Welcome to Virginia Beach Rotary Club


Next Meeting's Speaker: Feb. 11, 2010
Dr. Joe Buchanan: Ruminations On Life, It's Own Self


Upcoming Speakers   

Meet Our Members

See who makes up this outstanding Rotary Club here.


Understand Our Passion

1.2 million members in 33,000 clubs across 200 countries can't be wrong.  Read more here.

Our 2009 Financial Support To Local Charities

Each year the Virginia Beach Rotary Club donates thousands of dollars to international humanitarian aid projects as well as local nonprofit organizations. In 2009, we donated $10,000 to the following local organizations so they could continue to do great things:
• Virginia Beach Special Olympics

• Virginia Beach CASA
• Hope House Foundation
• Make A Wish Foundation
• Virginia Beach Youth Crisis Home
• Virginia Beach Meals on Wheels
• Catholic Charities
• Stop Hunger Now
• Nat'l Inst for Learning Development
• Hope for Life Rescue
• Access College Fund
• YWCA TechGyrls
• Virginia Beach Racial Justice Court
• Virginia Beach Crime Solvers
• Symphonicity
• J. Leland Seminary Scholars
• Triple R Ranch
• Virginia Beach SPCA
• Nat'l Stroke Assoc. SEVA Chapter


Rotary International President, January Message

In Rotary, January is the halfway point of our year of service, and it is also a time for us all to look at both the past and the future. It is the time of year to take stock, to review the goals that we have set for ourselves, and to evaluate how well we have fulfilled those expectations. It is a time to look honestly at our progress and our challenges and to consider the steps we will need to take to complete our planned service successfully.  Read more here.


Save the Dates!

April 16, 2010

Youth Crisis Home

Want to have a good time? Want to look younger? Come out to the Virginia Beach Youth Crisis Home on Friday, April 16, 5:30 p.m. for pizza and games. The Virginia Beach Rotary Club is committed to this worthy cause because it is beneficial for the kids and it provides a direct connect between Rotarians and the youth in our city. Call Dick Olenych at 473-9977 if you'd like to volunteer. Future Pizza Nights at the Youth Crisis Home are July 16 and Sept. 17. The location is: 811 13th St., Virginia Beach, 23451, office (757) 422-4521.

Aug. 6, 2010

Kegs For Cures Beer Tasting

Enjoy a variety of beers, live music, delicious foods, silent auction and more at our club's Kegs For Cures Beer Tasting at the O'leary's Bar & Grill located in the Marina Shores Shoppes at 2865 Lynnhaven Dr, Virginia Beach.  This event is open to the public and will raise money for local and international charities that Rotary supports.  For tickets call David Rourk at (757) 478-0150.

New Announcements
One less worried home owner in Virginia Beach

A once worried 75-year-old Virginia Beach woman is now sitting comfortably in her home. Gone are the threats of eviction from her trailer park landlord due to lack of maintenance.  Rotarians Jim Flinchum and Cliff Bateman learned of the situation through Catholic Charities. They immediately decided that the twice-widowed woman who lives on $500 a month and suffers severe respiratory problems would not be removed.  Read more here.

Food Drive Update
Thank you to everyone who donated food during our month-long Food Drive. Your donations helped generate about 160 pounds of canned food which Food Drive coordinator Jamie Pearson has delivered to the Foodbank of Southeastern Virginia.

Magazine features Virginia Beach Rotary Club
Executive Lifestyle Magazine's winter issue featured an excellent article on Rotary Clubs in Hampton Roads, including community projects by the Virginia Beach Rotary Club and a photo on page 24 of our on-going Paint Your Heart Out project. Read more here.

Virginia Beach Rotary Clubs adopt park

Four Rotary Clubs in Virginia Beach have agreed to adopt the Great Neck Park off Shorehaven Road.  "We'll have a four-club rotation so volunteers are working on the park each month," said Assistant District Governor Wayne McCoy, who coordinated the community service project.  Read more here.

Volunteer's track success earns her top recognition

The Dec. 21 issue of The Virginian-Pilot's Beacon featured a story on Julie Voliva and Bill Hushin, our club's "2008 School and City Volunteers of the Year".  Read more here.

Not your ordinary night for Rotarians or teens

“It is hard to believe people would dedicate time to us that don’t have to,” said one teen at the Virginia Beach Youth Crisis Home. “I want to make changes in my life so I can help somebody like me. I had a lot fun."

Virginia Beach Rotary Club members have volunteered time at the home once a quarter for years to provide friendship, fun, pizza and Bingo.  Read more here.

Rotary Foundation Message From Pearl Smith

The global reach of Rotary International and how we as Rotarians contribute to lives in our local community and in communities around the world is phenominal.  Without the Rotary Foundation, RI would not be able to establish such wonderful programs as the eradication of polio, the ambassadorial scholarship programs and humanitarian and health programs just to name a few. The Rotary Foundation is what sets Rotary and YOU apart from all other service organizations. Read more here.


Past Announcements

Corks For Cures Wine Tasting

Our January 2010 Corks For Cures Wine Tasting fundraiser at the Princess Anne Country Club netted more than $11,000.  View photo gallery here.

Spouses Night at the Virginia Aquarium

We will enjoy a behind-the-scenes tour of the Virginia Aquarium's new exhibits as well as a special dinner. RSVP by Sept. 28 to David Rourk at (757) 478-0150.

Neptune Festival

To raise money for the Rotary Foundation and local charities, the Virginia Beach Rotary Club will be serving beer to celebrants at the Neptune Festival Sept. 25 - 27.  To sign up for a shift call David Rourk at (757) 478-0150.

Adopt-A-Park

It's our turn in the rotation of four Rotary Clubs in Virginia Beach to clean the Great Neck park, which we adopted as a joint club project.  Feb. 28, 9 - 10:30 a.m.  Read more here.

Dune Grass Planting

The Virginia Beach Rotary Club and Boy Scout Troop 66 teamed up Jan. 31 to plant 500 dune grass sprigs on a vulnerable dune near the Chesapeake Bay. 

Interact Club Update
On Jan. 27, Asst. District Governor Wayne McCoy led the re-chartering ceremony of the Rotary Interact Club at Cape Henry Collegiate School. We are sponsoring two Interact students for their Life Straws project in Africa.  Life Straws purify water for up to six months. Rotary Interact Club's bring the principles of Rotary to high school students to better prepare them for their future professions. Interact Clubs provide the opportunity for students to interact with Rotarians and partner with Rotary Clubs on projects.

Club presents Special Achievement Awards
The Sept. 21 issue of The Virginian-Pilot's Beacon featured a story on Reggie Cray and Alsco Textile Services for their selections as the club's 2008 Special Achievment Award Winner and Doors to Opportunity Award winner, respectively.  Read more here.

Rotary receives $350 Million Donation
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation awarded The Rotary Foundation a challenge grant of $350 million to support Rotary International's PolioPlus program. Rotary will attempt to match the grant dollar for dollar over the next three years. This is the largest, single grant ever given to a volunteer organization and represents a tremendous validation of the approach and success of PolioPlus, one of Rotary's flagship programs since 1985. Rotarians have donated time, effort and $633 million to eradicate polio from the world. The program's success has wiped the disease off the planet, except in four countries. Let's work to see that this challenge grant accomplishes our goal -- 100% eradication of polio worldwide.