Christmas Promise

Each year teachers, church organizations and social workers forward to Christmas Promise "letters to Santa" from local disadvantaged children. Christmas Promise fulfills 250 of those wishes by way of volunteer Santas who go to the children’s homes on Christmas Eve. Over the years, the Foundation has donated about $80,000 to this charity and several Point West Rotarians have acted as Santa Clauses.

Assistance League of Sacramento

The Assistance League of Sacramento (http://sacramento.assistanceleague.org) has been the primary beneficiary of Point West’s California Brewers Festival (Brewfest) since 2006. In 2007, the National Assistance League awarded Point West its Operation School Bell Award. The award was given for the club's dedication and commitment to Operation School Bell, an Assistance League program that supplies new uniforms or new suitable school clothing, shoe vouchers, hygiene kits, backpacks, book bags and books to schoolchildren in need. Point West Rotary President Doug Weill and President-elect Bud Ackerman accepted the award from Assistance League President Katie Kunz and immediate past President Doris Hanson.

Proceeds from Point West’s Festa di Vino fundraiser largely benefits B Street Theater (www.bstreettheatre.org). B Street Theatre was founded in 1986 for the purpose of bringing the excitement of theatre to children. This mission was first fulfilled when actor Timothy Busfield created Fantasy Theatre, a touring group that now reaches 200,000 students in Northern California annually. Moreover, the B Street Family Series is the region’s first fully professional theater for young audiences.

Encina & Jonas Salk

Point West Rotary has long contributed service and dollars to projects benefiting Encina Preparatory High School (www.sanjuan.edu/Encina.cfm) and Jonas Salk High-Tech Academy, formerly Jonas Salk Middle School (www.sanjuan.edu/Salk.cfm). Among other things, Foundation dollars have supported:

The Foundation helps support a program of the UC Davis Children's Hospital which provides matching grants for the outfitting of children with hearing devices. First to benefit from the Foundation's participation was pre-schooler Erin McClain. In March 2008, Erin's mother Susan described at a Rotary meeting how profoundly Erin’s life had changed with the ability to hear. Erin underscored this point with a touching, "Thank you!"

Rotary Youth Leadership Assembly

This is a week long leadership training camp conducted by Rotarians for about 100 boys and girls who have completed their junior year in high school. Each year Point West Rotary selects, sponsors and transports two students to Lake Tahoe for the conference.

Rotary Youth Exchange Program

Youth Exchange provides thousands of young people with the opportunity to meet people from other lands and to experience their cultures. Each year, Point West Rotary helps sponsor a local high school student to study at a high school abroad and live with host families in a foreign country for an academic year. In return, a student from another country comes here to be hosted by Rotary families for the academic year.

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Canine Companions for Independence

Canine Companions for Independence® (www.caninecompanions.org) is a national nonprofit organization that enhances the lives of children and adults with disabilities by providing highly-trained assistance dogs. CCI dogs are provided at virtually no cost to the graduates. All the expenses of breeding, raising, and training a Canine Companion is funded through private donations.

Make-A-Wish Foundation

Since 1980, the Make-A-Wish Foundation® (http://www.wish.org) has enriched the lives of children with life-threatening medical conditions through its wish-granting work.  The organization has blossomed into a worldwide phenomenon, reaching more than 161,000 children around the world. A network of more than 25,000 volunteers enable the Make-A-Wish Foundation to serve children with life-threatening medical conditions. Volunteers serve in many capacities, including wish granters, fundraisers and special events assistants.

Police Officer and Firefighter of the Year Awards

Annually Point West Rotary honors officers of the Sacramento City Police Department and Sacramento County Sheriff's Department selected by their respective agencies as Police Officer of the Year. A similar tribute is paid to firefighters of the Sacramento City Fire Department and the Sacramento County Fire Protection District.

Other Major Recipients

These include St. Francis Home for Children, the Ronald McDonald House, the Rotary Club of Hilton-Howick (PWR's sister club in South Africa), the Rosemont High School Music Department, School for the Deaf in Mexico, the Haggin Oaks Eagle Golf Program for Disabled Kids, Budgetext, California Musical Theater, Saddle Pals, Sacramento Area Emergency Housing Center, Mary House, American River College Culinary School, Boy Scouts of America and St. Vincent de Paul.