Rotary Club La Valette Summer BBQ 2026 – An Evening of Fellowship, Generosity and Service

On the beautiful summer evening of Tuesday, 4th August, Rotary Club La Valette held its much-loved annual Summer BBQ at the picturesque Tigné Beach Bathing Club. First established in 2002, this fundraising event has become a cherished tradition in the Club’s calendar, bringing together Rotarians, family members and friends in the true spirit of fellowship and service.

This year’s event was exceptionally well attended, with around 125 guests enjoying an evening of friendship, delicious food and heartfelt generosity. Set against the stunning backdrop of the Mediterranean Sea, the atmosphere was one of warmth, laughter and community as members and guests celebrated another successful Rotary gathering.

President Annemarie Bianchi welcomed everyone and expressed her sincere gratitude to the many individuals whose hard work and commitment contributed to the event’s success. She also warmly thanked David Dingli, Sandra La Rosa and Angie von Brockdorff for their invaluable support and dedication. In her address, President Bianchi reflected on the importance of helping others and reminded those present that Rotary’s greatest strength lies in its enduring spirit of service above self. She also took a moment to pay a heartfelt tribute to an absent friend and esteemed Rotarian, Bryan Sullivan, whose passing a few months ago has left a profound void within our Club. This year’s Summer BBQ was the first to be held without Bryan. His unwavering commitment, generosity, friendship and infectious enthusiasm embodied the true spirit of Rotary, and he is deeply missed by all who had the privilege of knowing him.

This year, the summer BBQ was held in aid of the St Jeanne Antide Foundation, the social care services arm of the Sisters of Charity of St Jeanne Antide Thouret in Malta. The Foundation provides essential support in the areas of family assistance, mental health, domestic violence and education. Funds raised during the evening will contribute towards the establishment of a safe, accessible and fully compliant storage facility for the Foundation’s Food and Hygiene Products Bank through targeted infrastructure improvements, enabling the organisation to continue serving vulnerable members of the community more effectively.

Guests were welcomed with Prosecco and enjoyed an excellent selection of wines generously sponsored by P. Cutajar & Co. Ltd, whose continued support is greatly appreciated. The outstanding catering was another highlight of the evening. The food was plentiful, beautifully prepared and thoroughly enjoyed by everyone, while the attentive and welcoming staff ensured that every guest felt well looked after throughout the night. A special thank you to Jeremy and Damiano who went well beyond the call of duty.

One of the evening’s highlights was the raffle, featuring an impressive collection of prizes generously donated by around 35 sponsors. Although too numerous to mention individually, each sponsor played an important part in making the raffle such an outstanding success. Thanks to the remarkable generosity of everyone present, the raffle raised significant funds for this worthy cause.