The Rotary Club of Del Mar wants to raise $100,000 with a Hawaiian-themed luau next month, funneling the money toward veteran job training, youth programs, hunger relief and an international literacy project. The fundraiser, called Making Waves That Impact, runs from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. on September 25 at Powerhouse Park in Del Mar, complete with hula dancers, a silent auction and barbecue teriyaki chicken.
According to The San Diego Union-Tribune, tickets cost $150 per person through August 15, then rise to $175 afterward. The event will include a live auction, a paddle raise and raffle prizes, along with sponsorship opportunities for those who want a bigger stake in the evening. Anyone unable to attend can still support the cause through an online donation, the paper reports.
Michael Clark, the fundraising chair for Making Waves That Impact, said the event is designed to knit together generosity with local need. “The fundraiser will bring the community together to support veterans and invest in the next generation,” Clark said in a news release cited by the Union-Tribune. He can be reached at 858-956-9117 or [email protected] for those interested in sponsorships or tickets.
Where the Money Is Headed
Four beneficiaries are named for the luau's proceeds: Workshops for Warriors, Feeding San Diego, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Northwest San Diego, and the Guatemala Literacy Project. The event will also support other local community initiatives championed by Rotary, according to the Union-Tribune, though it remains unclear exactly how ticket and auction revenue will be divided among the four named organizations.
Workshops for Warriors, the San Diego nonprofit school founded in 2008 by Navy veteran Hernán Luis y Prado, equips military veterans with advanced manufacturing and welding skills. The organization reports a 95% job placement rate for veterans who complete its programs, with graduates earning an average starting salary of $60,000, according to Military.com. That mission carries particular weight in San Diego County, home to more than 230,000 veterans and over 115,000 active-duty service members, with roughly 37% of the county's population maintaining direct military ties, per the National Veterans Transition Services Institute.
Hunger Relief Amid Rising Need
Feeding San Diego, another named beneficiary, is confronting food insecurity that has climbed past pandemic-era levels. County-wide, nearly 430,000 people faced food insecurity in 2024, including more than 123,000 children, according to July 2026 Map the Meal Gap data cited by Feeding San Diego. That works out to roughly 1 in 8 residents and 1 in 6 children going without reliable access to food.
The scale of that need prompted San Diego County to launch a $1 million emergency food distribution program in June, working alongside Feeding San Diego and the San Diego Food Bank to help more than 93,000 residents facing potential cuts to federal CalFresh benefits. The initiative, which operates in 16 high-need zip codes without eligibility requirements meant to preserve residents' dignity, was detailed by CBS 8 San Diego. Hoodline has previously reported on threats to CalFresh funding and its ripple effects on local food banks.
Serving Merged Youth Clubs and Guatemalan Schools
The Boys & Girls Clubs of Northwest San Diego, formed in July 2024 when the Boys & Girls Clubs of San Dieguito merged with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Oceanside, now serves more than 13,000 youth annually across eight clubhouses, making it the county's second-largest Boys & Girls Club organization, as reported by Times of San Diego. The Union-Tribune notes the organization provides young people with a safe, supportive environment.
Overseas, the luau will also support the Guatemala Literacy Project, a joint effort between Guatemalan and U.S. Rotary clubs and the nonprofit Cooperative for Education established in 1997. The project has involved more than 600 Rotary clubs across 80 districts and served upwards of 188,000 Guatemalan students by supplying textbooks, computer centers and teacher training to underserved schools, according to Rotary District 7070.
A Longtime Del Mar Club and Its Oceanfront Venue
The Rotary Club of Del Mar received its charter on May 4, 1954, at the Hotel Del Mar, giving it more than 70 years of history as a North County civic organization that meets weekly at Pacifica Del Mar, per the club's own account. It is part of Rotary District 5340, which spans San Diego and Imperial Counties and coordinates multi-club humanitarian grants; the district also hosted the inaugural Gallop4Rotary fundraiser at the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club last August.
Powerhouse Park itself carries its own local history. The oceanfront site began as a 1928 industrial powerhouse before the City of Del Mar acquired it in 1983 and spent 17 years restoring it into a public park and community center, according to the City of Del Mar. Hoodline has previously noted the park's role as a hub for summer community concerts.
Catering and entertainment for the evening fall to Islanders Luau, a company that has served authentic Hawaiian food and entertainment since 1970 and regularly caters cultural gatherings and benefit events across Southern California, according to Rotary District 5340. Guests can expect Hawaiian fried rice alongside the barbecue teriyaki chicken, plus live Polynesian entertainment throughout the evening.
