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 (1971-¹72) and a delegation of Rotarians from our District made a trip to Patzcuaro to witness a ³grand opening² ceremonies of ³La Biblioteca Intantil² -Children¹s 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 ³regulars² -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 Patzcuaro¹s only rehabilitation center with medical and therapeutic furniture equipment.

€   Early this spring the Vallejo Rotary Club, together with GVRD¹s 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.  

Children's Library Project

A later project involved transporting a printing press, which had been retired when the Vallejo Times Herald installed new equipment, to the coast of Mexico. The Admiral of the California Maritime Academy, a Vallejo Rotarian, arranged for the training ship Golden Bear to transport the press. Members of the Patzcuaro club met the ship and arranged transportation of the press to Patzcuaro where it was to be used to produce books for use by school children in Patzcuaro and the surrounding area.

Fire Trucks for the Patzcuaro 

Volunteer Fire Department

    This project was begun in 1992 when one of our members, Mike Diaz, was informed a horrible fire had destroyed a large part of one town square including the downtown marketplace. The fire caused far more damage because the town had no fire engines to be used when such a tragedy might occur. The project culminated in 1997 when funds raised by the Vallejo, California Rotary club, District 5160, and the Patzcuaro club were matched by Rotary International and a fire truck was obtained. The Vallejo Fire Department overhauled the truck and made sure proper equipment was included and in working order. The truck was then driven to Patzcuaro by members of the Patzcuaro club. A group of Vallejo Rotarians including all club presidents who participated in the project traveled to Patzcuaro to present the fire truck to the Mayor and Volunteer Fire Department. Our members were warmly greeted and a parade was held to celebrate the arrival of the new truck. Members of fire departments from departments great distance from Patzcuaro came to join in the celebration

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     Upon seeing the article in the Vallejo Times Herald, a local citizen came forward with another fire engine he had been storing. The Vallejo Club with the support of the Vallejo Fire Department once again made sure the truck was in good operating condition, and it was also donated to the Patzcuaro Fire Department.

New School Classroom Project

    In this project the Vallejo Rotary Club and Patzcuaro Rotary Club provided assistance in building proper bathroom facilities, lighting, and additional rooms to a school in an adjoining poverty stricken town.

Rest Home Project

Soup Kitchen Facility Project

Rehabilitation Center Project

Playground Equipment Project

The playground equipment in Vallejo, CA before disassembly

The equipment restored and in use in Patzcuarro, Mexico