New Rotary Club President Oliver Morris welcomes members to the Club’s first in-person meeting since March 2020, Tuesday, July 6 at Cottonwood on the Greens at the golf course. Photo by Linda Hull
By LINDA HULL
Vice President
Rotary Club of Los Alamos
Oliver Morris, recently installed as the 2021-2022 president of the Rotary Club of Los Alamos, welcomed members July 6 to the Club’s first in-person meeting since March 2020.
Morris outlined his goals for the year, including a repeat of last year’s highly successful Meals of Hope project in which the community, following COVID-19 protocols, packed 40,000 servings of beans and rice for northern New Mexico food banks.
The Club also has been awarded a grant to collaborate with three Rotary Clubs in Albuquerque to provide “critically needed supplies to multiple communities of the Navajo Nation in northwest New Mexico that continue to struggle with basic food and necessities heightened by the pandemic.”
Morris went on to explain that even though the Rotary District’s youth leadership camp and youth exchange program have been postponed until next year due to COVID-19 concerns, Interact, Rotary’s service club at Los Alamos High School, is already making plans for an active year.
Addressing fundraisers, Morris said Crab Fest, one of the Club’s two major fundraisers, is expected to be held in person once again in February. Excitement is growing as the other fundraiser, Brews, Band, and BBQ, takes center stage at 5 p.m. Saturday, July 31 at Bathtub Row Brewing Co-op. MANZANARES will headline with its sizzling Nuevo Latino sound; there will be abundant BBQ selections (brisket, pork, chicken, sausage, and sides) from BR Brand Catering of Santa Fe. (Tickets are $50 per person and available at https://brewsbandbbq.eventbrite.com.)
Morris concluded by expressing how much he is looking forward to leading the Club this year, working with members, and building upon the friendships and service that have been part of the local Rotary spirit since the Club was chartered in 1966.
Morris is a graduate of San Diego State University and serves as a commander with the Los Alamos Police Department.
The Rotary Club of Los Alamos, through its 1312 Club Foundation, is a 501(c)3 non-profit and one of more than 34,000 clubs worldwide. Rotary, which now has 1.5 million members, was founded in 1905; the local Club was chartered in 1966. Rotary areas of focus include promoting peace; fighting disease, particularly polio; providing clean water, sanitation, and hygiene; supporting education; saving and enhancing the lives of mothers and children; growing economies; and protecting the environment.
The Rotary Club of Los Alamos meets noon to 1 p.m., Tuesdays in the Community Room, at Cottonwood on the Greens at the golf course. Guests are always welcome. For a Zoom link and information about the Rotary Club of Los Alamos and its humanitarian service, contact Vice President Linda Hull at 505.662.7950.
