratoga RotaryCharitable Foundation (SRCF). We are very fortunate to have this Fund to provide scholarships to local deserving students!  Thank you all for your support!
This year, the Thompson Fund Scholarship Committee accepted applications and conducted interviews with students for both types of Thompson Scholarships.  Our Thompson Recognition Scholarships are one-time awards, granted upon proof of enrollment in college. There are seven recipients this year.  We also granted three additional Thompson Legacy Scholarships in 2025. (Bringing the total to ten current Legacy Scholars!) Legacy Scholarships provide up to four years of scholarship money and adult mentors for a student who is selected based on merit, financial need and other circumstances that warrant a long-term, personal involvement in a student’s college career.  The $27,000 promised to 2025 scholars is the largest allocation of funds to high school students to date! 
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Sesh Ramaswami Memorial Scholarship
A Legacy of Learning: Sesh Ramaswami Memorial Scholarship Reaches First Milestone
 
A young student at Prospect High School is now dreaming bigger, thanks to the first-ever Sesh Ramaswami Memorial Scholarship awarded this year. Tylen Brown, the inaugural recipient, will attend West Valley College for his first two years before transferring to a University. He was awarded $4,000, which will be given over four years to support his educational journey.
 
Last year, under the leadership of Past President Renee Paquier, the Rotary Club of Saratoga established this scholarship to honor the life and legacy of Sesh Ramaswami – a Rotarian who dedicated his life to empowering others. Sesh was known for his quiet strength, compassion, and lifelong commitment to education and service.
 
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International Services 
International Service Projects

  •  Acquisition of ELECTROMYOGRAPHY (EMG )-NCV Machine for PHILIPPINE GENERAL HOSPITAL ( PGH ) 

    Project cost $70, 539  RC Saratoga contributed $3000 DDF

  •  Preventing Trafficking in Vietnam - Changing Their Stories

    Project cost: $ 90,600 This grant has been transferred to our club from RC of Madison, Wisconsin along with $32500 in cash. The funds have not yet been transferred yet. The project is in collaboration with a non-profit organization called Pacific links and RC Saigon International. Club contribution: ~6000 DDF

  • Romania Hospital Project: This project is led by RC Reno, Nevada. The Community Needs Assessment showed that the greatest need of the community was to improve the quality of medical care in the area. To address this need we will provide 6 GE Carescape (All in One) Monitors and 1 GE R860 ventilators to the Stei Municipal Hospital. These are brand new state of the art pieces of equipment. This project will be in collaboration with Assist International based in Scotts Valley, CA.

    RC Reno contributed $10,000 towards our Global Grant project to support procurement of an MEC for Ukraine. 

    Club contributed 3000DDF. 

Read more...
Community Service
West Valley Community Service Projects
  • Mobile Pantry/ Park-It Market at Saratoga Fellowship Plaza
    • On the 1st, 3rd & 5th Wednesday of the Month from 10:15 to 11:45 AM
 
Operation Care and Comfort Projects
  • Packing supplies for troops in October for the holiday season
 
Youth Service
Youth Service Events
  • Mentoring Interact Club of local high schools 
  • Enterprise Leadership Conference (ELC) for high school students
  • Scholarships for elementary, middle, high school and Community college students 
  • Speech Contest for the high school students
  • Rotary Youth Exchange Programs
                                                Read more .......
Fellowship Events
Fellowship Events
  • Super Bowl Chili and Corn Bread Cook Off
  • Fun at Bocce Ball Court
  • Halloween Spirit
  • Christmas Party
  • Annual Dessert Bake Off

Dates to Remember

Donate

Doing Good Together

1) TRF (The Rotary Foundation): Show your generosity and dedication to Service Above Self. Your dollars impact globally

2) SRCF (Saratoga Rotary Charitable Foundation) : Your dollars impact locally.

 

 

Volunteer

1st, 3rd and 5th Wednesday (10:15 to 11:45 AM)  - Food Distribution to Seniors with West Valley Community Services.
 
Please click on this link for more information
Saratoga Rotary

Service Above Self

We meet In Person
Fridays at 12:30 PM
Saratoga Community Center
19655 Allendale Ave.
Saratoga, CA 95070
United States
Socialize from noon to 12:30pm. Zoom available by request.
Upcoming Speakers
Belal Aftab, Saratoga Mayor
Nov 14, 2025
State of the City of Saratoga - Latest & Greatest Happenings
Mary Eloise Gardner, Saratoga Leader & Author
Nov 21, 2025
An Exploration of Woman’s Ways of Leading: Revisited. “What women and men can learn. . . "
Past Saratoga Rotary Presidents
Dec 05, 2025
Past Presidents Luncheon
Past Speakers
Sangita Seshadri & Peace Pole Leaders
Nov 07, 2025
Rotary Peace Pole Dedication at West Valley College
Craige Edgerton, Author
Oct 31, 2025
Permission to Walk in Peace: Stories of Healing from Trauma as told by Combat Veterans
Community Service Club Project
Oct 24, 2025
Operation Care & Comfort for Armed Services
View entire list...
President's Message
Dear Fellow Rotarians,
 
With Halloween behind us and the holidays quickly approaching, it’s clear the season of celebration — and service — is upon us. For our club, that spirit has already begun with a month full of energy and connection already behind us:
  • our annual Operation Care and Comfort assembly meeting was a big success, always one of my favorite meetings
  • a fantastic celebration of Diwali, with wonderful decorations, fashions, music, treats and more
  • a very well attended TGIF at Carol’s lovely home with many fantastic costumes, yummy food, and great friends
  •  BollyX led by a talented and energetic instructor from our local YMCA, who got us all dancing on Bollywood music
While we only have five meetings left this year, they’ll be filled with exciting moments and opportunities for you to engage:
  • We kick off the month with a Peace Pole installation at West Valley College, a meaningful way for our club to demonstrate our commitment to unity, inclusion, and peace around the world. It’s too late to RSVP for lunch, but if you’d still like to join us, please contact Sangita right away.
  • Next, we’ll welcome Mayor Belal Aftab, who will share updates on the exciting things happening in Saratoga. Let’s have a strong turnout to show our support — and recruit him to join our club!
  • Later this month, Mary Gardner, a dynamic local speaker, will share insights on how women learn and lead, offering valuable inspiration for our women leaders.
  • There are no Fellowship events this month but mark your calendars for our Holiday Party on December 18th — more details soon!
Meanwhile, Community Service continues in full swing. In addition to our successful plastic bag drive, we’re launching a Warm Coat Drive and a Family Giving Tree event to support families in need. We will also continue to support the West Valley Community Services food distribution effort, so sign up to help if you can. This is the best time of year to give back — and even a small effort makes a big difference.
 
Finally, I’d like to make a special appeal for The Rotary Foundation (TRF) and the Polio Fund. Our club has long been one of the most generous in our district, but donations are lagging this year. TRF is especially important because much of what we contribute is returned to our club as funds for local and global service projects. Your gift — of any size — helps us continue making a real impact in our community and beyond. If you’d like to contribute and need assistance, please reach out to me, Moe, or Sheree.
 
I wish everyone a wonderful Thanksgiving, and I hope that you are able to spend it with family, friends, or anyone who makes your life more joyful! Thank you for all you do to make our club — and Rotary — such a force for good.
 
Cheers,
David
Upcoming Events
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