The Rotary Club of SLO Daybreak is holding its Annual Drive-Thru BBQ Fundraiser on Friday, September 25th from 4:00-5:30pm at the San Luis Obispo Veteran's Hall - get your tickets now and help support our charitable giving for local student scholarships. The delicious meal includes a full choice tri-tip, ranch beans, fresh cole slaw and buttery garlic bread. Scan the QR code or click here and make your order online and we'll see you on September 25th. 

If you can't participate but still want to support Rotary's work, purchase a meal - or meals - for a local charity and treat an individual or family to a comforting dinner. Dinners are also a great gift to those in your life that provide services - your financial planner, gardener, haridresser, mail deliverer. There is also a spot on the website to make a separate or additional donation. Thank you for your support in advance and thank you to this year's sponsors and Rotarians:

• American Riviera Bank (Dustin Reese),
• Carmel & Naccasha LLP (Victor Herrera)
• Covelop Collaborative Development (Pat Arnold)
• Mustang Private Wealth (Ryan Olson)
• Obispo Wealth Management (Dave Nilsen)
• Richardson Sotheby's International Realty (Linda Wilson)
• The Sanctuary Tobacco Shop (Kevin Owens)
• Shalimar Restaurant (Aasim Sajjad)

Olayinka H. Babalola, President 2026-27

Rotary Club of Trans Amadi, Rivers State, Nigeria

Peace does not happen by accident. It must be pursued deliberately, built strategically, and woven intentionally into everything we do. That is the challenge I am placing before the Rotary world this year.

Rotary recognizes peacebuilding as one of our areas of focus. But I believe peace must be more than a category of work we set aside for certain projects. It must become a lens, one we choose to look through every time we plan, every time we serve, every time we ask what kind of impact we truly want to leave behind.

The Institute for Economics and Peace has identified eight Pillars of Positive Peace: well-functioning government, a sound business environment, equitable distribution of resources, acceptance of the rights of others, good relations with neighbors, free flow of information, high levels of human capital, and low levels of corruption. These pillars describe the conditions that make lasting peace possible. And when I look at them carefully, I see enormous potential for Rotary. Not because our work automatically advances peace but because it can when we are deliberate about it.

As you plan your next project, whatever the focus area, I want you to pause and ask one question: How does this create the conditions for peace? Consult the Pillars of Positive Peace. Find where your work connects. Then, make that connection intentional. Share what you discover with your club, your district, and your community. The more we talk about peace as a practice rather than a destination, the more naturally it will shape everything we do.

This is not about doing different work. It is about doing our work differently, with greater awareness, greater purpose, and a clearer vision of the world we are trying to build. Every Rotary project carries potential. Our task is to unlock it, not by chance but by choice.

We are proud to award this year's scholarships to the following students from San Luis Obispo High School:

Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics (STEM) Awards:

• Wesley Bisheff - Cal Poly State University
• Gabriel Jantos - Colorado School of Mines
• Mila Shih - Harvard University

Scholarship Awards:

• Ruby Blackburn - Northwest Nazarene University
• Jennifer Cabrera - Fresno State University
• Ruby Gonzalez Torres - California State University Channel Islands

Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) Sponsorships:

• Lucy Beck
• Christopher Estrada
• Tina Gonzalez
• Nyla Huebler
• Noah Jones
• Seth Jose

Supporting the education of youth has been a hallmark of ours since we chartered our club in1996. We raise resources through our annual fundraisers, including our Drive-Thru BBQ every September. Funds go to support grants to K-12 teachers, graduating high school students, the Interact Club at SLOHS, and to sponsor high school students to attend a four day leadership camp every April.

Congratulations to the recipients of our annual grant funding. These dedicated teachers are launching amazing programs and activities with their students, in part with the assistance of our support. Our thanks to these dedicated professionals that are creating the next generation of thoughful leaders.

Bishop's Peak Elementary

• Maya Lord, TK classroom supplies
• Kiley MacLeod, Communication/Social Skills Learning Stations
• Marifrances Williams, Play, Talk, Know - TK Science and Literacy Starter Kit

Hawthorne  Elementary School

• Fiona Lloyd-Moffett, Reflections of Us: Nurturing Identity, Caring Connections Through Dolls

Sinsheimer Elementary

• Juanita Canales, Phonemic awareness, reading and alphabet sound teaching tub supplies
• Jill Laursen, Build a Business

• The Water Wheel at the SLO Children's Museum
• The Bandstand at Mitchell Park (2000)
• The Community Garden at Meadow Park (2010)
• The Landscaping Projects at the SLO Botanical Garden (2013) and SLO County YMCA (2012)
• The Exercise Course at Laguna Lake Park (2013)
• The "Make Change Count" donation meters (2014)
• The Viewing Platform at the SLO Regional Airport (2015)
• The Amphitheater at the County Office of Education's Rancho El Chorro site (2017)
• The Playground at 40 Prado Homeless Services Center (2018)
• The Courtyard at the Octagon Barn (2019)
• The Commemorative Green Benches at the Rotary Community Garden (in memory of Rotarian Brian Conroy, 2019) and Laguna Lake Golf Course (SLO Daybreak, 2023)
• The Disc Golf Course at Sinsheimer Park (2021)
• The Painting and Repair of the Jack House and Gardens fencing (2022)
• The Mural at Restorative Partners' Bridge Cafe (2023)
• The Neighborhood Pantry on Ferrini Road, hosted by Honorary Rotarian, Nancy Beighley (2023)
• The Born Learning Trail at De Vaul Park (2023)
• The Two Pergolas at Woods Humane Society (2025)
• The Refurbishing of the Rotary Pavillion at Laguna Lake (2026)
• The Peace Pole Installation in Mission Plaza (2026)