View April 2025 Newsletter

At our Club Meeting on Wednesday, Riverside East Rotary presented a $2,000 check in support of the Riverside County Esports program, demonstrating our commitment to empowering youth through innovation and opportunity.

The following evening, we attended the Riverside County Esports Awards Celebration—an exciting event dedicated to recognizing creativity, talent, and community spirit in the world of student esports. The celebration highlighted standout esports clubs, honored the leaders and educators behind them, and showcased the finalists of the Student Fan Art Showcase. Guests also enjoyed a preview of the 2024–2025 esports season and applauded this year’s winners and rising stars.

Thank you to Riverside Mayor Patricia Lock Dawson for joining Riverside East Rotary this morning! We appreciate your hard work on behalf of the city!

We also had a chance to present her with a portrait from our very own Ben Nyende

Today we were joined by Angel Sanchez from Phoenix Fire Helmets.  Phoenix Fire Helmets has been in business manufacturing gear for firefighters for over 50 years and is located right here in Riverside.   In addition to making a great product, they’re also working to rremove barriers to employment for those with disabilities through its “Opportunity for All Program.”

Today we were joined by Erik Anderson who is building a tracking and allocation system for international resources.  We were also joined by our RYLA students who shared an update on their experience at the camp.  It is always inspirational to hear how excited they are!

Riverside East Rotary helped out at the 10th annual Riverside Art Market, hosted by the Riverside Art Alliance at the historic White Park in downtown Riverside. The event featured 100 artists and artisans, children’s activities, art demonstrations, live entertainment, food, beer and wine, and more. Over 4,000 visitors attended the free, family-friendly celebration. All proceeds supported the Riverside Art Museum, with over $30,000 raised to help make art and culture more accessible to Inland Empire residents.

Thank you to all the artists, vendors, and sponsors who participated!

Big congratulations to Dave Shull on receiving a Paul Harris Fellow recognition. This honor, named after the founder of Rotary International, is awarded to individuals who exemplify Rotary’s commitment to service above self. Dave’s dedication to our club and community truly reflects the values and spirit of Rotary.

Today Riverside East Rotary was joined by Mike Futrell, Riverside City Manager.

Riverside East Rotary had a great time helping out at this year’s Citrus Festival.  Thanks to everybody for coming out!

We were honored to have a special program with Larry Gonzalez, our Riverside Police Chief visiting us today.