Rotaract's annual PACE event came to an end last week. Here's one final update about their amazing cultural exchange.

 

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The end of August also means the end of another successful year of Rotaract’s PACE roundtrip. This year we were able to show five international visitors eight different cities in BC (Vancouver, Burnaby, Victoria, Whistler, Richmond, Port Moody, New Westminster and North Vancouver).  Our visitors came from Argentina (Manu), Mexico (Lulu), Germany (Anna), Japan (Kohey), and Italy (Giorgia). PACE was, once again, an incredible cultural exchange.

From August 22nd to August 31st our 5 visitors were put through a very busy schedule to exhibit the culture of Canada’s west coast. They kayaked in North Vancouver, biked around the seawall, climbed two different mountains, and took a gondola up a third. They visited Victoria and Whistler and tried the multicultural cuisine of Vancouver. The local Rotaractors were also able to learn a lot about our visitor’s cultures through presentations made on the first day and our visitors cooking a dish from their home at our annual potluck. Over the span of the trip, close and everlasting friendships were made that all cumulated in a teary-eyed goodbye at the end.

For their service activity, the participants visited the Eagle Creek Watershed in North Burnaby, where they helped complete a new channel to/from the rearing pond, learned about the importance of the rearing pond as a suitable area for salmon to spawn, and aided in the maintenance of the watershed. Eagle Creek is actively supported by the Rotaract Club of Burnaby, and was the service project for the PACE participants in 2012. This year's PACE group will carry on the legacy of past PACERS and local Rotaractors.

A special thanks must be given to Mike Peabody of the Rotaract Club of Burnaby and Janice Froese of the Rotary club of Burnaby Deer Lake for hosting our visitors in their homes during their time in the Lower Mainland. We would also like to thank the Rotaract club of Victoria for hosting our visitors during their visit to Victoria and the Rotary Clubs of Whistler and Whistler Millennium for hosting during their time in Whistler.

This trip also would not have been possible without contributions from our sponsors. Thank you so much to the following clubs for allowing this program to continue this year:

Rotary Club of Burnaby-Deer Lake

Rotary Club of Lions Gate North Vancouver

Rotary Club of Squamish

Rotary Club of New Westminster- Royal City

Rotary Club of Burnaby-Metrotown

 

Another thanks must go out to all the Rotarians and Rotaractors that came to spend some time with our visitors this past week. Their experience was, without question, enhanced thanks to your participation. Lastly, a huge thank you to our 3 Rotaract co-chairs who volunteered a tremendous amount of their time to plan this project: Thomas Turniawan, Michelle Lee, and Jerlyne Casem.

 

PACE is a 10-day roundtrip that fosters global ties, provides an authentic experience of Canada’s multiculturalism and promotes international friendship within the Rotary family. It provides participants with the opportunity to explore various cities in the Pacific Canada region and engage in activities that highlight out unique mix of nature, city and eco-friendly living