Who Is Santa? A Warm Holiday Lesson at Rotary 🎅✨

Our Friday, December 19 meeting at the Golden Palms Texas Room felt especially festive 🎄 as the Rotary Club of Harlingen gathered for Fellow Rotarian Mike Mezmar’s beloved annual presentation, “Who Is Santa?” It was the perfect blend of holiday cheer and meaningful insight.

With humor and heart ❤️, Mike shared the real story of St. Nicholas, gently peeling back the myths to reveal a legacy rooted in generosity, kindness, and service 🤝. Laughter filled the room 😂, along with a renewed appreciation for the values that connect this timeless figure to Rotary’s own mission.

Members left smiling 😊, better informed, and warmly reminded of what the season, and Rotary, are truly about.

Announcing Our 2026–2027 Rotary Club Leadership

The Rotary Club is pleased to announce its incoming leadership team for the 2026–2027 year, following the ceremonial installation at the close of the 2025 fiscal year. The slate was voted on and approved at our December 19 meeting, with the motion made by Victor Leal and seconded by Kathy Preddy.

Our 2026-2027 Rotary Leadership Team:

• President: Belle Zapata

• President Elect: Luke Lucio

• President Nominee: Shane Strubhart

• Immediate Past President: Victor Rivera

• Secretary: Shane Strubhart

• Treasurer: Bill Peacock

• Co-Treasurer: Linda Cuellar

• Sergeant-at-Arms: Ruben Perez

• Co-Sergeant-at-Arms: Ramiro Maldonado

• Rotary Foundation Chair: Lucy Cadenas

• Membership Chair: Roel Rodriguez

• Public Image: Shane Strubhart

• Club Administration Chair: Roxy Shimotsu

• Programs/Club Coordinator: Jennifer Vasquez

• Service Projects Chair: Janette Peacock

• Youth/New Generations Chair: Jennifer Allen

• Fundraising Chair: Robert Grider

• Co-Fundraising Chair: Tre’ Peacock

• Polio Plus Coordinator: Dillon Dawi

• Training & Development: Luke Lucio

These leaders will officially assume their duties on July 1, 2026, and the club looks forward to a productive, impactful, and inspiring year under their guidance.

Rotary Foundation Recognitions 🌍✨

On Friday, December 19, our club proudly recognized two outstanding Rotarians for their continued commitment to The Rotary Foundation. 🏅
Secretary, Juju Stringfield, Past President of our club, was honored for achieving Paul Harris Fellow +8, represented by the Paul Harris pin with three rubies 💎💎💎, reflecting her sustained generosity and dedication to Rotary’s global mission.
We also recognized our Immediate Past President, Chris Boswell, for achieving Paul Harris Fellow +2, marked by the Paul Harris pin with two blue stones 🔵🔵, signifying his continued support beyond the initial fellowship.

We thank both Juju and Chris for leading by example through service, leadership, and unwavering support of Rotary. 🤝💙

• No meeting on Friday, December 26 (in observance of Christmas)

• No meeting on Friday, January 2 (in observance of New Year’s Day)

We’ll kick off the new year on January 9, 2026, with Vice President and Director of Athletics at UTRGV, Chasse Conque, as our speaker. Get ready for fresh insights and inspiring stories from the world of collegiate athletics - this is a meeting you won’t want to miss!

Come celebrate, connect, and close out 2025 together with laughter, learning, and holiday cheer. 🌟🤝🎁