Kids & Family
Award-Winning Murrieta Rotary Honors Members for Past Year's Service
Rotary Club of Murrieta celebrates an award-winning year while recognizing four Rotarians with special awards.
While accepting International and District honors, the Rotary Club of Murrieta presented special honors to four members as the new Rotary year began July 1. Al Vollbrecht was selected by the membership as Rotarian of the Year honors while Jim Yanoschik, DDS, was named Most Esteemed Rotarian.
In addition, Immediate Past President Frank Donahoe chose LouEllen Ficke as Most Valuable Rotarian and Linda Dozier as Most Inspirational Rotarian.
“We had a terrific and award-winning year, thanks to the remarkable efforts of our 50 members and especially of the four ‘special’ Rotarians who all have the motto ‘Service Above Self’ in their hearts,” Donahoe said.
Vollbrecht, a retired municipal administrator and one of Murrieta’s first hires after the city incorporated in 1991, has been part of Murrieta’s Rotary for 10 years total and was in Rotary clubs in Michigan and Colorado before that. During Rotary’s 2012-13 year, Vollbrecht oversaw the Club’s service projects. He is currently the Club’s President Nominee, selected to head the organization in 2015-16.
Dr. Yanoschik, a Temecula dentist, is a charter member of the Murrieta Rotary which was founded in 1992, and he has continued to actively serve the community, including chairing the Club’s annual Valentine’s Dinner Dance for special needs adults; Salvation Army’s Child Spree which the Club participates in, and a dental program in Murrieta Valley Unified School District (MVUSD) elementary schools. He is serving as the Club’s Foundation Director for the new Rotary year.
The Most Valuable Rotarian Ficke is executive vice president and chief financial officer for Commerce Bank of Temecula Valley. She served as the Club Administrator during 2012-13 and is currently Community Projects Director. She has been a member of the Murrieta Rotary for three years.
Dozier, a retired public relations/corporate communications consultant, has been a member of the Murrieta club since Nov. 2011 and served as editor of the organization’s weekly bulletin in addition to assisting in public relations for the annual Field of Honor. The Inspirational Award came about because she carried out these responsibilities while being treated for multiple myeloma, Donahoe said. In the new Rotary year, she serves as Public Relations Director.
Donahoe said the club received the President’s Citation from Rotary International (RI) for meeting goals set by 2012-13 RI President Sakuji Tanaka. A special citation for achievement also came from the District 5330 Governor Jean Easum (Corona-Circle City Rotary). The club was also recognized by the district in all areas of Rotary service – community, youth, vocational and international. Murrieta Rotarians were the top givers on a per capita basis to the Rotary International Foundation, which funds humanitarian projects around the world. Murrieta averaged more than $500 per member in giving.
Murrieta also topped some 60 District 5330 Rotary Clubs in a special contest of videos produced for YouTube. The local club’s video featured the Field of Honor event, held each Veteran’s Day week at Town Square Park in Murrieta, with a mass display of American flags honoring personal heroes.
The club runs more than 40 projects as it gives “service above self” each year. Highlights of the year included providing $8,500 in scholarships to graduating high school seniors, more than $4,400 in grants to teachers to aid classroom instruction, the Valentine’s dinner/dance for special needs adults, vocational service awards to firemen, police and teachers, leadership development camps for youths and free dental screenings for all kindergartners, first, third and fifth graders in MVUSD schools.
Some of the other community service projects provided by the Rotary Club of Murrieta are the Day of Service, Thanksgiving community dinner partnership with Murrieta Mesa High School, and Bell Ringing for the Salvation Army at the local Wal-Mart. Internationally, the Murrieta club has projects in India and Mexico.
Rotary International is a non-profit organization of professionals and leaders in the local community who volunteer to improve the community and world. The Rotary Club of Murrieta was chartered on April 28, 1992 and serves the City of Murrieta and area. The club is involved in many local area and several international projects in cooperation with Rotary International, which has as its theme "Service Above Self."
The Murrieta club meets every Monday, except national holidays, at Richie's Diner, 40651 Murrieta Hot Springs Road in Murrieta. "Individuals interested in opportunities for service provided by Rotary are invited to attend one of our lunch meetings," said President Patsy Orr (951-693-5589). For information regarding Rotary membership and more, please visit www.murrietarotary.org.
