Our History

Petaluma Valley Rotary Club was started in 1974. Harold Alexander, the Club's first President, was responsible for gathering the required number of business persons to effect a new Club in (then) Rotary International District 513. The Club held its first meeting on February 25, 1974 and was chartered on August 16, 1974.

Petaluma Valley Rotary Club is an offshoot from the Rotary Club of Petaluma, chartered in 1923. The fine schedule of the Petaluma Club was deemed to be too high, Petaluma Valley Rotary Club became the "home of the 50-cent fine" -- a condition which lasted for years!

Go to the Past President's page to view the list of our past presidents.

Over the past six years, Petaluma Valley has returned over $80,000 to our local community and our world community. We sponsor STRIVE, a program for academically challenged students, and an Interact Service Club at Casa Grande High School. The Club participates regularly in Christmas in April and sponsors Sharing Trees to provide holiday gifts to residents of convalescent homes in Petaluma. We have supported a Little League Team, A Cub Scout Troop, helped pay for a cardiac monitor used by paramedics, sponsored a bowling tournament for Special Olympics and contributed to a wide spectrum of other organizations and causes. In 2000, the Club presented its fifth annual "Who's Who Revue", a celebrity Lip Synch fund-raising event. A second fund-raising event, the "Haunted Halloween House" was started October 2000 and is a haunting good time for all.