About Us

"Getting things done and having fun” describe the Rotary Club of Southwest Eureka. The Rotary Club of Southwest Eureka was formed and chartered in 1969 and has nearly 100 members, with four of the original charter members still active in our club. The Rotary Club of Southwest Eureka sponsored the Rotary Club of Old Town Eureka, now in its fifteenth year. Our club is located in District 5130, which incorporates five counties in Northern California.

Clubs are grouped into 530 Rotary districts, each led by a district governor who is an officer of Rotary International and represents the RI board of directors in the field. Though selected by the clubs of the district, a governor is elected by all of the clubs worldwide meeting in the RI Convention.

Rotary was born in 1905 as five Chicago businessmen gathered in an attorney’s office; their goal—to found an organization that would serve the professional and social interests of club members. Rotarians began pooling their resources and contributing their talents to help serve communities in need. The organization's dedication to this ideal is best expressed in its principal motto: Service Above Self.

By 1921, Rotary clubs had been formed on six continents, and the organization adopted the name Rotary International a year later. Rotary clubs worldwide have bridged barriers separating nations, faiths, cultures, religions, and economies. Rotarians strive for peace and understanding among all the people of the world. Members of the Rotary Club of Southwest Eureka are part of the 1.2 million Rotarians that belong to some 30,000 Rotary clubs in more than 160 countries. Exemplifying Service Above Self, the Rotary Club of Southwest Eureka has been involved in a variety of Community Service and International Service Projects.

Here are just a few of the projects our club has contributed to….

• In Mexico we organized the first Festival of Brotherhood, meeting with Rotarians from Mexico to initiate and complete a variety of humanitarian projects in and around Guadalajara.
• Provided funding for potable water and waste disposal system in Pucallpa, Peru.
• Participated in a student exchange program with students from Eureka High School (going to Peru and Bolivia) and hosting students from other countries (France, Belgium, Brazil).
• Developed Project Share Life, a bone marrow donor program designed to increase the numbers of potential donors on the National Marrow Donor Registry. The Rotary clubs in our District have raised and contributed over $75,000 to this project.
• Planned, designed, funded, and constructed the Evergreen Lodge, an eight-unit housing facility for the use of St. Joseph Hospital cancer and serious medical condition patients that live out of the Eureka area. Alleviating the additional stress of travel during difficult times of treatment, patients and family can stay at the Evergreen Lodge. Currently, our club is in the process of planning the expansion of the Lodge. This $250,000 project will result in the addition of six housing units.
• Organized and presented Murder at the Eagle House, this has been a sold-out affair with the funds raised benefiting the Humboldt County Library.
• Participated with other local Rotary to purchase and distribute dictionaries to all 3rd grade students in four Eureka schools.
• Bowl for Kids Sake, a team from our club bowls in this annual event that contributes funds to Big Brothers/Big Sisters.
• Developed the Veterans Day Program to honor our local veterans and their families.