Rotary Club of Burbank

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Burbank, CA
Rotary Club of Burbank

Join us most Tuesdays from 12:00-1:00pm at the Burbank VFW USS Gudgeon Ship 8310 at 1006 W. Magnolia Blvd.

10/06/2026

Barry William Sylvester
May 31, 1941 — Sep 15, 2026

Barry will always be remembered for his service to others... 1997-98 President of Burbank Rotary, Scoutmaster, Softball Coach, Neighbor, Friend, Trustee. Pops was a Hero and father figure to many.

Born in New York, his family moved to Southern California at the age of 4. Burbank was his hometown for many years. There he raised a family with Jan Sylvester & was a very well-respected CPA.

He is preceded in death by his parents, Sally & George Martin, brothers Frank & Walt Sylvester, and survived by his sisters, Carole Donohue & Diane Sylvester-Appleman.

Barry and his dear dog, Missy, moved to Washington early this year to live with his daughter, Kimberly Sylvester, and her fiancé, Patrick Farley. Together with Patrick's mom, Elaine, they shared many memorable adventures, laughter, and peace. Oh, and ICE CREAM!Treasured memories keep his love and spirit alive.

His name will live on with his sons, Ty Sylvester-Gronnier, his husband, Henry Gronnier-Sylvester, Reese Sylvester, and his grandson, Jacob Sylvester, wife Katie & 6 great-grandchildren: Luc, Clara, Collette, Jace, Dean & Rex. He was very proud of his granddaughter, Rain Malzahn...

His friends & past clients have reached out to share their fond stories of Barry. He had no enemies and wanted to help everyone.

09/20/2026

Each month, our club has the privilege of recognizing an exceptional student from the Burbank Unified School District, and in September, we were proud to honor Nicole Nenadov!

Nicole stood out for her outstanding citizenship, strong work ethic, and warm, friendly personality. Her bright, infectious smile lit up the room and reflected the positive spirit she brings to her school community every day.

We were delighted to celebrate this special achievement alongside her proud parents, Cristina and Dali Nenadov, as well as BUSD Superintendent Tom McCoy; Rebecca Harris, Director of Elementary Education, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion; and George Washington Elementary School Principal Laura Vinyard.

Also joining the celebration were Burbank Noon Rotary President Scott Rife and Youth Service Chair Rashawn Morris.

👏 Congratulations, Nicole! Your hard work, kindness, and positive attitude make you a wonderful role model, and we look forward to seeing all that you accomplish in the future.

09/02/2026

🔥 MEET BURBANK'S 2026 FIREFIGHTER OF THE YEAR: BRENNAN BLAZER 🔥

We proudly presented the Firefighter of the Year Award to Firefighter Paramedic Brennan Blazer, and made a $1,000 donation to the Burbank Firefighters Foundation in his honor! 💰

Club member and Fire Chief Danny Alvarez's words say it all:
"If you look at what he's done in 3 years, it's more than most people accomplish in 10 or 15 years... When you're looking at what the Burbank Fire Department's future looks like, that's what it looks like right there."

But what truly moved us was Brennan's humble response:
"This award is not one person award... You call 911, this department will treat you as their own brother, their mother, their father, their sister."

In just 3 years, Brennan has:
🎯 Completed company officer coursework & promotional prep
🤝 Served as Secretary-Treasurer on the Union Board
💙 Became a peer support team member for firefighter mental health
🚀 Spearheaded innovative training initiatives
📚 Continues studying paramedic protocols on every shift

Thank you, Brennan, for embodying what it means to serve others! Our donation to the Firefighters Foundation ensures this recognition supports all who serve. 🙏

08/27/2026

Tuesday's meeting had a great turnout from both our club members and the Burbank Police Department! So proud to celebrate the legacy of former Chief of Police Rex Andrews (a Burbank Noon Rotary member) by honoring the outstanding BPD Detective Brian Lee.

08/26/2026

Our club proudly presented the Rex Andrews Police Scholarship to Burbank Police Detective Brian Lee, for his commitment to professional excellence, education, and community service.

Club President Scott Rife presented the scholarship, and Burbank Police Chief Rafael Quintero introduced Detective Lee, highlighting a career marked by professionalism, leadership, and dedication. Chief Quintero noted that Detective Lee served as a field training officer, helping mentor and develop newly hired officers, before being assigned as a detective. He also serves on the department's Honor Guard and previously served 10 years in the United States Marine Corps. Chief Quintero praised Detective Lee's commitment to lifelong learning, noting that he was the first person in his immediate family to pursue education beyond high school and has embraced education as a way to continually improve himself, his leadership, and his service to the community.

Former Burbank Police Chief and Burbank Noon Rotary member Scott LaChasse shared the story of Rex Andrews, Burbank's fourth Chief of Police. Andrews brought a distinguished background in law enforcement leadership, military service, and police reform to Burbank in 1953. Throughout his career, he championed the values of education, integrity, honesty, hard work, continuous improvement, and service excellence. The scholarship bearing his name continues his legacy of investing in the professional development of Burbank police officers.

In accepting the award, Detective Lee thanked the Burbank Noon Rotary Club, the Burbank Police Department leadership, and his family, especially his wife Sarah, for supporting the demands of both law enforcement and higher education. He reflected on the importance of continuing education in modern policing, noting that officers must continuously learn and adapt to an ever-changing society.

08/21/2026

Join us this Tuesday, August 25, at noon as we honor a Burbank Police officer with the 2026 Rex Andrews Police Scholar Award, a prestigious recognition we give annually. The award includes $1,000 scholarship to support continued education in law enforcement.

The award, established in 1994, commemorates the legacy of former Burbank Police Chief Rex R. Andrews, who served from 1953 to 1971. Chief Andrews was a pioneer in promoting higher education for police officers, emphasizing integrity and professionalism in law enforcement. His distinguished career included service as a police chief in multiple cities and as an intelligence officer during World War II. He was also a member of the Burbank Noon Rotary Club.

Our club meets most Tuesdays at the Burbank VFW USS Gudgeon Ship 8310, located at 1006 Magnolia Blvd., Burbank. We'd love to see you there! Police Department

07/25/2026

The Rotary Club of Burbank Noon is proud to welcome our 2026-2027 Board, who officially began their roles on July 1, 2026.

🌟 Please join us in congratulating our incoming leadersship 🌟:
President: Scott Rife
Treasurer: Stephanie Bennett
Secretary: Taylor Canfield
Club Service: Sunny Singer
Community Service: Cindy Yee Akuin
Youth Service: Rashawn Morris

🙏 We are so grateful for the commitment to Rotary's mission of Service Above Self and we look forward to their leadership, advocacy and service for the coming year! 🙏

*Cindy Yee Akuin and Rashawn Morris are not pictured.

07/22/2026

🌟 Burbank Noon Rotary and Burbank Sunrise Rotary members warmly welcomed 2026-27 District Governor Brady Connell on July 17, 2026, during his first official visit of the new Rotary year! A special thanks to Glendale Sunrise Rotary for hosting this memorable gathering! 🤝✨

07/09/2026

Today, our club members joined forces with Burbank Sunrise Rotary, Zonta Club of Burbank Area St. Francis Catholic Church Peace and Justice Ministry, Burbank Business & Professional Women, and Glendale Soroptimists for a meaningful SOAP Project labeling event.

Nearly 30 volunteers came together at the Buena Vista Library to label soaps and makeup wipes with the National Human Trafficking Hotline, to be distributed to 20 hotels throughout Burbank in advance of the FIFA World Cup Quarterfinals. These labelled everyday items are then placed in hotel and motel rooms as a way to help connect potential human trafficking victims with critical support services.

Thank you to everyone who volunteered their time and energy to this important effort. We are proud to stand alongside our community partners in working toward a safer future for all.

06/24/2026

With a full heart, the Burbank Noon Rotary Club thanks Cynthia Wagner for her commitment to service and leadership as President during 2025-26.

Under Cynthia's leadership, our club lived out its motto of "service above self" during the past 12 months. We honored extraordinary students, firefighters, police officers and teachers through our scholarships and award programs. We volunteered at events to raise awareness about human trafficking, support breast cancer patients and survivors, beautify our public spaces, and took action to reduce hunger in our community.

We raised funds through a VFW Pancake Breakfast, w**e tasting, and our first ever Casino Night. We attended community events like the Burbank State of the City, the VFW Golf Tournament and the Rotary Epic Day of Service. We even won an award: the Burbank Chamber of Commerce recognized us and Burbank Sunrise Rotary as "Heroes of Burbank" at the its Excellence Awards.

Cynthia's dedication, enthusiasm, and positive energy helped move our mission forward and inspired our members to continue to give back to the community we love.

Thank you, Cynthia, for your heartfelt, purposeful, and strong leadership! 💙

Address

1006 W. Magnolia Boulevard
Burbank, CA
91506

Opening Hours

12pm - 1:30pm

Website

http://www.burbanknoonrotary.org/

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