Why I am a Rotarian

 
Fireman walking past a burning home in Rancho Bernardo on Oct 22, 2007- Photo from The San Diego Union-Tribune
I joined the Rancho Bernardo Sunrise Rotary in June of 2007.  A few months later on October 22nd I lost my home in wildfires that swept through Southern California taking with it 1,000 other homes.  At the time we had two boys in High School.  We were now forced to live in a hotel room with 2 dogs, 2 cats and 2 teenagers.
 
Jay Riordan
My top priority was to find a rental home close to the high School with room for the animals.  Friends and family were running to our aid asking what they could do to help.  My response was, “Help us find a rental FAST.” I knew 1,000 other families were doing the same thing and suitable rentals would go fast.
Our friends and family came through with a list of potential rentals. Most of them were represented by one company.  Problem was, no one could get through to the company because their office was located in the middle of the evacuation area.
 
With that information, I knew that when they did return to their office they would have hundreds of phone calls and emails to answer. I decided to camp out on their doorstep to increase my chances of finding a rental home quickly.
 
As 6:30 am rolled around, I see Al Watson come walking up.  I didn’t realize until that moment, that the company that I had been camping in front of was that of my fellow Rotarian. The relief I felt at that moment was indescribable. Al said “You lost your home, didn’t you?  Don’t worry, we are going to take care of you.”
 
We went into his office and found a few properties that would suit our needs.  We then got into Al’s car with the intent to view the properties on the list.  To our surprise, we were stopped by a National Guardsman. He was in his early 20’s, holding an assault rifle. Al rolled down his window and said “We need to get through.” The young man replied “Nobody is getting through here sir!”  Al paused, then said “Don’t worry son, we’re the good guys”.  The young man looked at him, smiled, slid the barricade aside and said “Have a good day sir.”
 
Going back to June when I joined the Rancho Bernardo Sunrise Rotary, I did not realize how important my Rotary relationships would become. This particular experience sums that up for me. I am honored to be part of such a valuable group of individuals. The tremendous feeling of community spirit goes beyond what my words can explain.