Adam Smith talks about his book on New Mexico summits at a 2025 Rotary Club of Los Alamos meeting. Photo by James Wernicke
New Mexico Immigration Law Center Policy Director Jessica Martinez shares about legal challenges facing immigrants and recent policy wins during a 2025 Rotary Club of Los Alamos lunchtime meeting. Photo by James Wernicke
Volunteers pour ingredients into bags at the 2025 Meals of Hope meal packing event.. Photo by James Wernicke
Volunteers seal meal bags at the 2025 Meals of Hope meal packing event. Photo by James Wernicke
JAMES WERNICKE
President
Rotary Club of Los Alamos
As we come to the close of 2025, let’s take a moment to reflect on where we’ve been as a club, what we’ve accomplished together, and where we are headed. Rotary’s guiding principle, Service Above Self, is something we say often, but this year the Rotary Club of Los Alamos truly lived it through action, collaboration, and measurable impact.
Throughout the year, the Rotary Club of Los Alamos hosted a wide range of speakers who enriched our meetings and broadened our understanding of the world around us. Programs featured local educators and youth leaders, tourism and economic development professionals, nonprofit and humanitarian experts, and innovators working at the intersection of technology and community service. From tales of outdoor adventures to conversations about global health, immigration, and humanitarian AI, these speakers reflected Rotary’s commitment to lifelong learning, informed dialogue, and meaningful community engagement. The diversity of perspectives shared at Rotary meetings strengthened connections across sectors and reinforced the club’s role as a forum for ideas, service, and collaboration.
This past year, our club made a meaningful difference both locally and globally. One of the clearest examples was our Meals of Hope service project in November. Working alongside more than one hundred volunteers from across the community, we packed over 25,000 meals for families in northern New Mexico. It was a community effort that demonstrated what can happen when people come together with a shared purpose. We also had many generous community provide us with financial support for this project. Anyone who would like to help close our remaining funding gap or support future meal-packing events can donate through Los Alamos Gives at https://www.losalamosgives.org/story/mealsofhope.
Volunteers pack boxes at the 2025 Meals of Hope event. Photo by James Wernicke
A volunteer stacks boxes at the 2025 Meals of Hope event. Each box contains 216 meals. Photo by James Wernicke
This year also marked an important milestone in Rotary’s commitment to peacebuilding. In October, the Rotary Club of Los Alamos co-hosted the Pathways to Peace Conference in Santa Fe in partnership with neighboring Rotary clubs. The conference brought together community leaders, educators, artists, and Rotarians to explore the social and economic impacts of conflict, the role of dialogue in peacebuilding, and practical pathways toward greater understanding and cooperation. Hosting and participating in this conference reflected Rotary’s belief that peace is not an abstract ideal, but something that can be actively built through conversation, education, and collaboration at the local and regional level.
Rotary Club of Los Alamos President James Wernicke and Hiroshima Peace Guide Eria Matsumae pose at the Santa Fe Peace Pole unveiling in Thomas Macaione Park during the Pathway to Peace Conference. Courtesy photo
Art created by local youth is auctioned to benefit school art programs during the Pathway to Peace Conference. Photo by James Wernicke
Our commitment to global health continued through our Purple Pinky polio eradication campaign, which raised $1,229 this year at Los Alamos elementary schools. Those funds support Rotary International’s decades-long effort to eradicate polio and protect children worldwide from a preventable disease. You help support the effort by donating at https://www.losalamosgives.org/story/purplepinky.
LAHS Interact student Lance Metcalf administers purple dye to a student’s finger, representing a polio vaccination for another child. Courtesy photo
We also continued to support Rotary Global Grants with our Global Grant Fund, where every dollar donated is matched multiple times over, dramatically increasing its impact. This year, the club is supporting a Global Grant for a mobile ophthalmology clinic in Saltillo, Mexico, which will provide essential vision care to people who otherwise lack access to medical services. Efforts like this reflect Rotary’s belief that service has no borders and that local action can have global reach. Members of the public can support our global humanitarian projects, including health and education initiatives, by donating at https://www.losalamosgives.org/story/globalgrants.
Rotary Club of Los Alamos and other Clubs present their Global Grant Projects at the Tri-District Conference in El Paso. Photo by James Wernicke
Investing in youth and education remained a cornerstone of our work in 2025. Through scholarships and student recognition programs, Rotary continued to support young people in Los Alamos. These programs reinforce our belief that developing ethical leadership and opportunity for youth is one of the most powerful ways to strengthen our community for the future. Juniors and seniors can apply for our 2026 scholarships now through their high school counselor and middle school students will have the opportunity to participate in our Four-Way Test Essay Contest in February.
LAHS Senior Hailey Duran is presented a Rotary 2025 Distinguished Student of Service scholarship. Photo by James Wernicke
Rotary Club of Los Alamos President James Wernicke and Youth Exchange Student Marlies Willems exchange banners between Los Alamos and Bunnik, Netherlands. Courtesy photo
Rotarians from across the western U.S. and Canada descend on Albuquerque for the 2025 Rotary Zone Institute. Photo by James Wernicke
Rotary International 26-27 President Olayinka Hakeem Babalola delivers his keynote address at the Rotary Zone Institute. Photo by James Wernicke
The Environmental Sustainability Rotary Action Group meets to discuss a Rio Grande cleanup project. Courtesy photo
Behind these visible accomplishments was a focus on strengthening the foundation of the club itself. The board worked to address membership engagement and recognized Linda Hull and Alison Pannell with honorary memberships. These efforts may not always be visible, but they are essential to keeping Rotary effective, transparent, and sustainable.
At the same time, it is important to acknowledge where we need support. Like many volunteer organizations, we face challenges related to membership growth, volunteer capacity, and fundraising sustainability. These challenges are also opportunities. Rotary is strongest when new people bring fresh energy, new ideas, and diverse perspectives, whether as members, volunteers, or community partners. You can find out more about membership at https://rotarylosalamos.org.
Looking ahead to 2026, we are excited about what’s coming. Beginning next year, the club will adopt a new meeting format, gathering twice a month—once during the day and once in the evening at rotating local venues—to make participation more accessible. Major events on the horizon include the Sheriff’s Posse Pancake Breakfast in January, Crab Fest in February, an Earth Day community cleanup in April, Noche Mexicana in May, and continued expansion of youth, service, and international projects. Volunteer opportunities for upcoming events, including fundraisers and service projects, are regularly posted through Volunteer Los Alamos at https://www.volunteerlosalamos.org. All events are posted at https://rotarylosalamos.org/calendar.
Volunteering the the Rotary Club Treehouse located at Pajarito Environmental Education Center. Courtesy photo
I want to close by extending an open invitation to the community. The Rotary Club of Los Alamos is not a closed circle, but a community service organization powered by participation. We invite residents to attend a meeting, volunteer at a service project, support a fundraiser, or simply learn more about what Rotary does. Information about meetings, events, donations, and volunteer opportunities can be found at https://www.rotarylosalamos.org. You can also follow us on social media and subscribe to our newsletter through the website to stay informed about upcoming special events and ways to get involved.
As we enter 2026, we do so with gratitude, optimism, and a renewed commitment to service. Thank you to our members, volunteers, partners, and the greater Los Alamos community for making this year of impact possible.
Courtesy photo