Rotary members believe that we have a shared responsibility to take action on our world’s most persistent issues:  peace and conflict prevention/resolution; disease prevention and treatment; water and sanitation; maternal and child health; basic education and literacy; economic and community development

                                                    
ROTARY CLUB OF HALF MOON BAY PRESIDENT 2024-25 
Dr. Irwin Cohen
 
 
Dr. Irwin Cohen, originally from Brooklyn, N.Y.  has been a podiatrist in Half Moon Bay since 1975.  He was in the Rotary Club of East Palo Alto in 1973 for about a year and half and then rejoined Rotary in 1982 in Half Moon Bay through the introduction of Dr. Eric Shapira. He was president of the HMB Rotary Club in 1994. He has lived in El Granada since 1979 and is married to Nancy Wolfberg who has just joined Rotary in 2024. He has a daughter, Mira and a grandson Saulie.  He enjoys ocean kayaking, mountain bike riding, jazz, movies and traveling
 
This year his goals include 
  • Help re-establish emergency services on the Coastside
  • Collaborating with the Pacifica and San Mateo Rotary Clubs and Sea Huggers in a joint project to eliminate plastics from beaches and waterways 
  • Make the accomplishments of the HMB Club more visible to the community 
  • Make meetings compelling by bringing in exciting speakers that will educate, entertain and inspire
 
Club Information
Welcome to our Club! We meet in person at the HMB Library. But check here in case there is a special venue.
We meet In Person
Thursdays at 12:00 PM
HMB Library
620 Correas St
Half Moon Bay, CA 94019
United States of America
April 10 - Patricia Perez, president of FAMA, who is working with two other bay area Rotary clubs will present to us a pathway where our club could supercharge our international project in place in Mexico.
 
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Active Now
COASTSIDE GIVES is LIVE now for early giving!

The day-long celebration of GIVING to our community officially occurs on May 1, 2025 – but GIVING STARTS NOW through MAY 1.

When you give early , you show to the community our enthusiasm for Rotary’s causes. Giving can be contagious! As Rotary Club members, we show that we care by giving – and that Rotary is worth caring about!

This year’s contributions made to the Rotary Club of Half Moon Bay Foundation through Coastside Gives will enable us to provide assistance for programs that focus on mental health and social emotional wellness of our youth. https://www.coastsidegives.org/organization/hmbrotary

And tell your friends to donate, too! (And more to come with sample emails, links, etc. that you can send out!)

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District Assembly
It was a wonderful district Assembly this past weekend ushering in our new President Elect Kevin O'Brian and new District Governor Mitone Griffiths. Breakout meetings were insightful and will be shared with the club.
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IT'S ALL ABOUT WHAT WE DO!
Rotary members believe that we have a shared responsibility to take action on our world’s most persistent issues:  peace and conflict prevention/resolution; disease prevention and treatment; water and sanitation; maternal and child health; basic education and literacy; economic and community development
 
 The Rotary Club of Half Moon Bay for qualifies as a ShelterBox Hero Club. This work is more important than ever, especially with the recent developments in Syria and the IDF and Hamas executing a ceasefire in Gaza.
 
Dictionaries Distributed to 3rd Graders
 
Rotary District 5280 Los Angeles Wildfire Relief Fund
Dear Friends,
Two months ago, wildfires tore through our communities, leaving devastation in their wake. In that moment of need, the Rotary world responded with overwhelming generosity, demonstrating what it truly means to be people of action. Your contributions to the Rotary District 5280 Los Angeles Wildfire Relief Fund have allowed us to bring hope and tangible support to those most affected.
Because of you, we’ve been able to directly aid families who lost their homes, assist small businesses struggling to rebuild, and stand beside our brave first responders. We’ve already distributed over $200,000 in relief efforts, ensuring that help reaches those who need it most.
Your generosity has:
  • Provided hot meals for students unable to attend school in the early days of the disaster.
  • Supplied hygiene kits to exhausted first responders working tirelessly to keep us safe.
  • Supported city and county linemen, ensuring they had nourishment and resources while restoring critical power and communication lines in Altadena and the Palisades area.
  • Offering rental assistance to families striving to regain stability in the aftermath.
While we’ve done a great job responding to immediate needs, our work is far from over. As we look ahead to the summer, we recognize the need for long-term support. Rebuilding takes time, and we must work alongside key partners to assist in this process. Our district is beginning to strategize on how we can play a role in supporting the city and county with rebuilding efforts. I will keep you all informed as we move forward and identify the most pressing needs.
From Malibu to Palisades, from Altadena to beyond, your generosity has made a difference. While our district neighbors Altadena and District 5300, we proudly stand united—because in Rotary, there are no boundaries, only love and service for our fellow human beings. Thank you for believing in the power of Rotary, for answering the call, and for showing the world what compassion in action looks like.
With deep gratitude, District Governor Albert Hernandez
 
   Monthly Community Breakfast
We are cooking and serving breakfast to the underserved in our Community once a month. Below is a picture of some of our Club members who cook, serve and clean up for the Community Breakfast Program.
 
 
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HMB Art and Pumpkin Festival, October 2024
It was showtime, and Rotary was in the house! 
 

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Beach Clean Up
Thanks to Susan, Warren, Mike, Heather and Dennis and other volunteers for collecting 50 pounds of garbage at Dunes Beach during our September Beach Clean Up!
 
RELAY FOR LifE
Our club with support from team members, family members, friends, community members, and business partners raised almost $16,000! A special thank you to Robin Kirby who donated $5000 to our team (via TWICE!!!!!!!  Also a special thank you to our own Renee Lewis who continues to work her magic by hosting a fundraiser each year to raise money for this event, which brought in another $2500+. Our club also sponsored the event so we were featured on one of the posters around the track.  
 
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Helping in Mexico Again This Year
Rotary members believe that we have a shared responsibility to take action on our world’s most persistent issues:  peace and conflict prevention/resolution; disease prevention and treatment; water and sanitation; maternal and child health; basic education and literacy; economic and community development
 
Our club has sent a team to La Paz, Mexico, Baja California Sur for a number of years supporting a medical clinic. This past year they delivered gifts to the director and helped move a donated mobile unit to the clinic property, and they worked at the Fundacion Astra. Two club members put activity packets together for the children and three started to strip the newly acquired mobile medical clinic in preparation of its facelift. The evening ended with a farewell dinner for our hosts…. Until next time!!
                          
 
Rotary Club of Half Moon Bay Foundation

Annual HMB Rotary Club Foundation Fundraiser

Thanks to all our guests, supporters, and members for making this a fun and successful event!

Both of the special projects we selected this year were funded:

  • 80 low-income students to attend three school break camps (Thanksgiving, Presidents Week, and Spring Break) requested by the Boys and Girls Club of the Coastside
  • Purchasing improved and innovative tools and equipment for cleaning our beaches requested by the Sea Huggers Association.