Monarch Beach Sunrise Rotary Club

08/31/2026

Balanced and Leadership Focused
Protecting our coast means finding the perfect balance between human enjoyment and preserving our unique wildlife. 🌊🐀We are incredibly proud to highlight attorney Hydee Riggs, who has been reporting on the critical need to safeguard the endangered Pacific Pocket Mouse. As one of only three places left in the wild where this tiny creature survives, the Dana Point Headlands Preserve is a treasure worthy of our highest protection.

Hydee’s dedication to our community shines through as she prepares to step into her new role. Running unopposed for the Dana Point City Council (District 3), she brings both legal expertise and a deep love for our coastal spaces to local government.

True conservation means being a voice for our environment while maintaining a safe, beautiful, and accessible coastline for everyone. Thank you, Hydee, for championing the future of Dana Point! 🦅🌊

08/12/2026

July 29th, Co-President Hayden Macurda introduced new club member Karen Johns and her dog Finley. Karen presented an extremely interesting craft talk.

Karen grew up in Maine and her varied life work experiences including teaching grades K-8 , politics, lobbying, residential and commercial real estate, the oil industry, and Formula One racing. These varied careers have enabled her to live in many places, including Maine, New Hampshire, Georgia, North Carolina, Texas, Monaco and California.

Highlights of Karen's career accomplishments included having been elected to her Town Council at age 27, and having been a candidate for the New Hampshire House of Representatives at age 30 (when she lost by a mere 41 votes); having been in the Army Reserve (Military Police) and having been Chief of Staff for the North Carolina Senate majority whip.

More recently, Karen has earned a BA degree in Business Administration (magna cm laude) from Texas A+M and has established Karen Johns LLC, working in the environmental energy industry.

Karen has three sons, two of whom are combat veterans and one an Air Force Academy graduate. She describes herself as a persistent woman who always wants to take the reins and "talk to the manager" when people are speaking the same language but not hearing the same meaning. She strives to fill her life with adventure, service, patriotism, conservation and preserving the environment.

Although a Rotarian for just a short time, Karen is already a Paul Harris Foundation member and is a valuable addition to MBSR.

08/12/2026

Wednesday August 5th, our speaker was Diana Leyva from CR&R Disposal Company, where she is the Sustainability Specialist. She shared the importance to our environment to comply with important recycling efforts.

The rules of recycling are always evolving:
Styrofoam now goes to a landfill - it is no longer recyclable
Flexible packaging like Amazon pop bubbles are also now not recyclable and go to the landfills
Old fabrics are NOT picked up by CR&R, but Target recycles fabrics/clothing
Food scraps (even spoiled food) is still organic, but palm fronds, pet waste and plastic bags go to landfills

So, in summary, be good customers and place items properly in your blue, green and brown CR&R receptacles

08/12/2026

Monarch Beach Sunrise Rotary Club is officially part of the movement, “Bringing Back the Monarchs!” By volunteering to create and restore the natural habitats for the Monarch butterlies, we are helping these beautiful creatures to thrive in our very own City.

Karen Engberg, the Natural Resource Manager for the City of Dana Point, supervised our members as we sowed the milkweed seeds by planting 10 flats, approximately 300 plants for the native plant nursery. These plants will be put in a greenhouse to start the propogation process, and then we will plant them in the fall in one of 5 habitats that the City has.

07/17/2026

Please Share...
The opportunity of Rotary will change your life and the lives of everyone you touch!

07/07/2026

07/06/2026

MBSR lost a dear friend and extraordinary Rotarian, "Rotary Rod" Eide. We will miss his hugs, his passion, and commitment to serving others. Rod's daughter asked us to share his obituary with you.

Rod Eide Obituary
Rodney Gilman Eide, born Feb. 17, 1934, passed away peacefully on Sunday, June 28, 2026, surrounded by his family and loved ones. Rod was born in Moorhead, Minnesota, one of five children, went to North Dakota State University, Majored in Engineering. Rod is survived by Nan, his wife of 60 years, two sisters, five children,
seven grandchildren and five great grandchildren. Rod and Nan were long-time residents and community leaders in Laguna Niguel and Dana Point.

Rod was a prominent, long-serving figure within Rotary International most notably recognized for his extensive leadership in Southern California District 5320 and his deep ties to the Monarch Beach Sunrise Rotary Club. Known locally as “Rotary Rod”
was a foundational mainstay of the Sunrise Club and was highly active in the Dana Point area since its chartering in 1988. He held many offices in this Club throughout his years including; Club Treasurer, Vice President, President, Past President, and most
importantly as the District Governor for District 5320 during the 2001-2002 leadership year. He managed and oversaw operations of 50 Rotary Clubs in Orange County and parts of Los Angeles County. During his tenure as Governor, he famously executed “official visits” to local chapters including the Newport Beach Sunrise and
Newport-Balboa Clubs.

He is recognized as a multi-tier Paul Harris Fellow contributor heavily supporting the financial backbone of the Rotary Foundation’s global humanitarian causes.

Throughout his years he had remained a vocal proponent of preserving Rotary’s legacy, emphasizing the importance of recruiting established, community-minded members ages 35 and up who possess the ‘time, talent, and resources to support multi-generational service work. Beyond administrative duties, he directly managed regional fundraising events, such as handling ticketing and logistics for the club’s major charity initiatives like the Dana Point Lobster Fest.

Outside of his charitable endeavors, Rod brought exact detailing and administrative acumen to his volunteer work from a background in the aerospace industry as a Mechanical Engineer. He used his extraordinary organizational expertise over the decades to assist Southern California communities, including volunteering as a board member or regional homeowner associations to help them optimize budgets and restructure fees.

A celebration of life and reception will be announced at a later date.

06/11/2026

Monarch Beach Sunrise Rotary Celebrates Leadership and a Legacy of Service.

On the evening of June 10th, members and guests of the Monarch Beach Sunrise Rotary gathered at the Dana Point Women's Club for a memorable President's Transition Dinner, celebrating a remarkable year of service, fellowship, and community and International impact.

Outgoing President Bob Zaza was recognized and applauded for his outstanding leadership during the 2025-2026 Rotary year. Through his dedication, vision, and commitment to Rotary's guiding principle of Service Above Self, the club continued its tradition of making a meaningful difference both locally and globally. Members expressed their sincere appreciation for a year marked by service, friendship, and accomplishment.

The evening featured the presentation of numerous honors and recognitions, including Paul Harris Fellow awards, acknowledgment of board members and leadership volunteers, recognition of the Rotary Foundation Board of Directors, and several distinguished club awards. Honorees were celebrated for the commitment and contributions to rewards such as Distinguished Service Award, Contributor Award, Unsung Hero Award, Service Above Self Award, and the prestigious Rotarian of the Year award.

District Governor-Elect Heidi Larkin- Reed inspired attendees with heartfelt remarks, thanking Rotarians for continually saying "yes" to service and leadership. Her message served as a reminder that Rotary's strength lies not only in the projects that undertakes, but in the willingness of its members to answer the call to serve others.

The evening also acknowledged change in the club's incoming leadership. While Rotarian Allison Peterson had been elected to service president for the 2026-2027 rotary year, a joyful new chapter in her life - her recent marriage - has made it necessary for her to step away from that role. The Club expressed it's gratitude to Allison and support for her future endeavors as well as her leaving behind her vision for what would have been her Rotary year.

In the true spirit of Rotary, members once again stepped forward to serve. Veteran past presidents Anita Houston and Hayden Macurda graciously agreed to lead the club during the first quarter of the upcoming Rotary year. Both shared their enthusiasm and commitment to bring energy, experience, and momentum to the club. Additional past presidents will be called upon to serve during the remaining quarters, demonstrating Rotary's enduring tradition of leadership, teamwork, and service.

For more than 120 years, Rotary International has united business, professional, and community leaders around a common purpose: creating lasting change in communities around the world. From eradicating polio and promoting peace to supporting education, clean water, health initiatives, and local community projects, Rotary's impact reaches millions of lives each year.

While Monarch Beach Sunrise Rotary may be a small club in number, it is mighty in heart, commitment, and service. Through scholarships, charitable giving, volunteerism, military support, community partnerships, and countless acts of kindness, the club continues to demonstrate that meaningful change begins with people willing to serve.

As one Rotary year closes and another begins, members look forward with gratitude for the past, optimism for the future, and a renewed commitment to Rotary's timeless motto: Service Above Self.

05/09/2026

Serving Those Who Serve Us!

On May 6th, the Monarch Beach Sunrise Rotary Club had the absolute honor of hosting a barbecue lunch for the incredible firefighters at OCFA Station 18 and Tranuco Canyon.

These brave men and women stand ready 24/7 to protect our homes, our families, and our beautiful canyons. While they protect us we wanted to take Mom to serve them!

A huge, heartfelt THANK YOU to the Orange County Fire Authority for your courage, professionalism, and unwavering dedication. You are true heroes!

04/18/2026

Guest Speaker Kevin Gocke overcame a stroke and a brain bleed 13 1/2 years ago. He was just 21 and after a life-saving brain surgery, he was in a coma. So young to lose the ability to do the things he loved; music, snowboarding, and more. With full left-side paralysis, Kevin had a grim prognosis, but kicked down every barrier with his dedication and discipline using nutrition and fitness.

Kevin's company, Live Poised, provides Fitness for the Injured. He provides a supportive community both online and in person. This isn't just about recovery; it's about a holistic approach that includes education, nutrition, fitness, mental wellness, and a strong support network. Live Poised is all about reclaiming life post-trauma by harnessing inner strength, empathy, and determination.

Kevin's goal is to inspire others to persevere and triumph through their own life trauma, which may come in many different forms.

Club members were inspired by his story of strength and selflessness and his desire to help others by what he has learned through his own journey.

Kevin is pictured with President-Elect, Allison Peterson.