Rotary Club of Ponte Vedra celebrates being chartered as new Rotary club

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The Rotary Club of Ponte Vedra celebrated being chartered as a new Rotary Club last Wednesday, April 25, at a chartering ceremony and installation dinner held at Marsh Landing Country Club.

Leadership from Rotary District 6970, Rotary International and Rotarians from across the First Coast attended to recognize the new club and present gifts to its charter president, Kelly Altosino-Sastre. The only new club in Florida to become chartered this Rotary year, the Rotary Club of Ponte Vedra started in June 2017, met as a board from August to December, developed a strategic plan in January 2018 and subsequently held its first official meeting Jan. 16. Sponsored by the Rotary Club of Ponte Vedra Beach, the new club meets Tuesday mornings in the Coastal Oaks at Nocatee Clubhouse.

“We are so proud of what we’ve been able to accomplish,” said Altosino-Sastre, who previously served as president of the Rotary Club of Coral Gables in 2003-04. “We have such big plans as a club to really bring Rotary into the life of our community and to work with others collaboratively … to achieve goals and really embark on this Rotary journey to make the world a better place.”

The new club was planned to be named the Rotary Club of Nocatee, explained Altosino-Sastre; however, Nocatee is trademarked by The PARC Group, making it unusable. Therefore, the Rotary Club of Ponte Vedra was born, joining in the area the Rotary Club of Ponte Vedra Beach, which meets on Thursday mornings at Marsh Landing Country Club, and the Rotary Club of Ponte Vedra Beach Sunset, which meets on Tuesday nights at Hilton Garden Inn.

The Rotary Club of Ponte Vedra currently has 24 members, including Past District Governor Russ Miller, who served as a new club advisor and is an honorary member. Of the club’s 23 other members, there are 18 who are new to Rotary. In addition, 17 members on the club’s board are between the ages of 29-44.

“Everybody you see on this board said, ‘I want in now, and I want to be part of the legacy of this club by setting a strong foundation,’” said Altosino-Sastre. “I have a whole team full of race horses, and they’re young, which is amazing.”

The new club plans to sponsor additional clubs in the Nocatee area, including Rotaract for young adults and EarlyAct for elementary students at the new K-8 school in Nocatee, Palm Valley Academy.

For more information about the Rotary Club of Ponte Vedra, visit its Facebook page (www.facebook.com/rotaryclubofpontevedra) or contact the club via email at pontevedrarotary@gmail.com.