Clubs' achievements and activities in our District for November

Posted on Dec 05, 2023
Achievements and activities of some of our clubs in Rotary District 5040 in November
 
Some recent achievements and activities in District 5040 clubs as reported by Assistant Governors
for end of November 2023. There is much more planning and other activity in clubs,
but these are current results, projects completed.
Network with other clubs for ideas and stay tuned for future reports.
also visit the expanding list of projects in our new District 5040 Showcase
 
 
Bowen Island
  • District Governor Shirley-Pat Chamberlain inducted five new members into the club.
  • The Grafton Commons Greenhouse committee finalize details on plumbing wiring and signage.
 
Burnaby
  • Four new members were inducted by District Governor Shirley-Pat Chamberlain
  • Two District Grant applications were approved: to provide sewing machine training and materials to Urban Refugee women and girls in Uganda by producing sanitary pads and a literacy program; to provide iPads for special needs students at Oppenheimer School in Vancouver.
 
Burnaby Deer Lake
  • Club members, spouses, Rotarians from other clubs and Interact members came to help set up and decorate festive trees for the annual Festival of Lights at Lougheed Town Centre
  • Boots for Kids. Club members/volunteers measure students’ feet at elementary schools in Burnaby, purchase the boots and socks, prepare the tags and delivered a total of 250 pairs of boots.
  • Both sponsored Interact Clubs at Burnaby South and Burnaby Central Secondary Schools worked together on a garbage cleanup of areas in Burnaby’s Central Park and Metrotown.
 
Burnaby Rotaract
  • A committee of representatives from the three sponsoring Rotary Clubs is working to support the Burnaby Rotaract Club. We have had gatherings that involve service which appears to attract more people than having just an information meeting.
  • Members put together goody bags of treats to be donated as well as festive cards for seniors, decorated a tree during the Festival of Lights setup at Lougheed Mall and sorted eyeglasses at the third World Eye Care Society warehouse.
 
Burns Lake
  • The annual Rotary Auction is estimated to have raised $35,000.
  • The annual Prize Christmas calendar is printed and is selling for $25 to end of December, with the draw in early January.
 
Dragon
  • The club welcomed two new members.
  • The Club donated $700 towards PolioPlus and $1,400 towards Annual Fund -SHARE during November Foundation Month.
  • Four members attended and supported “Music of Hope” Christmas Concert organized by Canada Hands and Feet of All Abilities Foundation.
  • The club received $3,000 sponsorship by Scotiabank for its President Installation & Funding Raising event in October.
 
Gibsons
  • District Governor Shirley-Pat Chamberlain presented two Paul Harris Fellow Awards
  • The club's fundraiser auction now underway.
  • The November 23rd club social at Leo’s in Gibsons was well attended.
  • Club members participated in the auction item pick up at High Beam Dreams. Proceeds this year: $35,000.
  • Fireside Chats were organized at 4 homes with a total of 26 members planning to attend.
 
Ladner
  • A former member of the club, who had to leave for various reasons, has returned.
  • Teams of members installed Canadian flags on 10-foot poles at the front of homes and businesses of those who had subscribed to them in honour of Remembrance Day then removed them on November 18th.
 
Lions Gate
  • Membership has reached 26 towards a goal of 28.
 
One Hundred Mile House
  • A new member was installed.
 
New Westminster
  • District Governor Shirley-Pat inducted a new member. 
  • Many members and friends of Rotary volunteered at Don’t Go Hungry and Legion Poppy Campaign.
  • Host families are onboard to continue with the YEX student program for another year.
 
New Westminster Rotaract
  • The club is working with Rotary and Interact on a Christmas/holiday project to provide gift bags for seniors living in Rotary Tower.
 
New Westminster Royal City
  • The club kicked off planning for their 26th Annual Heart of the Matter Fundraiser.
  • A new member, recently inducted, is already heading up an exciting new fundraising initiative for 2024.
  • The club received three awards for its contributions to The Rotary Foundation.
 
Pemberton
  • The club has finalized funds from the Barn Dance fundraiser, made a donation to the Bridge River Valley Preservation & Conservation Fund to provide forest fire relief funds to those communities, and continued discussions with the Village of Pemberton about its donation towards the upcoming Amenity building being built at Den Duyf fields.
  • The club held a Social Meeting at Town Square.
  • The Interact club raised just over $500 from their Halloween "Interact Scares Hunger" campaign to raise money for the Food Bank.
  • For a joint Sea-to-Sky project, the John Gullo Home for Children, a District Grant has been awarded. The club is in the process of collecting all the funds from participating clubs and getting ready to wire transfer funds to Leaders2Give.
 
Pender Harbour
  • In a trial on November 1st the club changed its meeting time from 5 pm to noon. Many more members attended.
  • DG Shirley-Pat Chamberlain presented three Paul Harris Fellow Awards and inspired members on Membership, Inclusion, and Engagement.
  • Club leaders interviewed a future Outbound Youth Exchange student, the first eligible candidate found after five years 
  • The club is selling Rotary calendars and Amarok puzzles at the Christmas fair and Ambush corner.
 
Powell River
  • At a Membership and Fellowship event - the Curling and Polio Potluck on November 7th - District Governor Shirley-Pat Chamberlain inducted four new individual members and a corporate member of four and presented a Paul Harris Fellow Award.
  • Jig Saw Puzzles have arrived and are being delivered and sold. These puzzles were created for fundraising for the Sunshine Coast School in Bangladesh
  • A Taste of Rotary club session held on November 29th.
 
Prince George Downtown
  • The club runs five school breakfast programs and are possibly adding another. Four of the clubs are joint funded with a corporate sponsor and one involves club member volunteers.
  • Club members are volunteering with the Salvation Army Kettle campaign.
  • The club has sent funds to an Education Project in Kenya and has donated software to a new Interactive Table for the Simon Fraser Hospital.
  • Two new members have joined the club
 
Prince George Nechako
  • The club has started its Operation Red Nose campaign committing to nine 9 nights including New Years Eve, having raised so far $38,000 in Corporate Sponsors and $27,000 in in-kind sponsorship. All funds go to Youth programs in Prince George.
  • Club members helped to set up 300,000 Christmas lights for the Railway and Forestry Museum, ran a fundraiser and is helping on nights the Museum is open during the festive season.
 
Prince George Rotaract
  • The Rotaract Club held a Membership drive and attracted 15 new candidates, with a District Membership grant of $500 to print posters for in different locations in the community and for tote bags filled with Rotary and Rotaract information. They also ran a social media membership campaign, but found that the posters brought in most the new attendants.
  • Club members were very active in the PG Railway and Forestry Museum Halloween fundraiser and operated the Children’s Craft Room
  • The club presented a cheque for $2,300 to the Elizabeth Fry Society from their Charms for Change fundraiser.
  • Many members are volunteering in the Nechako Club Operation Red Nose program
 
Prince George Yellowhead
  • The club hosted the Business Breakfast at Festival of Trees on November 30,
  • The draw for 50/50 raffle tickets @ $20 each - with a potential prize of $10,000 - was held at the November 30 breakfast.
  • The November 16 meeting was changed to a dinner meeting, and held at the Legion, to support their efforts in November.
  • Ron Brent Elementary School will be the recipient of the proceeds from the 50/50 raffle, to be used for hampers for families for Christmas.
  • The club is supporting the Council of Seniors in their hamper packaging and delivery before Christmas.
 
Quesnel
  • The club held an open house about Rotary Youth Exchange, a book recycling event and a Kids Halloween Parade. Seniors Bingo continues
 
Richmond
  • Following the fundraising event (raised $2,000) in September for the Christmas hampers for the children and youth at SOS Children’s Village BC, club members will be engaged in a hands-on project for preparing the hampers on Nov 30. 
  • The club raised $4,500 for the Richmond Christmas Fund through the selling of poinsettias.
  • The club raised $30,000 last year for the seniors’ fitness equipment project working with the City of Richmond and now has received a $5,000 grant from Definity Insurance Foundation, increasing total proceeds to $35,000.
 
Richmond Sunrise
  • Six Rotarians helped make and serve hot pancake breakfast with fruits, juices, and yogurt to over 130 hungry mouths at Gilmore Elementary School
  • Seven Rotarians volunteered at the Richmond Food Bank
  • The club sponsored a Rotary World Help shipping container for the Philippines -- with estimated value of $250,000 -- which club members helped load on November 25th with 12 skids of educational books, 3 skids of computers, some hospital equipment and more. The impact to the community on one of the 7,000 islands of the Philippines is great, with five libraries to be developed in elementary and high schools. Philippine Consul General Arlene Magno sealed the container.
 
Sechelt
  • The club created promo material for Auction and Amorak puzzles and Calendar sales.
  • The club is setting up online sales, started on November 28th, of the Sunshine Coast Rotary jigsaw puzzle to help fund the Sunshine Coast Mothers School project in Bangladesh.
 
Steveston
  • Five club members provided coffee for the volunteers and public at the Annual Christmas Toy Drive sponsored by Richmond Cares, Richmond Gives at Lansdowne Shopping Centre.
  • The club's winter food hamper program is in progress with seven local schools contacted. The aim is to support five families per school for a total of 35 families. This costs the club about $3,500, in conjunction with the local Save-On-Foods for discounted pricing.
 
Sunshine Coast Sechelt
  • At the club's social, special event at the Bricker Cidery on November 15th the club presented a thank you award to Moorestock who have been huge supporters of our Dad and Me Dance for many years.
  • The club has been updating its strategic plan two sections at a time. When completed at the next board meeting it will be sent out to the club. When PE Michael returns from PETS he will go through it and ask for goal setting for his year.
  • The club is approaching 800 in reflective house address signs on the Coast -- a rob and duplicate from Bowen Island.
 
Tsawwassen
  • The WASH global grant GG2237605-UGANDA broke ground. A ceremony attended by many Rotarians from the Rotary Club of Mbarara plus Village and government officials took place. Pipes have been purchased and the first phase of bringing clean drinking water and WASH programs to seven villages has begun.
  • The club's new prospective satellite professional networking club met for the second time in November
  • For Remembrance Day South Delta Secondary School Interact members put up a display of crosses on 56th Street with poppies hung on the crosses.
  • Light up Diefenbaker Park for Christmas: 75 team volunteer hours led to a visual wonderland at Diefenbaker Park in Tsawwassen, with Rotarians, friends and Interact members producing Christmas display including 20-foot metal lit trees in the park.
  • Gift of Light: the club, with Interactors, held a Christmas festival for the community on Nov 26th, as Santa arrived on a fire truck for kids out to see Santa and included a stage with a variety of choirs and singers and two little Green Acres Therapy ponies
  • The Storywalk monthly story trail for kids and families had to move from Beach Grove to a new location in Diefenbaker Park.
  • Social activities were active with an Open Mic night at Kin Village and a Pub night at the Rose & Crown pub.
 
Vancouver Arbutus
  • The club recognized with a Paul Harris Fellow Award Margaret Carley who was the chef for the Ukrainian fundraising dinner and now she is inspired to join Rotary.
  • The club lost a dear friend, Shail Mahanti, a Rotary member of more than 35 years, serving the club twice as president, and a Paul Harris Fellow.
  • District Governor Shirley-Pat Chamberlain presented a Paul Harris Fellow Award.
  • Three members decorated Abbeyfield House for Christmas.
  • The club held a Social on November 21st at the White Spot on West Broadway at lunchtime.
  • The Board approved using the Pasut family's donation in Teddie's memory to Polio Plus for $1,000. The club intends to raise another $1,000. for Polio Plus in the New Year
 
Vancouver Cambie
  • Michael Cowhig from Arbutus Club and President Q Doh Pae held a Santa photo event for RAPS (Regional Animal Protection Society) and raised over $2,500 in two days.
 
Vancouver Centennial
  • The club held a fundraiser concert on November 19th.
 
Vancouver Fraserview
  • The club raised over $6,000 on Giving Tuesday for the Rotary Foundation.
 
Vancouver Sunrise
  • The club's service projects continue to include a partnership with the Bread Brigade delivering unsold Bread from COBS to the Osbourne Shelter in the DTES on Tuesday evenings, along with partnering with the Food on the Corner each Saturday.
  • The club is focused on Youth Services and Rotaract and Interact clubs, assisting them in their Socks and Toques Drive and Eye Glass Drive along with volunteering at various Christmas events, such as the Toys R Us toy drive.
  • Another new member joined.
 
West Vancouver
  • The club held one meeting in November as a working meeting to make sandwiches for the Vancouver Downtown Eastside.
 
Whistler
  • The work on a Don McLauren Forestry Scholarship is ongoing and donations are being sought.
  • A $500 expenditure was approved to rent sound equipment for the November 11, 2023, Remembrance Day Service.
  • The club received a District Grant to support the Viewing Stand Project in Whistler.
  • The club was the Charity of Choice for Whistler Cornucopia 2023, having participated in the event from November 09 to 19, 2023, earning $20,000.
  • On November 11th the club provided hot chocolate to residents attending the Remembrance Day service in Whistler.
 
Whistler Millennium
  • The club is involved in Xmas Tree sales at Creekside Market- this year trees are $90.
  • Santa and Elves are visiting many community events
  • The club is sponsoring two Xmas basket/hampers through Whistler Community Services Society.
 
Williams Lake
  • A District Grant was received for the club’s Exercise Project
  • The club is hosting interviews for RYLA participants.
 
Williams Lake Daybreak
  • Octoberfest raised $ 2,000 which the club donated to the Potato House project for its composting activities.
  • The club received a small District Grant for its Story Book Trail
  • A 16’x16’ cover was installed in a park for picnics and activities under shade.