Home Page | Rotary Club of Castro Valley

Inaugural BBQ AXE & BREWS

Conceptualized by Rotarian Randy Vanderbilt, developed and delivered by Randy, Rotarians Dan Willits and Marco Jaramillo, and many other Rotarians and community members and organizations, the Rotary Club of Castro Valley's inaugural BBQ AXE & BREWS event on the evening of May 12th at Rowell Ranch Rodeo Park captured the imagination and spirit of the Castro Valley community.

In addition to the great BBQ meals generously donated by Canyons BBQ, attendees enjoyed the Axe Throwing and Corn Hole contests. The significant funds raised will be used to sponsor and support future Community projects and activities.

Go to photoalbums/bbq-axe-brew to view photos capturing the fun time enjoyed by all at this new Castro Valley event. To see more pictures from the evening, click on this link to Photos by Darrell Lavin. Be sure to look for news about the May 2024 event.

Marshall School Garden Project

The Rotary Club of Castro Valley is partnering with Forestr on a school garden project at Marshall Elementary School in Castro Valley USD. Castro Valley Rotarians Yon Hardisty and Limon Li-Hardisty, respectively, are the founder and CEO of Forestr. They generated the idea for the project and hope that it will become a model for school pocket parks throughout the community. Leading the project for Rotary are Randy Vanderbilt and Marco Jaramillo, who is coordinating the construction (e.g., carpentry, grading) work. The Club, led by a generous donation from Rotarian Carol Bigelow, has donated $10,000 to the project to support other gifts that Forestr has received. (Photos by Rotarian Gary Bosley)

Randy Vanderbilt June Co-Rotarian of the Month

At the June 6th Rotary Club of Castro Valley meeting, two-time past president and former District 5170 governor Dwight Perry surprised Randy Vanderbilt with the Co-Rotarian of the Month Award along with Dan Willlits and Marco Jaramillo. All three exemplify going above and beyond the Service Above Self mission of Rotary International.

Randy created and chaired the inaugural BBQ AXE BREW event on May 12th at the Rowell Ranch Rodeo grounds, with outstanding support from Dan and Marco. He tirelessly attended community meetings with HARD and other organizations with his team, resulting in a successful fundraiser that was great fun for all the participants and created beautiful memories for our community. We look forward to 2024 when Randy and his team build on this year's success.

Randy also gives his time to the Club's Children's Christmas party, the Castro Valley parade sponsored by the Club, and the Marshall School project, launched on June 3rd in partnership with https://www.forestr.org/.

And let's not forget the Club's annual Picnic & BBQ hosted by Randy and his wife, Debbie. Photo by Gary Bosley

Club Welcomes Two New Members

Photo by Gary Bosley

On May 30, 2023, the Rotary Club of Castro Valley welcomed two new members to its local community committed to Service Above Self as part of the global community of 1.2 million people dedicated to building a better world.

Ye Ye is a Castro Valley resident who loves cooking, baking, and gardening. She owns Beard Papa's, famed for its world-class cream puffs, coming to the Castro Valley Marketplace in July.

Barbara Cogar is an Oakland resident, a retired mother of two sons, and a happy grandmother of three granddaughters.

Pictured left to right: Misti Short, Membership Chair, Ye Ye, Barbara Cogar, and Jim Negri, club past president, club past-secretary, and former superintendent of the USD of Castro Valley.

Club Welcomes Four New Members

The Rotary Club of Castro Valley welcomed four new members on February 28th to its local community

in Service Above Self as part of the global community of more than 1.2 Million men and women

dedicated to building a better world.

CHP Officer Dan Jacowitz has been an officer for more than 14 years and currently serves as the Public Information Officer for the Castro Valley Area CHP. Dan’s sponsor was Dan Willits, Owner of Direct Sales Floors Carpet One and the Club’s 2024-2025 President-Elect.

Cindy Cerrudo, a Century 21 Real Estate local realtor, is active in the community. Cindy’s sponsor was Chris Carr, the Club’s current Treasurer and the 2023-2024 President-Elect.

Dwight Speir is an agent with New York Life Insurance and is active in the community. Dwight’s sponsor was Jim Negri, retired Castro Valley Unified School District superintendent and a Past President of the Rotary Club of Castro Valley.

Tina Sachs is a resident and finance director of PlayCV Summer Enrichment, a non-profit organization that brings after-school and summer enrichment classes and activities to school campuses in Castro Valley. Tina’s sponsor was Gary Howard, President of the Castro Valley Unified School District Board of Education and a Past President of the Rotary Club of Castro Valley.

The Castro Valley Rotary Club, chartered in 1953, is a non-political, non-religious humanitarian service organization that brings together individuals, businesses, and professional leaders, to provide community service, promote integrity and advance worldwide goodwill, peace and understanding.

The Club welcomes individuals who want to impact locally, nationally, and internationally positively.