The Rotary Club of Vallejo has had a long standing friendship and spirit of cooperation with our Sister Club of Patzcuaro, Mexico. We are proud to be continuing this tradition during the 2004-2005 Rotary year. A brief history of our past and present projects follows.

In 1970 the service clubs of both Vallejo and Patzcuaro (in central Mexico) begin exchanging communication when George Yim served as President of the Vallejo Rotary Club.

In 1972 The Vallejo Rotary together with District #5160 Clubs donated $10,000 cash, as well as books, and printing equipment to The Patzcuaro Rotary Club for a new children's library to help many youngsters build their reading skills. Everett I. Rolff, Vallejo Rotary Club President (1971-1972) and a delegation of Rotarians from our District made a trip to Patzcuaro to witness the grand opening ceremonies of La Biblioteca Intantil - Children's Library. See the original Vallejo Times Herald story by clicking on this link.

In 1992 with the help of Vallejo Rotarian, Mike Diaz, a formal "sister Rotary Club" relationship was established between service club organizations. Since then the following humanitarian projects have occurred between clubs:

• The Vallejo Rotary Club has donated three (3) used fire trucks (using R.I. matching grant funds) and creating their first (volunteer) fire department in a city of approximately100,000 people.
• Among other things, The Vallejo Club has facilitated funds for
• the purchase of computer equipment for students;
• Remodeled and furnished (the only) rest home for senior citizens;
• Help build a small classroom in a poor village near Patzcuaro;
• Secure Matching Grant from Rotary International (R.I.) to help a "soup kitchen facility" with cooking utensils, furniture and painting job to kitchen place where approximately 50 regulars - poor seniors eat their daily meals.
• Vallejo Rotary has just completed a two-year long (District-wide) R.I. Matching Grant for $33,000 to help Patzcuaro's only rehabilitation center with medical and therapeutic furniture equipment.
• Early this spring the Vallejo Rotary Club, together with GVRD's Park & Rec. Department are shipping 'good' discontinued playground equipment from Fairmont Park (Viewmont & Edgemont Sts.) to go to Patzcuaro's Rehabilitation Center facility to be used by many disadvantaged children at the center and surrounding neighborhoods.