Our city has a secret.  Hiding behind the small town appeal is the fact that Orange is the second largest city in the county!  WIth a diverse population and city boundaries that include homeless camps along the Santa Ana River and vast wilderness areas, law enforcement and fire personnel are challenged to provide top-notch services every day.

We are so fortunate to have professional, dedicated fire and police departments in our city.  To recognize that Orange Plaza Rotary was pleased to join, once again, with the Rotary Clubs of Orange and Orange North to present the 43rd Annual Police and Fire Awards on April 13th.  We are so proud of our “papa club”, Orange, for establishing and maintaining this tradition!

In addition to honoring the uniformed professionals, the annual awards recognize non-uniformed staff and civilian volunteers.  But what is truly close to our heart here at Orange Plaza Rotary is the investment in our youth–Orange Police Explorer Post 266 and Orange Fire Explorer Post 547.  These programs, co-sponsored by the Boy Scouts of America, provide real-world experience and training to high school youth interest in a life of service.

With the leadership of Orange Plaza Rotarian Teri Snyder, the 3 Rotary Clubs of Orange have expanded the scholarship programs and increased amounts granted to Explorers to continue their public service studies.  Orange Plaza Rotary is especially grateful to Post 266 for their hard work every year at the Orange Plaza Car Show.  Our donation of $500 is earmarked to offset the expenses of students who might not otherwise be able to afford to participate in the program.  We presented this check on July 12th, after a special presentation by two members of Post 266.

For more information about the terrific Explorer programs in Orange, visit the City of Orange website and Police Explorer Post 266.