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LAKE MERRITT BREAKFAST CLUB
Sponsor of Children's Fairyland and the Necklace of Lights, LMBC is a social/service organization promoting and preserving Lake Merritt, the surrounding Lakeside park and Oakland's unique history. First meeting was January 5, 1933. This the 90th Anniversary of the Lake Merritt Breakfast Club. The 2023 LMBC President is Abel Guillen. This year the club is trying a hybrid schedule which alternates meeting in-person or on Zoom each Thursday from 7:00-8:30 a.m.,. Check the club website for more info https://www.lmbclub.org When meeting in-person members and guests meet at the Lakeside Park Garden Center, 666 Bellevue in Lakeside Park. Members are from the professional, civic and business community and gather to exchange greetings, network, and hear local, national or international speakers discuss topics of significance - today's economy, environment, culture, Oakland, and the world. LMBC is one of Oakland's ultimate boosters, its members play an active part in Oakland and its continuing growth. Members sharing breakfast and animated conversation are deeply involved in the business and good works of this “City on the Sunny Side of the Bay.” 
Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao LMBC guest speaker, January 12, 2023
Lake Merritt Breakfast Club Charitable Foundation Founded in 1973, The mission of the Lake Merritt Breakfast Club Charitable Foundation(LMBCCF) is to develop, manage and disburse charitable funds in support of programs, maintenance projects and capital projects in and about Lake Merritt and Lakeside Park. In 1948, the Lake Merritt Breakfast Club (LMBC) sponsored the creation of Children's Fairyland in Lakeside Park. The LMBCCF provides continuing financial support for the world famous children's attraction. In the 1980s, the LMBC and LMBC Charitable Foundation raised over $1.6 million for the restoration of the landmark, "Necklace of Lights" surrounding Lake Merritt. The foundation has also supported The Sensory, Japanese, and Mediterranean Gardens; The Oakland Municipal Band concerts; the replacement of the 17th Street Dock on Lake Merritt, and the restoration of Robert Winston's Mid-Century sculpture in Lakeside Park among other projects. The Foundation is incorporated as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation (Federal I.D.), and allocates 100% of all contributions in support of its mission and as directed by donors making restricted contributions. An eleven-member Board of Directors governs the Foundation. |
An overview of its history, traditions and projects. Commentary by Rob Stewart, Executive Director. Photos, songtracks, interview & video by John Kirkmire. 19:33 min. 1920 x 1080. CC. ©2021 lakemerritt.org 00:01 History, Traditions, Projects Intro 03:39 Beginnings, Water Golf 05:02 Children's Fairyland Creation 08:15 Necklace of Lights 10:35 17th St. Dock restoration 11:10 Gardens at Lake Merritt Projects 12:40 Mid-Century Monster restoration 14:07 Meetings Highlights 17:29 Credits Plus LM Lamppost Project sponsored by the Lake Merritt Breakfast Club. Billy Wilkes, project organizer. Project involved clearing graffiti, cleaning poles and bases, and painting 176 pedestals of the ornate 1925 lampposts that support the "Necklace of Lights" around Lake Merritt. Photos, music and video by John Kirkmire. © 2021 lakemerritt.org
LM Lamppost Project volunteers. ©2022 lakemerritt.org
5 Decades of LMBC Volunteers: 1968 Leland Douglas; 1975 Steve Hanson; 1982 Billy Wilkes; 1997 Aileen Frankel; 2002 Lise Pearlman |
2020 Guest Speakers (in-person meetings stopped after March 12, 2020)
January 9. Mayor Libby Schaff
Jan. 30. Terry Smith & Tora Rocha -- Pollinator Posse
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January 16. Kyle Milligan -- State of the LMBC
February 6. Supervisor Keith Carson -- 2020 Census
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Jan. 23. Evelyn Lee & Saly Lee -- Lunar New Year
February 20. Brooke Levin -- Measure Q
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February 13. Shelly Hara -- Metro Golf Links
March 12. Andrew Cohen -- 150 Years of Protecting Wildlife at Lake Merritt
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February 27. Therese McMillan -- Metropolitan Transportation Commission
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March 5. Peter Sherris -- Covid-19 update
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2019 Guest Speakers below
January 10. Sabrina Landreth, Oakland City Administrator
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January 17. Mike Heller -- Habitat for Humanity Projects
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January 24. John Orum -- the new cannabis industry.
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January 31. Gloria Fandon-Hiltz and Saly Lee -- the Lunar New Year and the Oakland Asian Cultural Center.
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February 7. George Hammond -- Leonardo's Legacy and Humanities West
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February 14. Christina Lewis - Clowning & the Clown School of San Francisco
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February 21. Peter Birkholz -- Oakland Landmarks and the Monster
March 14. (on right) Ed Silberman (Music & Stories) & (in middle) Georgia Glidden (Irish Dance) -- St Patrick's Celebration.
April 4. Katie Derrig -- Addressing Veteran Homelessness Head On
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February 28. Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf -- State of the City
March 21. LMBC Internal Meeting. How the Club Works. Putting Fun Back into Function
April 11. Annalee Allen -- The Carnegie Libraries of Alameda County
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March 7. Deidre Martin and Brazile Clark -- Oakland's Adopt A Spot Program
March 28. Julia Day Marquez --Immigration & Asylum Seekers Report from the Border
April 18. Jackie Salas -- Fairyland Landscape Supervisor, "Monarch Magic"
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April 25. Juan Lopez -- Mosaic artist, One Piece at a Time
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May 2, Abel Guillen -- Celebrating Cinco De Mayo
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May 9. Rebecca Beardsley -- Haircuts with Heart
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May 16. Jim Covel -- Stories from the Early Days of Oakland's Naturalist Program
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May 23. Dan Schnur -- The 2020 Presidential Campaign (photo Billy Wilkes)
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May 31. Jennifer Lyle -- Motivating, Inspiring, Supporting & Serving Sexually-Exploited Youth (MISSSEY)
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June 6. Kathleen DiGiovanni -- Oakland Historian, Lakeside Park
June 27. Mary Ellen Butler -- Josh & Virginia Rose
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June 13. Joel Parrot -- Oakland Zoo Director
July 11. Eric Leve -- China's Rise: Threat or Opportunity
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June 20. Berkeley City Club -- intercity club meeting
July 25. David Almandsmith -- Billion Year Walk
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July 28. Mid-Century Monster Grand Reopening
August 15. Chris Sweis -- Yellow Taxi: 20th Century Transportation Systems
Sept. 5. Robert Raburn -- BART developments
Sept. 19. Fairyland Birthday Party
October 10. Frank Filice -- Italian Peninsula History
Nov. 7. Dennis Evonosky -- Oakland Then and Now
Dec. 3. Thomas L. Andrews -- The New USS in Oakland
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August 1. Michael Sturtz -- Launching Entrepreneurial Ideas with Creative Extremes
August 22. Rick Prelinger -- film archives
Sept. 12. Jen Lee -- Financial Stress...
Sept. 26. Laurie Ann Lepoff -- Lindy Dance History
Oct. 24. Charlie Plock -- Octoberfest & Berlin Airlift
Nov. 14. Rob Bonta -- CA State Assembly
Dec. 12. Peter Bennett & Tricia Piper-Bennett -- African Conservation
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August 8. Marty Lurie -- Mr. Baseball
August 29. Dave Newhouse -- "The Miracle Man of Moraga" book
Sept. 17. Annual LMBC Barbecue & Baseball Outing
Oct. 3. Christian Peeples -- Zero Emission Buses
Oct. 31. Graham Lustig -- Oakland Ballet
Nov. 21. Oakland Roots Soccer Team
Dec. 19. Maria Mendieta & Gail Edwards, Harp & Flute
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Photo Archive
LM Breakfast Club 2019 Photo Archive (click on photo to open)
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LMBC Archive, click on image to open
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