Rotary Awareness Month -- Port Perry Star
As part of Rotary Awareness Month, Terry Coyne and Dave Cash worked tirelessly to produce a winning article for the Port Perry Star! Thanks Dave and Terry for your hard work on this endeavor! Below is the article text:
ROTARY AWARENESS MONTH JANUARY 2015
“SERVICE ABOVE SELF”
AS REPORTED IN MOST ARTICLES REGARDING ROTARY INTERNATIONAL, WORLD MEMBERSHIP IS APPROXIMATELY 1.2 MILLION, WITH APPROXIMATELY 33,000 CLUBS WHICH COVERS SOME 220 COUNTRIES OR GEOGRAPHIC AREAS. THERE ARE MANY REASONS WHY BUSINESS LEADERS AND PROFESSIONALS JOIN ROTARY. ALTHOUGH EACH MEMBER JOINS ROTARY FOR THEIR OWN PARTICULAR REASON, THE COMMON GOAL IS TO GIVE BACK AND MAKE OUR COMMUNITY, COUNTRY AND WORLD, A BETTER PLACE IN WHICH TO LIVE.
--A LOOK AT THE ROTARY CLUB OF PORT PERRY—
FUNDRAISINGEVENTS: 4 ANNUAL FUNDRAISERS THAT CONSIST OF THE SPRING GALA, AQUARAMA, GOLF TOURAMENT AND THE COINS FOR POLIO DRIVE.
SPRING GALA (APRIL 11/15): OUR LARGEST UNDERTAKING AND OUR LARGEST FUND RAISING EVENT. A MEMORABLE EVENING OF MEETING NEW AND RENEWING OLD ACQUANITANCES, ENJOYING A GOURMET MEAL AND PARTICIPATION IN AN EXCITING LIVE AND SILENT AUCTION, MAKE APRIL 11 THE EVENT TO ATTEND. TICKETS ARE AVAILABLE THRU ANY PORT PERRY ROTARIAN. THE MONIES RAISED BY THE GALA HELP FUND THE PROJECTS WE SUPPORT LOCALLY, NATIONALLY AND INTERNATIONALLY.
ACTION: AS A CLUB, A NUMBER OF SIGNIFICANT LOCAL PROJECTS HAVE BEEN SUPPORTED. SOME OF THE LARGER CONTRIBUTIONS HAVE BEEN TO THE PUBLIC LIBRARY RENOVATIONS, LAKERIDGE HEALTH (PORT PERY) ENDOSCOPY SUITE, THE BOARDWALK THRU ROTARY ENVIRONMENT PARK AND PROGRAM FUNDING AT DURHAM COLLEGE AND UOIT.
CURRENTLY IN THE 2015-16 ROTARY YEAR, A COMMITMENT OF $50,000 HAS BEEN PLEDGED TO THE “YOUR HOSPITAL, YOUR FUTURE” RENOVATIONS OF LAKERIDGE HEALTH (PORT PERRY). PORT PERRY HOSPITAL FOUNDATION LAUNCHED A 2.5 MILLION DOLAR CAMPAIGN TO REFURBISH THE ORIGINAL HOSPITAL AREA OPENED IN 1967. RENOVATION OBJECTIVES ARE TO BRING THIS AREA TO CURRENT HOSPITAL STANDARDS AND BETTER UTILIZATION OF AVAILABLE SPACE.
BURSARIES ARE AWARDED EACH YEAR TO THE PORT PERRY HIGH SCHOOL AND THE KENT FARNDALE GALLERY. A NEW BURSARY WAS ESTABLISHED LAST YEAR FOR SCUGOG STUDENTS ATTENDING UOIT. A SIMILAR BURSARY IS PLANNED FOR SCUGOG STUDENTS ATTENDING DURHAM COLLEGE.
AQUARAMA (TBD): 22nd YEAR FOR THIS EVENT. THE CONCEPT IS FAIRLY SIMPLE. UP TO 20 TEAMS OF 5 RIDERS, RACE A PWC THRU A PREDETERMINED WATER COURSE, AGAINST THE STOPWATCH. EACH RIDER IS REQUIRED TO HAVE A DRIVERS LICENCE, SIGN A LIABILITY WAIVER AND HAVE PLEDGES OF $100. PRIZES ARE AWARDED FOR FASTEST RIDE, FASTEST TEAM, HIGHEST PLEDGE AND BEST COSTUME. REGISTRATION AND PLEDGE FORMS CAN BE DOWNLOADED ON LINE AT www.aquarama.ca. THIS IS AN ENTERTAINING SUNDAY FOR THE ENTIRE FAMILY. THE MONIES RAISED BY THE AQUARAMA HELP FUND THE PROJECTS WE SUPPORT LOCALLY, NATIONALLY AND INTERNATIONALLY WITH A FOCUS ON CHILDREN ISSUES.
ACTION: THE LITERACY PROGRAM IS TWO FOLD. UPWARD OF 200 DICTIONARIES ARE DISTRIBUTED TO THE GRADE 4 STUDENTS IN SCUGOG AS THEIR OWN PERSONAL REFERENCE BOOK.
A SECOND PHASE OF THE LITERACY PROGRAM IS A PARTNERSHIP WITH THE DURHAM DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD, MISSISSAUGA FIRST NATION OF SCUGOG ISLAND, RCMP AND THE OPP TO PARTICIPATION IN A PROGRAM TO PROVIDE BOOKS AND INFORMATION TO RESERVES IN NORTHERN ONTARIO. THESE BOOKS ARE WRITTEN BY NATIVE AUTHORS AND REFLECT THE BELIEFS AND CULTURE OF THE FIRST NATION PEOPLE. THESE BOOKS ARE DELIVERED BY THE RCMP AND THE OPP FORCES. DDSB STUDENTS MEET AT THE MISSISAUGA FIRST NATION COMMUNITY CENTRE TO INTERACT WITH FIRST NATION ELDERS, SKYPE WITH STUDENTS FROM NORTHERN ONTARIO RESERVES AND LEARN OF FIRST NATION TRADITIONS AND CULTURE.
EMILE VAN DEN KROONENBERG MEMORIAL GOLF TOURNAMENT (SEPTEMBER 16/15): NAMED AFTER A SUPPORTIVE AND WELL KNOWN ROTARIAN, THIS TOURNAMENT HOLDS TRUE TO THE OLD SAYING “THE WORST DAY ON THE GOLF COURSE IS BETTER THAN THE BEST DAY AT WORK”. FOR A MODEST ENTRY FEE, THE DAY AT THE COURSE BEGINS WITH A PERSONAL GREETING AND HANDSHAKE FROM OUR CLUB PRESIDENT, A WELCOMING GIFT, LUNCH, and FULL USE OF THE DRIVING RANGE, 18 HOLES OF CHALLENGING GOLF WITH CART, ROVING BEER CART, A STEAK DINNER, A SILENT AUCTION AND SPECIFIC EVENT PRIZES. ALL PROCEEDS FROM THIS TOURNAMENT GO TO FUND OUR SENIORS’ CHRISTMAS DINNER HELD ANNUALLY AT THE COMMUNITY CENTRE.
ACTION: THE SENIORS CHRISTMAS DINNER IS THE JEWEL OF ALL THE PROJECTS THE CLUB SUPPORTS. PROCEEDS FROM THE GOLF TOURNAMENT, FUND THIS ANNUAL EVENT. UPWARD OF 250 SENIORS, ALONG WITH SERVERS FROM LOCAL GROUPS AND BUSINESSES, ENJOY A FULL CHRISTMAS HOMESTYLE DINNER INCLUDING A VISIT FROM SANTA, PREDINNER MUSIC BY THE PORT PERRY HIGH SCHOOL WITH AFTER DINNER ENTERTAINMENT BY A LOCAL MUSIC GROUP.
COINS FOR POLIO (TBD): 2015 WILL BE THE 4TH YEAR WE HAVE ASKED THE COMMUNITY FOR HELP WITH THIS PROJECT. ON A PARTICULAR OCTOBER SATURDAY, CLUB MEMBERS WILL SET UP AT DIFFERENT LOCATIONS THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY TO COLLECT LOOSE CHANGE FOR THE FIGHT AGAINT POLIO.
ACTION: THIS DAY USUALLY COINCIDES WITH A POLIO DRIVE ANNOUNCED BY ROTARY INTERNATIONAL. SINCE 1979, ROTARY INTERNATIONAL HAS CHAMPIONED THE CAMPAIGN AGAINST POLIO BY INOCCULATING 22 BILLION CHILDREN WORLD WIDE. THE “END POLIO NOW” INITIATIVE HAS REDUCED THE NUMBER OF REPORTED CASES FROM 350,000 TO 35 ANNUALLY. THE STRUGGLE CONTINUES ON A DAILY BASIS WHEN NEW CASES ARE REPORTED AND AS THE PREVENTATIVE PROGRAM IS CARRIED OUT. AT THIS TIME, THE BILL AND MELINDA GATES FOUNDATION ALONG WITH FEDERAL GOVERNMENTS, USUALLY OFFER TO MATCH MONIES RAISED, DOLLAR FOR DOLLAR. IT IS A TREMENDOUS WAY TO STRETCH THE COLLECTED DOLLARS TO HAVE TWICE THE IMPACT. AT THE 2013 INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE IN LISBON, THE BILL AND MELINDA GATES FOUNDATION ANNOUNCES A NEW PROGRAM FOR THE FIGHT AGAINST POLIO. THE GATES FOUNDATION WILL MATCH ANY NEW ROTARY MONIES RAISED, AT A RATE OF 2 FOR 1. THIS PROGRAM HAS A CEILING OF $35 MILLION PER YEAR UNTIL 2018. 100% OF MONIES COLLECTED DURING THE LOONIES AND TOONIES FOR POLIO DRIVE ARE SENT TO THE “END POLIO NOW” CAMPAIGN TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THESE INITIATIVES.
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