As we move into the new year, it’s worth pausing to reflect on what it truly means to be a community—and how much is possible when neighbors come together with purpose.
At the Santa Cruz Sunrise Rotary Club -your local service club of 104 community members- 2025 was a year defined by action, service, and impact. Guided by Rotary International’s theme, “Unite for Good,” our members showed up—early mornings, weekends, and holidays alike—to strengthen the fabric of our community while staying connected to a broader global commitment to service.
Two signature community fundraisers anchor our efforts each year. The Santa Cruz Firecracker Race, now in its 41st year, is our Labor of Love for the community. Hosted by the Club every Fourth of July, the 2025 race brought thousands together in celebration and service, with proceeds primarily benefitting the For Kids Foundation of Monterey Bay, funding critical programs in support of children and families across the Central Coast.
Our second major fundraiser, the Santa Cruz Sunrise Rotary 3-Day Bike Ride (aka Jon & Ken’s Most Excellent Adventure), now in its 29th year, reflects both endurance and generosity. Riding three days from Healdsburg to Santa Cruz, riders and volunteers have raised over $2.1 million for 35 youth-focused and community-based organizations including Jacob’s Heart, Accessible parks at LEO’s Haven at Chanticleer Park and Treasure Cove at Jade Street Park, Monarch Services, the Pump Track at Grant St. Park, reconstruction of the Santa Cruz High School track and field, Skills of Life Café, Boys & Girls Clubs of Santa Cruz County, the Teen Kitchen Project, and Aztecas Youth Soccer Academy—programs that provide safe spaces, mentorship, nutrition, and opportunity for young people throughout Santa Cruz County.
Beyond fundraising, 2025 was marked by hands-on service and rapid response. When food insecurity surged, our club made a sizable direct financial donation to Second Harvest Food Bank, responding quickly to an urgent community need. Throughout the year, Sunrise Rotarians also participated in or volunteered at more than a dozen community service events, including fielding a team at the Special Olympics Polar Plunge, getting our hands dirty with restoration projects at West Cliff Restoration with Groundswell Coastal Ecology and at the San Lorenzo River with Coastal Watershed Council, supporting Shared Adventures’ at their Halloween Dance and Beach Day, farm workdays with Homeless Garden Project and Common Roots Farm, and volunteering at events like the Children’s Museum of Discovery Touch a Truck and Salvation Army bell ringing during the holidays.
Our youth-directed empowerment and leadership development programs also awarded $20,000 in college scholarships and funded local high schoolers’ attendance at both Rotary’s Youth Leadership Camp and public speaking contests.
While our roots are firmly local, Rotary’s reach is global—and that perspective strengthens our work at home. In 2025, Santa Cruz Sunrise Rotarians also supported international service efforts, including a home-building project in Tecate, Mexico, community infrastructure development in Kasese, Uganda, and clean water filtration projects in Guatemala. Rotary is also often credited with the near eradication of polio worldwide. These projects remind us that service transcends borders, and that the values guiding our local work—dignity, partnership, and sustainability—are universal.
Together, these efforts reflect our club’s strategic priorities: supporting youth and families, addressing basic needs, advancing environmental stewardship, fostering global understanding, and building community through service and fellowship. Rotary is not just about what we do—it’s about how we do it: collaboratively, locally grounded, and globally connected.
As we plan for the new year, we are energized to build on this momentum. The challenges facing Santa Cruz—from food security and affordability to environmental resilience—are complex, but they are not insurmountable when we unite for good.
We invite community members who want to make a difference to join us—whether by volunteering at a service project, cheering on runners and riders, or considering becoming part of our Club. There is a place for everyone in service, and together, we can continue shaping a Santa Cruz that cares for all.
Learn more about our work and upcoming opportunities at www.SantaCruzSunriseRotary.org.
Here’s to a new year of service, connection, and collective impact.
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Santa Cruz Sunrise Rotary Club Board of Directors
Rotary is an international membership organization made up of people who share a passion for and commitment to enhancing communities and improving lives across the world. Rotary clubs exist in almost every country. Our members change lives locally and connect with other clubs to work on international projects that address today’s most pressing challenges. Being a member is an opportunity to take action and make a difference, and it brings personal rewards and lifelong friendships in the process.
