After leaving Taipei, President Elect Nick Lopez has continued on his goodwill tour to Japan, and continues to be reminded of Rotary everywhere he goes.
Arriving in Tokyo:
Tater Tots with a local twist:
Rotary Banner exchange with fellow Joyce from Nairobi, Kenya.
And pictured here with spouses:
Riverside welcomed its very first Peace Pole today, dedicated at the garden in front of the Military Wall of Honor at City Hall.
The pole, donated by Riverside East Rotary Club, carries the message “May Peace Prevail On Earth” in four languages — English, Spanish, Japanese, and Chamorro, the native language of Guam and the Pacific islands. It is a reflection of the diverse voices that make our community whole.
Councilman Philip Falcone served as Master of Ceremonies, joined by Riverside East Rotary Club founding President and incoming District 5330 Governor Richard Lemire, District Peace Chair Rudy Westervelt, and Riverside East Community Service Chair Christopher Cox. The dedication was also attended by members of Riverside Sunrise Rotary Club, Moreno Valley Rotary Club, and the E-Club of World Peace.
Timed to coincide with the spirit of America 250, this Peace Pole stands as a lasting symbol of unity, liberty, and hope — not just for today, but for generations to come.
Peace Poles have been planted in over 200,000 communities on every continent. Learn more about the Peace Pole Project: https://www.worldpeace.org/peacepoleproject/
Thanks to Stan Fry for the excellent photos of this event!
Today we were joined by our very own Richard Lemire, District Governor Elect, who talked to us about his trip to the 2026 Rotary International Convention in Taipei, Taiwan. Also attending the Convention was Nick Lopez, President Elect.
The convention ran June 13-17 at the Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center and the Taipei Dome, drawing more than 37,000 Rotary members and participants from over 140 countries.
At the opening ceremony, Taiwan President Lai Ching-te welcomed attendees and urged Rotarians worldwide to work together: “Let’s work together to Do Good in the World. In our commitment to peace, public health, environmental sustainability, humanitarian aid, and beyond, Taiwan will continue to walk hand in hand with Rotarians worldwide.”
Highlights of the convention included a general session address by Malala Yousafzai, the youngest-ever Nobel Peace Prize laureate, as well as remarks from Mike McGovern, chair of the polio oversight board for the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, on progress toward a polio-free world.
It marked the first time in 32 years that Taipei had hosted the Rotary International Convention.
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At the 2026 Rotary International Convention in Taiwan Richard Lemire reconnected with Yin Wei Huang (Wally). Wally is a Youth Exchange student that Riverside East Rotary hosted in 2001-2002. He and his wife Erica are both Rotarians. Wally remembers being at Riverside’s North High School and the winter trip Richard took him on to Washington, Montana and Wyoming.
Riverside East Rotary held our annual Demotion Party and it was a great time all around.
We gave a well-deserved sendoff to outgoing President Gary Christmas. Gary, thank you for an incredible year of leadership and everything you did for our club!
We also officially swore in Nick Lopez as our incoming president along with his new board. We can’t wait to see where he takes us this year.
Great food, great people, and the kind of night that reminds you why you joined Rotary in the first place. Congratulations Gary, and welcome aboard Nick!
Today we were honored to welcome Elisa Lunsford from Serenity Kids Foster Care & Adoption as our guest speaker. Serenity is a nonprofit serving Riverside and surrounding counties with the mission of providing loving foster homes for abused, abandoned, and neglected children and breaking the cycle of abuse through early intervention.
