The Pulse for the Week of October 14, 2025

Tuesday’s meeting tipped off with high energy as Rotarians filled the room, ready for another great program and a few friendly assists from fellow members.

Rick Osen’s Thought of the Day built on the meeting’s sports theme by comparing life to a basketball game. He reminded everyone that each play, like each moment, is an opportunity to reset and move forward with purpose. “Don’t waste time looking back,” Rick shared. “That time will never return.” His words encouraged everyone to stay focused on the next possession, play with energy, and believe in the win.

President Kerry then highlighted the success of the Sac Century Challenge and read off a long list of birthday celebrants. Happy birthday to all the Rotarians who celebrated this month!

Meeting sponsor Buddy Hubbert donated his time to InAlliance, and Andrea Croom, executive director, gave an overview of their programs. InAlliance supports individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities through job training, community integration, and independent living services that promote inclusion and self-sufficiency. Rotarians appreciated Andrea’s inspiring message and commitment to empowerment.

Next came a quick recap and photos from Rotary After Dark, held at SacYard. Shoutouts went to many, including Megan Laurie, PP Kevin Smith-Fagan, the Rotary Roadies, Ted White, and LaToya Wong for putting in the work to make this event a success for the Club.

Two new members were inducted into the club:

Christine Nguyen, CEO of My Sister’s House, sponsored by LaToya Wong and PDG Fred Teichert. Christine has had a distinguished career in the nonprofit sector, including ten years as Director of Client Services at Child Action, Inc.
Aaron Provencal, owner of OsteoStrong Rancho Cordova, sponsored by PP Bobby Reed and PP Bob Miller. Aaron is a successful entrepreneur and serves on the Board of Directors of the Rancho Cordova Chamber of Commerce.

Sac Century Recap

Sarah Hodge gave a gratifying rundown of this year’s fabulous Sac Century, thanking several key organizers and partners, including maestra PP Susan Sheridan, Ruth Tesar, PP Bobby Reed, Jamie Furlong, the Amateur Radio Emergency Services volunteers who served as SAG volunteers, and of course, the Rotary Roadies. PP Todd Koolakian added his gratitude to the numerous sponsors, in particular CapRadio for $49,000 in in-kind radio promotion. All funds raised go directly to support the Crisis Nursery, a tremendous example of Rotary impact in action.

Click here view photos from Sac Century 2025. Thank you, John Swentowsky.

Levels of Giving

President Kerry then opened the floor for Levels of Giving, and generosity flowed. Among the contributors: PP Todd donated to his Eddie Mulligan in celebration of Dennis Mangers’ 85th birthday; Michael Mui donated to his Eddie Mulligan in honor of the Sac Century, as did Sarah Hodge; visitor Simon Brighenti, President of the Rotary Club of West Springfield, Massachusetts, made a donation from his club to ours in recognition of the great work we are doing; Robyn DeLong donated to her Eddie Mulligan; PP Kerry donated to PP Todd’s Eddie Mulligan in honor of a birthday; Kathy Herrfeldt gave to her Eddie Mulligan; and Brad Schmidt fined himself with a donation. Feel free to fine yourself anytime, Brad!

Club Announcements

You want announcements? We have plenty. Several members took the mic to share upcoming events and important dates:

Oktoberfest. President Kerry mentioned the Rotary Club of Folsom’s Oktoberfest, scheduled for October 27th, 3–7 p.m. at the Folsom Community Center.
Brown Bag lunches. Tom Bacon spoke about Brown Bag Lunches next week. It is a wonderful club tradition and a great chance to connect with fellow Rotarians in a relaxed, small-group setting.
Veterans Day meeting. Michelle See shared details on our upcoming Veterans Day celebration, where we will honor former service members. She encouraged those who served, or who plan to bring a guest who served, and to let her know which branch of the military they were in.
Loaves & Fishes. Jim Henderson announced our next volunteer activity at Loaves & Fishes on October 29. Interested Rotarians can contact him to sign up for one of two shifts.
Rotary Youth Exchange. PEN Paul Keefer provided a brief update on the RYE program.
Polio Plus. Joe Scheimer, District 5180 Foundation Chair and member of the Rotary Club of Fair Oaks, offered insights into the Polio Plus fundraiser and how to get involved, noting that if Rotary stays vigilant, we can eradicate polio within two years.

Guest Speaker – UC Davis Men’s Basketball Coach Jim Les
The program featured an engaging presentation from Jim Les, Head Coach of the UC Davis men’s basketball team. Introduced by Brad Schmidt, Coach Les shared stories from his NBA career and 24 years of coaching, emphasizing leadership, character, and accountability both on and off the court.

He described his philosophy that “the game knows, and life knows,” a reminder that effort, integrity, and teamwork always find their reward. He also spoke about mentoring student-athletes who balance rigorous majors such as mechanical engineering and pre-med while maintaining a 3.3 team GPA and a 98 percent graduation rate.

While candidly noting the challenges facing college athletics today, Coach Les reaffirmed UC Davis’s commitment to “transformational, not transactional” development of young men.

Before wrapping up, Coach Les extended a special invitation to Rotarians. Use the promo code ROTARY on the UC Davis Athletics website for $10 off tickets to an upcoming Aggie basketball game. His humor, humility, and life lessons left members inspired to play every possession in life with focus, resilience, and purpose.

President Kerry closed the meeting by thanking the wine reception sponsor Chris Ann Bachtel and the full slate of meeting volunteers: greeters Tom Bacon, Robyn DeLong, and PP Diane Woodruff; photographer Jim Henderson; and Pulse Reporter Matthew Romsa.