July 18, 2022 – Livermore, CA – Dedicated to the community of Livermore in 2016, the Rotary Bandstand is at the heart of Carnegie Park gatherings. This Thursday, July 21, the Bandstand will be the site of the Rotarian Foundation of Livermore (RFL) celebrating 35 years of giving to our community.
Ruby Lopez-Villareal, Executive Director of Livermore Downtown Inc. will introduce Mary Anne Rozsa, the 2022-23 RFL President on the bandstand during the Farmers Market. “The Rotarian Foundation of Livermore appreciates this opportunity at the Farmers Market to highlight and promote our philanthropic dedication to our Livermore residents and other Tri-Valley nonprofits working to make a difference in the greater community,” said Rozsa.
The bandstand was a gift to Livermore by the Rotarian Foundation and represents only a fraction of what the RFL has given to the community during the past 35 years. Founded in 1987, RFL is a nonprofit foundation comprised of members of the Rotary Club of Livermore and the Rotary Club of Livermore Valley. The founding members set a goal of reaching $1 million as the endowment corpus that could be used to fund community programs. Since 1999, RFL has given over $2 million to the Livermore Valley.
Every third and fourth grader in Livermore Schools received a hardcover novel in 2022 as part of the RFL Gift of Reading Literacy Project. From 2003 – 2020, every third grade student received their own dictionary. RFL supports literacy and STEM programs in Livermore, and funds projects initiated by teachers to enrich learning opportunities for students at all grade levels. Children attending CAPE Preschool enjoy a holiday party thanks to the generosity of the RFL, and grants of the Livermore Valley Education Foundation have been matched by the RFL.
For over 20 years, the RFL has provided annual scholarships to Livermore high school students who have an affinity for music. Since 2020, the Foundation has sponsored the Bill Geyer Memorial Scholarship, awarded to an outstanding graduating senior pursuing a career in the medical field, administered through a partnership with the Pedrozzi Foundation.
The Rotarian Foundation’s annual community grant program has fueled the work of numerous nonprofits, schools, and community groups that implement the RFL mission and serve the Livermore Valley. In 2022, over $94,000 was awarded to 22 organizations, benefiting Hope Hospice, Open Heart Kitchen, Las Positas Veterans First, Tri-Valley Haven, LVJUSD schools, Sunflower Hill, and many more. The full list of grant recipients as well as information on applying for an RFL grant is available on the website at rotarianfoundationlivermore.org.
The Rotarian Foundation exists to serve the community as it fulfills its vision: “The quality of life of Livermore Valley residents is sustainably improved by the philanthropy of the Rotarian Foundation of Livermore.” Because of generous donations of Rotary members, other community members and businesses, along with recent bequests received from two founding RFL members, the foundation endowment is over $4 million. RFL President Mary Anne Rozsa looks forward to leading the Foundation to expand its ability to give and invest in the future of the Livermore community.