Stories

Gil Plummer, Bruce McLeish, Dave Roberts, Norm Manning, Jim Gibbons and Rob Galloway

 

 

 

 

 

Fergus Elora Rotary Club member Neil Dunsmore took the first steps to stopping the silence around mental health and suicide by walking 531 km or 330 miles from The Township of Centre Wellington to the nation’s capital Ottawa. When asked why he would take on such a challenge, Dunsmore answered with a typical Rotarian response “It’s about my community! We are 2.7 times the national average for suicide and that’s an issue for me. Someone needs to raise awareness and get this issue on everyone’s radar, the Federal Governments, the Provincial Governments and the service clubs. Our community is in crisis and when a crisis hits, we have no choice but to act. Service above self!

 

 

 

I should probably be fined for this but I picked up on the idea from Guelph Rotary on tying a red ribbon around your tree or front porch rail to show our support for the front line and essential workers.  Got the word out to 195 homes here in Pine Meadows and I am happy to say that about 60% of the homes have already so and the number is growing. Very happy not only because of the red ribbon campaign but also because we live in a very caring community.

 

 

Please see the following link for up to date information:

 

 https://www.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html…

 

 

Pictured is Leanne Iravani , President of the Rotary Club of Fergus-Elora with the award.

 

 

 

A "Catch the Ace" progressive (accumulating jackpot) raffle lottery is a multiple draw game in which participants purchase tickets for a chance to win:

 

A. a percentage of the proceeds from the sale of tickets from one draw and;

 

B. the draw winner also gets a chance to win a progressive (cumulative) jackpot by selecting a new card from a standard deck of 52 playing cards.

 

• The person who holds the winning ticket selected in each draw has an opportunity to select one playing card from the single deck of 52 playing cards. If the Ace of Spades is selected, in addition to winning a percentage of the proceeds from the draw, the person will win the progressive jackpot.

 

• If the card selected is not the Ace of Spades, the selected card is removed from the deck and the progressive prize portion of the ticket sales for that draw is rolled over into the progressive jackpot for the next scheduled draw.

 

• The licensee conducts the scheduled events until the Ace of Spades has been selected and the progressive jackpot has been awarded.

 

• Tickets are valid only for the draw they are purchased for. Once the draw is complete, the non-winning tickets are removed from the draw container and a new series of tickets will be sold for the next draw.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

WIN “Canada 150”

 

Victoria Park Seniors Centre 150 Albert Street West, Fergus

 

Linda Kenny, CEO of KidsAbility receives a cheque from Fergus-Elora Rotary Club President Jim Waites.  The funds will be used to assist KidsAbility to provide a speech and language therapist at their Fergus office on a part time basis.  Over the years, the Rotary Club of Fergus-Elora has been a strong supporter of KidsAbility for the work that they do in supporting families and children.

 

For a number of years, the Rotary Club of Fergus-Elora has provided a Community Service Award to a graduating student from each of the local elementary schools.  The above picture is Leah Hutchinson, a student of John Black Public School who received the award that was recently presented at their graduation ceremony in June 2016.  Congratulations to Leah and all of the other students in Fergus and Elora who received this award.

Dave Beynon and President Ed Davis present a cheque for $3,000. to Michael House Pregnancy Care Centre, 187 Bristol Street, Guelph.  The centre serves women not only in Guelph but Wellington County.  Funds will be used to equip their teaching room at their newly opened supportive housing building.  Funds will be used for board room table and chairs, refinish floors and paint the room and the purchase of audio visual equipment.

 

 

 

Rotarians have not only been present for major events in history—we’ve been a part of them. From the beginning, three key traits have remained strong throughout Rotary:

We’re truly international. Only 16 years after being founded, Rotary had clubs on six continents. Today we’re working together from around the globe both digitally and in-person to solve some of our world’s most challenging problems.

We persevere in tough times. During WWII, Rotary clubs in Germany, Austria, Italy, Spain, and Japan were forced to disband. Despite the risks, many continued to meet informally and following the war’s end, Rotary members joined together to rebuild their clubs and their countries.

Our commitment to service is ongoing. We began our fight against polio in 1979 with a project to immunize 6 million children in the Philippines. By 2012, only three countries remain polio-endemic—down from 125 in 1988

Past President Bob Wright and President Ed Davis present a cheque for $1,000. to Linda Mark of Child Witness Centre.  Funds will be used toward their 2017 Youth Symposium for up to 1500 Grade Eight students and teachers in Guelph and Wellington County of which 230 are from Fergus and Elora.

During the course of the day students and teachers have the opportunity to hear 3 inspiring speakers.  Key messages include: You can be the change !  It takes ONE to make a difference ! Step outside your comfort zone and try new things ! Be an 'energy giver' not an 'energy taker' ! Students are given tools and strategies to help them face challenges in their own lives as they enter high school, a key point in their development.