With all the donations made and matched, grants given, expenditures of our District and clubs and value of volunteer time, throughout, the economic impact of our District 5040 in the past year is estimated to be as high as CDN$6.3 million, according to Past District Governor and District Foundation Chair Lorne Calder.
As spring approaches, we're delighted to see Rotary blossoming throughout our District. Pat and I have enjoyed tremendously visiting all the Rotary clubs and nearly all the Rotaract clubs in District 5040. Some of the many initiatives and successes that we see at clubs are profiled on our website.
At our District Conference, April 28 to 30, we'll also learn more about how clubs succeed in connecting with communities.
Rotaract is a global movement of students and young professionals ages 18 and older who are developing innovative solutions to the world’s most pressing challenges as they exchange ideas with leaders in the community, develop leadership and professional skills, and have fun through service. From big cities to rural villages, Rotaract is changing communities and knows no limits in its outreach. Rotaractors have access to the many resources of Rotary International and The Rotary Foundation. Shown here, members of the North Shore Rotary Club, one of 10 Rotaract clubs in Rotary District 5040.
It is a special year in Rotary worldwide, on International Women's Day, March 8th with the first female President of Rotary International in its 117 year history: Jennifer Jones. She is also a Canadian -- an extra source of pride for all of us. Not only worldwide, but here in our District 5040 of 49 clubs, we have a number of women as our leaders.
Check out recent achievements and activities of some of our 49 clubs in Rotary District 5040.
When people have access to clean water and sanitation, waterborne diseases decrease, children stay healthier and attend school more regularly, and mothers can spend less time carrying water and more time helping their families.Rotary’s people of action mobilize resources, form partnerships, and invest in infrastructure and training that yield long-term change.
March is Water Sanitation and Hygiene month throughout Rotary world.
To support a water infrastructure project for students in Uganda who do not have easy access to clean drinking water over 300 students at Holly Elementary School in the Delta community of Ladner participated in a Walk for Water on February 10, 2023. The children carried yellow jerry cans of water almost one kilometer to simulate a daily task for their peers in the East African nation. The schools "Green Team" also raised $900 which, matched by a member of the Rotary Club of Tsawwwassen, for a total of $1,800 towards the Club's "Walk for Water" project that will deliver clean drinking water and sanitation and hygiene training to over 1000 people in Uganda.
The Rotary Foundation Trustees decided that all donations made, from now until 31 March, to the Turkey/Syria Disaster Response Fund will be used to aid earthquake relief projects. In addition, the Trustees made available more than $125,000 to Rotary districts affected by the earthquake through Disaster Response Grants. Many Rotary members are asking how they can help. Here's how to have the greatest impact.....
RYLA is back!! After the restrictions and isolation we all experienced during the past two and more years of pandemic we can all celebrate that our District's Rotary Youth Leadership Awards, an exceptional development program for youth, has returned in person. RYLA South, for 15 to 18 year olds, is happening at Camp Elphinstone, near Gibsons on the Sunshine Coast, March 25 to 28. Spots are still available, clubs and the 5040 RYLA website have registration information with a February 23 closing date.
Accessing specialist medical services for residents of Squamish can be a challenge for some. For those who cannot drive to Whistler or the Vancouver area because of a medical condition or following surgery and family or friends are not available and if paid services or not suitable or too costly, it's a worrisome problem. To meet that need in the community Rotary Club of Squamish has awarded a grant of $20,000 to fund the launch on March 1st, and first year of operation, of a new MediCar service for residents in need of transportation to specialist medical services at no cost to them. - photo courtesy of the American Cancer Society
From food support programs, fundraisers and youth to social events, Ukrainian new family support and First Nation presentation on Rotary, check out recent achievements and activities of some of our 49 clubs in Rotary District 5040.
To mark its 100th Anniversary in 2021 the Rotary Club of Prince Rupert commissioned this road sign which now welcomes people to the community.
Of our 48 clubs in Rotary District 5040 in 2021-22, 39 (81%) earned the Rotary International Citation. In turn, our District has now received an international Rotary Citation for a District which achieves 50% or more of its clubs receiving their Rotary Citation.
As last year's District Governor Lorne Calder says, "This is quite the accomplishment. Zone 28 includes 20 Districts, including all those in Canada, plus Alaska and parts of Northern United States, and we are one of only three Districts in the Zone to have received the Citation. Globally, we were among only 91 (17%) out of 526 Districts to have achieved this distinction. This is the second year our District has earned its Citation."
A devastating 7.8 magnitude earthquake ravaged southern Turkey and northern Syria on February 6, 2023. Over 35,000 people have lost their lives, and this tragic number is continuing to rise. It is now the worst the country had seen since 1939, when the Erzincan earthquake in eastern Turkey killed nearly 33,000 people.
During February Foundation Giving Month, our District 5040 will match the donation of US$500 or more by any members of our clubs with US$500 value in points towards a US$1,000 Paul Harris Fellow Award. Please contact District Governor Nominee Drew Antrobus or District Executive Administrator Nancy Eidsvik to take advantage of this opportunity and receive a tax receipt from Rotary.
In Pakistan a severe monsoon season has caused devastating floods and affected millions of people. Seen here, Shabana’s home was destroyed and she now lives in a shelter made of sticks and cloths. In Ukraine, the ongoing war has led to a continued humanitarian crisis. We’ll begin fundraising efforts soon to finance disaster response grants from these funds.
Past Rotary International President and current Trustee Chair of The Rotary Foundation Ian Riseley says, “As a global humanitarian organization, Rotary continually takes action such as this to help communities in need. The Rotary Foundation has established two temporary funds to support immediate relief efforts in Pakistan and Ukraine.” photo © European Union, 2022 (photographer: Abdul Majeed) https://flic.kr/p/2nP8qqR
Not being able to hear a favourite song or the sound of a loved one’s voice is a reality for over 400,000 BC residents who suffer from severe hearing loss. For over 40 years, the Rotary Club of Vancouver’s Hearing Foundation has provided life-changing care for children and adults who are deaf or hard of hearing. From funding Canada’s first-ever Cochlear Implant surgery in 1982, to completing over 770 surgeries, raising $3.6 million and committing $6 million for the creation of a new Hearing and Balance Centre at St. Paul’s Hospital in Vancouver for research, restorative care, and recovery of patients with hearing loss, Rotary Vancouver's Hearing Foundation has pursued its mission to bring back the sounds of life for so many in need.
Rotary members and program participants throughout Rotary District 5040 are improving lives in many communities of British Columbia and around the world every day through thousands of service projects. Here are some examples of how People of Action in Rotary have made life better for others in service above self. Learn what other clubs are doing to inspire yours and share in the value of the Rotary experience.
I hope everyone had a great holiday season and are enjoying the opportunities we have in Rotary to serve our communities and the world in so many rewarding ways.
Plans for our District Conference April 28 to 30 are moving rapidly: check out the theme and draft program and register. There’s something for everyone, an interesting and varied program, great speakers, fun and fellowship all in a great location. The $400 registration cost is being extended for another month, to January 31, before it rises to $450. And there’s a special rate for Rotaractors and first-year Rotarians -- $99, not including a Gala ticket. There are still hotel rooms in the block at our special negotiated rate.
The Year of the Rabbit, in the Lunar Calendar is coming. Right now it is time to get together to do something extraordinary and make a difference in our world, starting with donations of items to the online auction as part of the Lower Mainland District Foundation Dinner and Richmond Rotary Lunar New Year Gala on February 4, 2023. We need all Rotarians to participate and donate items for On-Line Auction. Each club is asked to please donate one item to the Rotary Club of Richmond which is hosting the event by January 14th.
With the theme of "Serving with Imagination and Hope'', the Rotary entry, in the 135th annual Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, California on January 2, 2023. won the 2023 Princess Award for most outstanding floral presentation among entries 35 feet and under in length.
Rotary and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation have renewed their longstanding partnership to end polio. The renewal agreement includes a joint commitment of up to $450 million to support the Global Polio Eradication Initiative.
"We’ve made tremendous progress, but the world is facing multiple pandemics, and vaccine hesitancy is on the rise," says Ian Riseley, trustee chair of The Rotary Foundation. "Partnering with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation helps us ensure that children in polio-affected countries get the lifesaving vaccines they need."
Best wishes to everyone for a Happy Christmas season! And as we celebrate what is both a secular and a Christian observance in our society, let’s remember and respect the many other religions that also celebrate special occasions at this time of year. It is wonderful to see so many of our clubs engage with their communities as they celebrate holiday events. We’ve had an active month in Rotary! Here are some highlights.
Inclusion of First Peoples’ content in schools builds student capacity for intercultural understanding, empathy and mutual respect. In Delta, British Columbia, the School District commissioned “Wave Warrior”, an ocean-going 39-foot fibreglass Journey Canoe, to help students learn more about the canoe culture and connect them with Indigenous ways of knowing and being.
Delta students and staff can use the canoe on day trips throughout the paddling season. The School District's Indigenous Education Department has also been developing a mentorship program, Paddling Together, for students in grades 5 to 12. The program will inspire positive identity of urban Indigenous students, help develop leaders, and bridge relationships throughout the community.
Rotary members and supporters took action on World Polio Day, October 24, 2022, to raise awareness and funds toward eradicating polio.
More than 4,200 Rotary, Rotaract, and Interact clubs in 118 countries registered their participation in World Polio Day.
Donors contributed more than US$740,000 online, which meant a total — with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s 2-to-1 match — of more than $2.2 million raised.
Social media efforts tied to World Polio Day reached 31 million people, compared to 17 million in 2021.
Once again, Rotary’s members and supporters united to show tremendous support in the fight against polio.
Rotary Club of Richmond Sunset member Magdalen R Leung, as a member of the Health Major Gifts Initiative Advisers committee, says, "Through my participation in global grants from The Rotary Foundation, I have seen how the lives of 600 children in China have been changed for the better in the past ten years. I have been involved in four global grants to support Gift of Life in Shanghai, China. These grants, ranging from $150,000 to $200,000, have provided life-changing heart surgery to children as young as three months old, with most of the children ages five or six."
Several members have stepped forward to help serve all our clubs in District 5040, but there are still some opportunities to serve, learn, and build relationships with other Rotary members across the district and beyond. Please join the team.
Since 1951 Xwemélch’stn Etsimxwawtxw Capilano Littlest Ones School has brought together Indigenous and non-Indigenous students, parents, community residents, and school staff for the education of now 131 children in a community school in the Norgate area of North Vancouver. In 1996 it was designated as a "community school" under the auspices of the North Vancouver School District.
The "Littlest Ones School", as it is known, is in the Squamish First Nation which is the first urban First Nation to receive support from Rotary's Write to Read (W2R) program. W2R focuses on literacy, learning and life in Indigenous communities, through libraries and learning centres, bringing together Indigenous and non-Indigenous citizens in order to break down social barriers, to build bridges across cultures, and to re-establish positive relationships. The Rotary Club of West Vancouver Sunrise was the leader in facilitating this funding support.
For her hard work and success in making a contribution to Wheelchairs for Fiji, Kitimat resident, 11-year-old Avaya Borgens, is among the youngest people to ever receive a prestigious Paul Harris Fellow Award from a Rotary club.
Every day three people in Fiji on average lose a limb, many of those their legs. After those suffering from such a life-changing loss, a wheelchair means freedom from immobilization and burden on family and friends and access to productive, fulfilling lives. Rotary clubs in the District's Northwest have been raising funds in recent years for Wheelchairs for Fiji to supply wheelchairs to the South Pacific nation of almost 900,000 population.
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