Buena Park Rotary

Celebrates 50 years of Service

In September 2005 the Rotary Club of Buena Park celebrated its 50th Anniversary. Back in 1955, when our club started, Orange County was very different from today. There were orange groves, bean fields, strawberry farms, dairy farms, and of course Knott's boysenberry farm. Norwalk Rotary Club was our sponsor, at the time Norwalk was known as a Dairy town.

In the year 1955, Disneyland opened in Anaheim, while Walter & Cordelia Knott's Chicken Dinner Restaurant and Ghost Town were enormously popular. Knott's was the meeting location for Buena Park Rotary for many years, and Walter Knott was a member. The club's nickname is still the Ghost Town Rotary in honor of the Knott family. Recently the Club moved its meeting back to Mrs. Knott's Chicken Diner Restaurant.

At our 50 th Anniversary Celebration in 2005 Past District Governor Grant Engle talked about the need for diversity in Rotary Clubs he said "Buena Park Rotary is a fine example of a very diverse club." He congratulated Buena Park for it's sprit of service. District Governor Elect Lane Calvert commended the great effort Buena Park has made by starting two new Interact Clubs and a Rotaract Club. He talked about the importance of youth programs.

Our clubs History from the beginning is one of being a leader in the community. It's was the first International service club in the community. The members were and are leaders who shaped both Buena Park and the surrounding area. In 1955 the future Buena Park High School ground breaking was conducted by Rotarians. In 2005 a memorial plaque was presented to Buena Park High School to commemorate their beginnings 50 years ago.

Over the years the Buena Park Rotary has both lead and been partners in city wide events. The club started the Family Western Days theme many years ago that is now known as Silverado Days.

In the local community the club emphasis is on youth, for example. We sponsor High School Interact Service Clubs, & College age Rotaract Service Clubs. High School Speech Contests, Singing Contests, Rotary Youth Leadership Camp, Needy Children's Christmas Shopping Spree, Easter Egg Hunt, Family Fossil Day, Arbor Day at Schools, Read Across America, Reading-by-9, the Library Children's Summer Reading Program.

Internationally the club is a strong supporter of Polio-Plus. The effort to eradicate Polio world wide, at this time the mission is nearly accomplished. Among the projects completed by our club are A Blood Bank, Clean Water Wells and a vocational training center in India.