Virginia Beach Rotary Club

Don’t forget to RSVP to our club meeting invite!

Our Rotary Club recently volunteered at the Shamrock Race in VB and had a fantastic time! We invite you to join us at our next volunteer event and learn about our community engagement efforts.

A special thank you to everyone who donated coats, hats and scarves! They were all donated to Scott Memorial Methodist Church here in Virginia Beach last week. Miss Anne pictured was so grateful to us for the donations.

Our second annual participation in the Wreaths Across America event at Princess Anne Memorial Gardens in Virginia Beach was a resounding success. A large and dedicated crowd came together to lay wreaths, while the local Moose Lodge provided invaluable support by directing traffic into the cemetery. A chance encounter between one of our Rotary members and a coworker directing traffic added a heartwarming touch to the day. Here are a few pictures from the event, showcasing the impact of our small but dedicated group of four in attendance.

Rotarians please check your email for details!

Rotarians had a great weekend helping out at the Mayflower Marathon in Virginia Beach. We’re always doing great things!

"I had a really inspiring conversation this evening with Joseph, who organizes Wreaths Across America for our area. He shared a great story about how he became involved and was instrumental in organizing the first-ever Virginia Beach event last year. Our Rotary Club attended and was honored to help pass out hundreds of wreaths.

This is a great cause, but we still have a significant need: there are over 1,000 Veterans buried in Princess Anne Cemetery, and so far this year, only 478 wreaths have been sponsored.

I would love to see every Veteran honored! It is a wonderful event to be a part of, and you can help us reach our goal. Please consider donating a wreath for $17.00 by visiting the official website. Whether you can donate one, a few, or many, whatever your heart leads you to do is deeply appreciated.

Finally, Joseph is also looking for volunteers for the honor guard ceremony. He still needs one volunteer to represent the Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard branches to place those wreaths."

Thanks and here's the link and sponsorship information: https://www.wreathsacrossamerica.org/Shop/Product/597?tid=9FADCFDB-3AE7-4CE8-BAE0-6168B36609A0&pageIds=19520,0&vw=home

Once you land on the page please select to choose a specific location and type VAPANN for [VA Beach Princess Anne]. Once that is done you can choose how many wreaths you would like to donate and pay and your donation will add to the total number we are trying to achieve. Currently we are just over the 50% mark. [Plus we need a little buffer]

Thank you so much!

Learn about Wreaths Across America's Mission to Remember, Honor and Teach Each December on National Wreaths Across America Day, our mission to Remember, Honor and Teach is carried out by coordinating wreath-laying ceremonies at Arlington National Cemetery, as well as over 5,200 additional locations in all 50 U.S. states, at sea, and abroad. Help us by sponsoring Veterans....

Last night we honored two special guests during our monthly meeting. Here is a few details about the two people who received the awards.

Virginia Beach Rotary Club
Special Achievement Award Nomination
October 2025

Ms. Kristen Klein - We have known Kristen for over 30 years, as she has worked in a variety of jobs in the areas of manufacturing, industrial, and janitorial work. In March of 2024, she began a new job as a Hospitality Champ at Shake Shack, where she maintains the dining area and provides customer service throughout each shift. Interacting with the public was a
challenge at first, as it had never been a focus of her previous jobs, but over time she has become more comfortable talking to her customers. Her coworkers and supervisors greatly appreciate her hard work and her positive "team player" attitude.

During her many years with Community Employment Options, Kristen has been known and admired for her independence, resourcefulness, and punctuality. Getting around Virginia Beach can be challenging for those who don't drive, and Kristen is determined to be on time for work and appointments. She takes the bus, walks for long distances
without ever complaining, and, when necessary, has coordinated with friends or coworkers for rides to her destination. When she isn't working, Kristen enjoys spending time with her family and has a soft spot for her neighborhood's feral cats, who can count on her to not let them go hungry.
The Rotary Club's motto is "Service above self", thus, for her motivation, dedication to her work, strong customer service skills, and involvement with the community, the Virginia Beach Department of Human Services nominated Ms. Kristen Klein for the award.

Virginia Beach Rotary Club - Doors to Opportunity Award Nomination
October 2025

It is with great pleasure that we nominate Keith O'Neill of Broad Bay Country Club for the Virginia Beach Rotary Club 2025 Doors to Opportunity Award, recognizing the crucial role of businesses in enhancing the lives of persons with disabilities. Many of the individuals served by the Community Employment Options program have significant barriers to employment. These barriers include cognitive and physical limitations, mental health issues, as well as gaps in employment history that make it difficult to find work. Mr. O'Neill, Superintendent of Broad Bay Country Club, provided a
"Door to Opportunity" by hiring a client of our program to help maintain the greens. The job placement resulted numerous challenges, including issues with attendance and work quality, but over time this employee made great strides with his performance, andMr. O'Neill is already making plans to train him on new greenkeeping equipment next spring.
Over the past two years, Mr. O'Neill's patience, determination, and encouragement have paid dividends in terms of the employee's growth. He set clear expectations and held his employee accountable, and as a result the employee has risen to the occasion. For his leadership in providing challenging and supportive employment opportunities to workers with disabilities we take great pride in nominating Mr. Keith O'Neill of Broad Bay Golf.

Join us at our beer station at the Neptune Festival this weekend! 24th Street Event Stage. Support Virginia Beach Rotary Club!