On December 20 2024, Peppy Sciarra marked his 100th birthday. That week his friends in the Alhambra Rotary Club and other civic organizations threw him a surprise birthday party. Fifty of them were on hand when he showed up at 38 Degree Alehouse at First and Main St. The well-wishers included five former Alhambra Mayors. Peppy means a lot to Rotary and Alhambra and he deserves to be remembered for his service to our city, the wider community and the country.
As a 1943 High School graduate, he was duty bound to join the Army and contribute to our nation’s war effort. He served as an infantryman on a mortar team during the battles to liberate the Philippines. He then served briefly in the occupation of Japan. For his bravery under fire, he was awarded the Bronze Star Medal among other honors.
Returning home, he came to Alhambra and opened Peppy’s Meats at the southeast corner of Atlantic and Alhambra Rd. A whole side of beef or pig would be delivered to his store and Peppy would process the meat to a customer’s specifications. He served Alhambra and the surrounding communities in this way for 34 years.
While running his business, Peppy was also active in city affairs. He served as President of the Chamber of Commerce and led the effort to buy the building where the Chamber is still housed now. He joined the Rotary Club in 1956 and still serves Rotary today. For the last 25 years, Peppy has headed up Rotary’s spring charity drive, called ‘Peppy’s Walk’ or The Heart Walk. To date, the results of his efforts have raised over $200,000 for Children’s Hospital Los Angeles.
During his 100th birthday party, several organizations honored Peppy for his many contributions to the community. Among them were the Alhambra Unified School District, Alhambra Chamber of Commerce, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, the Rotary Club of Alhambra and the City of Alhambra represented by Councilmember and former Mayor, Jeff Maloney.
Even at the age of 100, Peppy is still proving that he is a member of our Greatest Generation.
