The Indian Wells Rotary Club presented more than $6,000 worth of cash and gift card donations to local middle schools and active-duty servicemen at the Twentynine Palms Marine Base.

During a more than hour-long luncheon Monday at the Indian Wells Country Club, the Rotarians gave the Headquarter & Service Company 3rd Battalion 7th Marines 100 gift cards valued at $50 each, good at any Stater Bros. market. The club purchased the cards at a discount from the La Quinta Stater Bros. store.

“We're just honored to be able to help and be a part of this,” said Adam Brown, store manager of the Stater Bros. in La Quinta.

This is the first time the La Quinta branch was called on to participate, Brown added, though he hopes the two entities continue the partnership.

The Marine company was “adopted” by the Indian Wells Rotary Club two years ago, said Alan Lapham, the club's U.S. Marine Corps. Program liaison.

“It's exciting for us to support our troops,” Lapham said. “We get just as much pleasure in giving as they get in receiving.”

The Stater Bros. gift certificates will go toward purchasing a Thanksgiving dinner for the Headquarter & Service Company active duty soldiers — which consists of 190 Marines — and their families. The amount is expected to provide meals for about 100 families, said Anita Neu-Fultz, executive director of the Armed Services YMCA of the USA Twentynine Palms.

And to continue with the club's theme of local philanthropy, three middle school students and their respective school officials were presented with oversized checks totaling $1,500 for their successful participation in the first Indian Wells Rotary Club Literacy Drive, which challenged students to read for as many minutes as they could during a week-long period in October.

The top three winners were Brenda Barriga of La Quinta Middle School, Ashton Shoemaker of Thomas Jefferson Middle School and Tito Ayon of Indio Middle School. The students won $800, $500 and $200 respectively for their schools. They also received gift certificates to Barnes & Noble, courtesy of the Palm Desert store, said David V. Humphrey Jr., the club's vocational service chairman.