COMMUNITY & CLUBS:

People can complain about what is happening in our schools, but here is a chance to do something about it. The Fountain for Youth Program of the Rotary Clubs of Costa Mesa, Newport-Balboa, Newport Beach Sunrise and Newport Irvine will match up to $5,200 in contributions made by Daily Pilot readers. The donations will buy recreational reading books for kindergarten through third-grade students of College Park, Pomona, Whittier and Wilson elementary schools in Costa Mesa.

A $10 contribution will be matched by the Rotary Fountain for Youth and buy five reading books. A $25 contribution will be matched and will buy 12 books; $50 will buy 25 books; $100 will buy 50 books.

Make your tax-deductible check payable to: Rotary 5320 Foundation, c/o the Daily Pilot Promotions Dept/Reading by 9 Book Drive, 1375 Sunflower Ave., Costa Mesa, CA 92626. Donors will be recognized in the Reading by 9 Honor Roll in the Daily Pilot unless you request not to be listed.

Children will have books to take home and read. Some children read to their brothers and sisters, others to their parents who also may be developing English and reading skills.

SERVICE CLUBS DARK

Many of the area’s service clubs will be dark during the next two weeks as members celebrate Christmas and New Year’s with their families, resuming weekly meeting the week of Jan. 7. It is best to check a club’s website to see if and where it will be meeting.

Clubs have been adopting families, schools and soldiers for the holiday season. The Exchange Club of Newport Harbor provided gifts to six needy families, according to member Wally Ziglar. The Rotary Clubs of Newport-Balboa and Newport Beach Sunrise have raised more than $9,000 for the families of Marines at Camp Pendleton, according to Bill Hossfield, while the Rotary Club of Newport Irvine sponsored for the seventh annual Christmas Party for Olive Crest. The Exchange Club of Corona del Mar has been wrapping gifts for the Adopt-A-Family program. The Harbor Mesa Lions Club wrapped gifts yesterday at the Boys & Girls Club.

On Jan. 1, Lions, Kiwanis, Rotary and Soroptimist club members’ eyes will be glued to the TV coverage of the Rose Parade, as each of the organizations will have a float in the parade. Many members will have spent hours leading up to New Year’s Day decorating.

WORTH REPEATING

From the Thought for the Day, as provided by Greg Kelley of the Newport-Mesa Irvine Interfaith Council: “If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.” — John Quincy Adams

COMMUNITY & CLUBS is published Saturdays in the Daily Pilot. Send your service club’s meeting information by fax to (714) 921-8655 or by e-mail to jdeboom@ aol.com.