Recognizing the Hayward Rotary Club

Floor Speech

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Mr. SWALWELL. Madam Speaker, I rise to recognize the Hayward Rotary Club, which will celebrate 100 years of serving the Hayward community on Thursday, June 23, 2022.

Hayward Rotary, of which I'm a proud member, was founded in the early 1920s when Hayward business owners regularly started to meet for lunch. Believing Hayward needed a service club, they petitioned their local Rotary District for sponsorship, and on June 23, 1922, Hayward Rotary was established.

Hayward Rotary's first official action as a club was to sponsor the local Boy Scouts troop. During the Great Depression, the club partnered with the Lions and 20 to 30 clubs to create an annual Halloween party at the Hayward Plunge to provide a safe place for children to have fun. They also initiated an annual Christmas party for underprivileged children. During World War II, the club sent clothing and goods to war- torn regions in Europe and helped finance and staff listening posts in the Hayward Hills.

In 1957, Hayward Rotary funded benches at Hayward bus stops, many of which are still in use today. At that same time, the club helped develop Interact Clubs at Hayward high schools to instill the importance of service into the next generation. They also created ``Let's Go Fishing,'' an annual picnic for disabled children in the community. Recognizing the importance of community spaces, they supported the construction of the Tea House in Hayward. Honoring their commitment to supporting international causes, the club oversaw the shipment of 75 tons of textbooks to schools in Pakistan in 1974 and began their Polio Plus Program in the 1980s.

In 1990, the club officially incorporated the Hayward Rotary Foundation to help fund community programs. From 1994 to 1995, the club supported the construction of The Silva Pediatric Clinic, a full- service pediatric facility, and later expanded to add a full-service dental clinic.

In celebration of its 75th anniversary, Hayward Rotary partnered with the Hayward Unified School District to create the Hayward Community Technology Center at the Hayward Adult Education School in 1994. In 1999 they created the Newmann Park in the heart of downtown to replace an empty lot left by a building fire. The club also carried out its ``Field of Dreams'' project to improve lighting, provide scoreboards, and update facilities at Hayward high schools. In 2003, the club started its annual ``Back-to-School Child Spree,'' where it helped 100 children get the supplies needed for the upcoming school year.

Hayward Rotary has remained one of the premier service clubs in Hayward. During its tenure, the club has contributed over $3 million and hundreds of thousands of service hours to civic improvements and community programs in Hayward and across the globe. It continues to grow its Club Foundation Endowment and the Rotary International Foundation to allow for the completion of more successful community service projects in the future.

For 100 years, Hayward Rotary has been pivotal in developing the robust community of Hayward. Hayward Rotary's accomplishments have truly exemplified its ``Service above Self'' motto. I join the club in celebrating its legacy and wish it many more productive years to come.

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