THE ROTARY UPDATE
October 2026 · Service Above Self in the Eastern Coachella Valley
⚙️ A Message from the President
Dear Members and Friends of Rotary Club of Coachella Valley,
September gave us a good reminder of what Rotary looks like when we put service into action. At the Flying Doctors Oasis Clinic in Thermal, our members helped provide new car seats and hands-on safety instruction to families in our community. It was simple, practical, and meaningful service.
That is the kind of Rotary I hope we continue building this year: showing up, working together, and making a difference where we live.
October gives us plenty of chances to do just that. We will hear from community leaders working in the Eastern Coachella Valley and welcome the next generation of student service leaders. October also reminds us that our service extends beyond our own backyard. On World Polio Day, we join Rotarians around the world in the fight to end polio.
My ask this month is simple: bring someone with you. A friend, colleague, neighbor, or anyone who wants to learn more about what Rotary does in our community.
Go Rotary! ⚙️
Maximiliano “Max” Ochoa
President, Rotary Club of Coachella Valley
“Showing up, working together, and making a difference where we live.”
🚗 Safe Rides for Our Newest Neighbors
On Saturday, September 26, Los Médicos Voladores (The Flying Doctors) held their annual Oasis Clinic at Desert Mirage High School, bringing free dental, vision, and medical care to uninsured families and farmworkers across the Eastern Coachella Valley.
Our club focused on maternal and child health, one of Rotary’s seven areas of focus, by providing brand-new car seats to expecting mothers and families with newborns. Before taking their seats home, families joined a child passenger safety class using California Highway Patrol materials. Then our Rotarians got hands-on, showing parents how to install each seat, buckle babies in securely, and adjust the harness for a proper fit, right inside their own vehicles.
Thank you, Lucy! The Oasis Clinic was organized by our very own Lucy Moreno. Her leadership brought doctors, students, volunteers, and partners together for one of the biggest days of free care in our region.
President Max Ochoa and Treasurer Joe Ceja represented the club on the day. Thank you to the Flying Doctors, Coachella Valley Unified School District, CV Health Academy, and every volunteer and partner who came together to serve our community.
📅 Join Us This Month
Wednesday, October 14, 2026
5:30 PM Dinner & Social | 6:00 PM Program
Sloan’s Restaurant, 81539 US Highway 111, Indio, CA 92201
Program featuring Christian Rodriguez of Kounkuey Design Initiative (KDI), a nonprofit that partners with residents of under-resourced communities to plan and build public spaces and improvements, with deep roots in the Eastern Coachella Valley.
Wednesday, October 28, 2026
5:30 PM Dinner & Social | 6:00 PM Program
Sloan’s Restaurant, 81539 US Highway 111, Indio, CA 92201
Program featuring Simon Moore and the student officers of Coachella Valley High School’s Interact and HOSA clubs. Interact is Rotary’s service club for young people, and HOSA prepares students for careers in health care. Come hear what these students are working on this year, and how our club can support them.
Members, prospective members, and anyone curious about Rotary are welcome at either meeting. No reservation required; just come hungry and ready to connect.
🌍 World Polio Day: Saturday, October 24
Together, we end polio.
World Polio Day is a reminder of Rotary’s decades-long commitment to protecting children from this preventable disease. Since 1988, Rotary and our partners have helped vaccinate billions of children and reduce wild polio cases by more than 99.9%. We are closer than ever to a polio-free world, but the work isn’t finished.
This year, Rotary International is encouraging members to turn movement into momentum. Run, walk, cycle, or simply help raise awareness in your community. Members can also join the Team End Polio Movement Challenge on Strava and connect with Rotarians around the world.
Walk. Run. Ride. Serve.
Taking action locally? Let us know. We’d love to highlight how our members mark World Polio Day. And if you have a four-legged friend, ask about the district’s Kennel Klub, which supports the fight to end polio. Kennel Klub members will be honored at this year’s Foundation Dinner.
Learn more, find resources, or give at endpolio.org.
🎟️ District 5330 Foundation Dinner: Tickets On Sale
Saturday, November 14, 2026, 5:30 PM
Sun Lakes Country Club, 850 South Country Club Drive, Banning, CA
Tickets: $100 per person
Join Rotarians, friends, and community leaders from across District 5330 for an evening celebrating service, friendship, and The Rotary Foundation. This year’s keynote speaker is Ina Pinkney, Chicago’s “Breakfast Queen” and a polio survivor, a fitting voice in a year when Rotary is so close to ending the disease. The evening will also honor District 5330 Foundation donors, Polio Plus Society members, and Kennel Klub members.
Let’s bring a strong Coachella Valley table! Register through DACdb under My District → Calendar/Events, or email us and we’ll help you sign up.
🎁 Looking Ahead: Holiday Food & Gift Drive
Our club is proud to continue as a partner in Desert Recreation District’s 2026 Holiday Food & Gift Drive, helping families across the Eastern Coachella Valley this holiday season.
Save the date: Wednesday, November 11. Alexis Galarza of Desert Recreation District will join us at Sloan’s to share how this year’s drive works and how members can get involved.
📣 Share Your News
Working on a project, attending a Rotary event, or celebrating a milestone? Send a few sentences and a photo to rotaryclubofthecoachellavalley@gmail.com and we may feature it in next month’s newsletter, on our website, or on social media.
🌵 Who We Are
Chartered in 1963, the Rotary Club of Coachella Valley serves the Coachella Valley Unified School District and the Eastern Coachella Valley communities of Coachella, Mecca, Thermal, North Shore, and Oasis, one of the Valley’s great agricultural regions.
But our work goes well beyond that: education, youth leadership, health, and community service.
🤝 Get Involved
⚙️ Attend a meeting
No RSVP needed. Just show up and bring a friend.
🎓 Support local youth & education
Help us mentor and support students across the CVUSD community.
💡 Bring a project idea
Have a cause or partnership you’d love to see the club take on? We want to hear it.
🌟 Consider membership
Curious about what it means to be a Rotarian? Come to a meeting as our guest and see for yourself.
Know someone who’d like this? Forward it along! New here? Subscribe or update your contact info.
Rotary Club of Coachella Valley · Club #867 · District 5330
Meets 2nd & 4th Wednesday, 5:30 PM · Sloan’s Restaurant, Indio, CA
📩 rotaryclubofthecoachellavalley@gmail.com · 🌐 coachellavalleyrotary.org
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