We begin a New Year and we are still faced with challenges because of the pandemic. But the El Segundo Rotary is certainly up to the challenges that have faced us this past year. We've been able to still give back to the community through donations of sleeping bags to Vets, Christmas gifts to the Park Vista residents, cookies baked by Interactors to go to a local home for Vets, donations to Camp Pendleton Marines and so many other ways. The pandemic cannot hold the El Segundo Rotary down. Plans are in the works to celebrate and give back to Seniors in our community for Valentine's Day. We are looking into a program where we can give back to the Vets every month. We are always open to ideas that members want to share about how we can give back to the community. In the meantime Strategic Planning Committee has been working so hard and are wrapping up their focus groups. I had the pleasure of sitting in on most of these focus groups, and it really impresses me how many wonderful ideas come out of these groups to improve our El Segundo Rotary over the next 3 years. It really is exciting to me. Thanks to all members who have contributed to all the projects we have done in the last six months. Best regards, Val
In the spirit of giving, the Interact Club at El Segundo High School, led by Rotarian Elyse Rothstein and Melissa Albers, baked cookies and wrote Holiday cards to local Veterans. Their warm, heartfelt greetings and delicious treats were well received and appreciated!
HOLIDAY DECORATING CONTEST - WINNERS!!!
The decorations were really amazing this year. It was difficult to pick our favorites but thanks to our judges we have four winners:
Mayberry Christmas - Eucalyptus 2020
Let it Snow - Standard Street
Winter Wonderland - East Walnut

Ginormous Santa - McCarthy Street
Congratulation! Prizes include gift cards generously donated from Chevron.
On 12/19, ES Rotarian Carolyne Smigelski with her mother Miyoko Johnson donated their antique weber piano to the Automobile Driving Museum on behalf of the
El Segundo Rotary club. Special thanks to Ed Su, Dean Seligman, Val Smith, Marisol and Matthew Herrera, Julie and Michael Mullane for their assistance. We hope it makes a lovely addition to their collection!

Every year our club has a Holiday party where we get together, have fun, exchange gifts, eat and drink and be merry. For obvious reasons, our Holiday party was cancelled this year. Instead we gathered in Zoom and
played Bingo, listened to music, played Trivia, and even had a visit from Santa Claus! Special thanks to Marsha Hansen for being the hostess with the mostess and for the amazing cookie prizes! Happy Holidays to everyone in Rotary and to our families and friends!
