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.
Already a person of action for her community in the local Rotary club, through her father, Jonathan Borgens, Avaya learned about the Wheelchairs for Fiji program and jumped into action. She wanted to help. So her Dad challenged her to raise $500 for the cause and she accepted.
Avaya ran a stand at the Kitimat Rotary garage sale to sell lemonade and cookies. She also sold some of her old books and toys. In the end she surpassed her goal of $500 all to help make a difference for people across the world.
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| Avaya Borgens at her lemonade stand in the summer | Steep price for lemonade and cookies, but for a good cause |
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Avaya Borgens, age 11, receives a Paul Harris Fellow Award from Past District Governor Lorne Calder (right) with Northwest Assistant Governor Ron Malmas | |
Proud Dad and Kitimat Rotarian Jonathan Borgens says: "Rotarians are, by definition, people who care about others, and Avaya exemplifies what it means to be a Rotarian despite her young age of 11. We look forward to the day that Avaya can become a full fledged Rotarian, but in the meantime, Avaya was awarded one of Rotary’s most prestigious awards, a Paul Harris Fellow. We are proud of Avaya, what she’s accomplished, and what she brings to our club as a Friend of the Rotary Club of Kitimat."