Afternoon Los Gatos Rotary Club Has New President

Paul Christensen, a 20-year veteran Rotarian, has been inducted as the new president of the Los Gatos Afternoon Rotary Club, which meets at 12:15 p.m. Tuesdays at the

Christensen began his official duties July 3 and succeeds ’, last year’s club president. He's the 90th president of this branch of the service club in town.

Christensen has served on the club's board of directors and chaired numerous committees and said being president "is more like the head servant for the service club."

His goals this year for the organization are to extend Rotary’s community presence with a project to install exercise stations along the Los Gatos Creek Trail, expand the club’s philanthropic endeavors and do more service projects.

Christensen has been providing sports physical therapy to the Los Gatos community for more than 30 years. He is the owner of OPTM Sports and Physical Therapy.

He has covered high school sporting events since the early '80s and has been a promoter of health and fitness since before it became the rage, he said.

He also led the Rotary program at Thomas P. Ryan Elementary School, which was designed to improve student health through their physical education program.

"Our goal is to make a difference in our community for years to come and to provide tangible evidence that our club really cares about Los Gatos and the future health of the residents,” said Christensen. 

“We want future generations to see the value of community service and inspire others to follow in the process of making our town a great place to live. I’m excited, honored, and somewhat surprised, that our membership has offered me such a great opportunity to lead the charge to make such a difference,” he added.

The club's signature community events are the CrabFest and “The Great Race.” Last year, the afternoon club raised and donated $173,000 in philanthropy, including $32,000 in scholarships to local high school students. Its international work extends from the Face of Hope, Project Amigo and the Philippines.

The club meets at 12:15 p.m., every Tuesday at the