Ud5020-October-2020.Pdf

2 | | UD5020 UD5020 | | 3 DISTRICT COUNCIL OFFICERS 2020-2021

GOVERNOR Greg Horn (Lakewood) UNITE - It is all about serving [email protected]

Highlighting inspirational news and successes CHIEF OF STAFF Mary Horn (Lakewood) to UNITE Rotarians with a common mission [email protected]

within District 5020. COUNCIL CHAIR Caleb Summerfelt (Gateway) [email protected]

GOVERNOR ELECT Lorna Curtis (Oak Bay) Caleb Summerfelt [email protected] Gateway Rotary UD5020 EDITOR GOVERNOR NOMINEE Dale Roberts (Comox Valley) [email protected]

IMMEDIATE PAST GOVERNOR Maureen Fritz-Roberts (Comox) [email protected]

SECRETARY Judith Marriott (Courtenay) [email protected]

TREASURER Roan Blacker (Bainbridge Island) [email protected]

ON THE COVER Rotary Club of Ladysmith, Celebrating 50 Years of Service - Forrest Field All Access Walking Trail: Paul Williams (left) Brian King (front middle) and Suzanne Otterson (right). 4 | | UD5020 UD5020 | | 5

TABLE OF CONTENTS DISTRICT 5020 CLUB NEWS ON THE COVER �� 3 FEATURE ARTICLES 20 YEARS OF PREPAREDNESS: HURRICANE THANK YOU, GOVERNOR HORN �� 66 SEASON IS HERE �� 38 BY JEFF HARRIS OCTOBER GOVERNORS MESSAGE �� 6 BY ALLISON KINGSTON BY GREG HORN GIG HARBOR MIDDAY SOUP & SANDWICH DRIVE �� 68 DROP INTO THE DREAM �� 40 BY CHERI JOHNSON JOIN US OCTOBER 17TH 2020 �� 8 BY KEVIN GLEIM DISTRICT 5020 ROTARY CLUB BUILDS TRANSITIONAL TWIN CITIES ROTARY RALLIES COMMUNITY TINY HOME RESIDENCES �� 72 THE DENNY WILFORD FOUNDATION – SUPPORT FOR LOCAL RESTAURANTS �� 42 BY REBECCA SANCHEZ FOR THURSTONTALK.COM “JUST 2 DROPS” �� 29 BY CATHERINE CLEVELAND BY LONNA CALAS PROFOUND GRATITUDE �� 79 CUMBERLAND CENTENNIAL TACKLES BY JEFF FRANKFORD WE ARE MAKING HISTORY �� 36 FOOD INSECURITY IN CUMBERLAND �� 44 BY CALEB SUMMERFELT BY DEBBIE LEMIRE DISASTER AID CANADA-WIDE GARAGE SALE �� 81 BY GERRY BELTGENS CELEBRATING 50 YEARS OF SERVICE �� 96 POWER OF ONLINE FUNDRAISING: GOLF BY GERRY BELTGENS BALL DROP SUCCESS �� 46 LACEY ROTARY DUCK DASH A FLYING SUCCESS �� 82 BY KATIE COARD BY KEVIN HAYWARD CELEBRATING 50 YEARS - THE LADYSMITH GOLF COURSE STORY �� 105 CELEBRATE OYSTERFEST 2020! �� 49 COVID-FRIENDLY ONLINE FUNDRAISERS: BY ED NICHOLSON, CLUB HISTORIAN BY TERI KING CHEERS FOR CHARITY �� 84 BY LINDA MURRAY SHIPS IN A HARBOUR.... �� 118 FUNDRAISING IN THE “NEW NORMAL” �� 50 BY EILEEN BELTGENS BY LINDSEY HOEDEL PROVIDING MEALS FOR THE HUNGRY IN NEPAL �� 87 BY LEANNA CHRISTIAN MORE ABOUT PAUL HARRIS SOCIETY �� 10 ROTARY LEADERSHIP DURING A PANDEMIC �� 52 DISTRICT/INTERNATIONAL BY ANIL PURI & SAM PURDY BY DIANA MATSUDA FORMER PRIME MINISTER ZOOMS INTO NEWS THE ROTARY CLUB �� 92 MEMORIAL TRIBUTE TO PAST DISTRICT GOVERNOR �� 12 RIVER CLEAN-UP PROJECT EMPLOYED LOCALS �� 57 BY MICHAEL RIBICIC BY MARNEE OBENDORF BY MIKE HAAS DISTRICT AND CLUB EVENTS �� 122 HAVE YOU JOINED THE ROTARY TWIN CITIES ROTARY LAUNCHES BUSINESS DIRECTORY? �� 19 VEGETABLES IN A BUCKET PROGRAM �� 64 BY CATHERINE CLEVELAND ROTARY OPENS OPPORTUNITIES �� 20 BY MARILYN HOPPEN

BIG WEST ROTARY INSTITUTE �� 22 BY LORNA CURTIS

WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE IN THE DISTRICT MAGAZINE? �� 27 6 | GOVERNORS MESSAGE | UD5020 UD5020 | GOVERNORS MESSAGE | 7

I believe the future of all weekly Rotary meetings will become hybrid meetings. Individual members are wanting to get back to regular attendance at Rotary meetings when they safely can, and hybrid meetings will allow others to attend if they are busy or traveling.

OCTOBER GOVERNORS As I attend Rotary meetings via Zoom or hybrid, two common needs are arising: food insecurity among MESSAGE many in our communities is becoming critical, and at- BY GREG HORN home learning for kids is a challenge because of lack of These are significant and exciting times to be a member computers and/or internet service. of our Rotary family. Thank you to all the Rotary clubs who are stepping up President Holger said, “Rotary is not just a club you to help in this difficult time. join but an invitation to endless opportunities. Let’s take advantage of the opportunities that we have and Please join us in a very special event to raise awareness continue to present themselves as we live through, and or Rotary’s efforts to eradicate polio worldwide. come out of this pandemic. We can take advantage of Saturday, Sept. 17 will be a virtual event conceived by what we are learning now and reinvent how we do the Caleb Summerfelt, our District Public Image Chair. business of Rotary. Six outstanding speakers, including past RI President and polio survivor John Germ and RI Director and It will take strong leaders to be able to ride this giant vice-president Johrita Solari will be on the panel. The wave of change. What Rotary becomes in 5, 10, even 20 admission cost is simply a $30 donation to YOUR years may well be decided by how we manage Rotary OWN Polio Plus account at The Rotary Foundation. today. Please go to www.justtwodrops.com to register. I hope to see you there! We have been thrust into the electronic world of Zoom meetings in just a few short months. I’m very thankful Yours in Rotary, we have Zoom. We would be in a very undesirable Greg Horn place if we didn’t have it. 5020 Governor 2020-2021 8 | GOVERNORS MESSAGE | UD5020 UD5020 | GOVERNORS MESSAGE | 9

JOIN US OCTOBER 17TH 2020 DISTRICT 5020

TO LEARN MORE: WWW.JUSTTWODROPS.COM

JOIN US OCTOBER 17TH 10 | DISTRICT/INTERNATIONAL NEWS | UD5020 UD5020 | DISTRICT/INTERNATIONAL NEWS | 11 MORE ABOUT PAUL HARRIS SOCIETY BY ANIL PURI & SAM PURDY “The mission of the Rotary Foundation, of 2. Rotary Direct—once you set up a “My Rotary” Rotary International is to enable Rotarians to account at the RI site, you have an access to advance world understanding, goodwill and the “Rotary Direct” method of giving. For a peace through the support of education, the cup of “coffee” a day, or US $85 per month improvement of health and the alleviation of set up, will set your Rotary Foundation Giving poverty.” Plan on “Auto Pilot”.

The Paul Harris Society is a network of over 22,000 3. US Citizens over 72 Years---If you are dedicated Rotary supporters in 140 countries. required to take RMD (Required Minimum Society members express their commitment to Distribution), once or twice a year or more give at least US $1,000 each Rotary year to the often, you can fill out an “IRA Giving” Annual Fund, PolioPlus, or approved Rotary form available from RI. IRA giving to RI Foundation grants. Foundation, via RMD is “tax free” after age 72, and becomes part of your RMD. (Please Last year, donations from society members made consult your personal Tax Preparation around 16 percent of total contributions to the advisor on this before taking this action). Annual Fund. So 2% of Rotarians provide 16% of TRF Annual Fund donations. 34 Rotarians decided to join PH Society in 2019- 2020 Rotary Year---let us exceed this number You can sign up online (www.rotary.org/ --- place your RI Foundation giving on Auto-Pilot paulharrissociety) or fill out the PHS form to join with “Rotary Direct”---JOIN PH Society PH Society Please contact for any questions SUGGESTED METHODS OF GIVING • Sam Purdy ([email protected]) PHS 1. Write a check and give it to your club’s Chair BC Foundation Director or Treasurer—depends • Anil Puri ([email protected]) PHS Chair on each club’s system . Washington 12 | DISTRICT/INTERNATIONAL NEWS | UD5020 UD5020 | DISTRICT/INTERNATIONAL NEWS | 13 MEMORIAL TRIBUTE TO PAST DISTRICT GOVERNOR BY MARNEE OBENDORF 2000-2001 Past District Governor, Robert central role in the funding and development "Bob" Lovely, 83, passed away on Tuesday, of Rotary Point Park on West Bay Drive. September 1st in Olympia. Bob was born on Bob also served as President of the Olympia April 15, 1937 in Albany, Oregon, & grew up Chamber of Commerce, Chairman of Patrons in Everett, WA where he attended high school. of South Sound Cultural Arts, was the first Bob graduated from WSU with a degree in President for the Washington Center for the mathematics & then began his career at IBM Performing Arts, Director of United Way of in Seattle. After moving to Olympia, he earned Thurston County, and Chairman of the YMCA his MBA from Pacific Lutheran University. In 1977 Capital Fund Campaign. 1962, Bob formed a data processing service company which later became U.S. Intelco In the realm of philanthropy, Bob's greatest Networks. After his retirement, Bob joined passion was his involvement in Rotary. He was the family in the ownership of a cruise travel deeply committed to the Rotary Foundation agency called Admiral of the Fleet Cruise and led several fundraising campaigns for that Centers with offices in Olympia, Bellevue, and cause. He served as President of the Rotary Lynnwood. Club of Olympia in 1981 and as President of the South Puget Sound Rotary Club in 1985, Bob is remembered by many in Thurston then was appointed District Governor District County for his involvement in and support 5020 in 2000. Among his rewards for his of many local charities. He was a leader in service are the Citation of Meritorious Service several fundraising campaigns for Providence from Rotary International and 2018 Rotarian St. Peter Hospital Foundation and even earned of the Year from South Puget Sound Rotary the nickname "Ten Million Dollar Man" when Club. he insisted that a goal of $5 million was not high enough and actually managed to raise Bob’s son, Dave, current President Elect, his higher goal of $10 million. He played a and his granddaughter, Yumi Schade, are 14 | DISTRICT/INTERNATIONAL NEWS | UD5020 UD5020 | DISTRICT/INTERNATIONAL NEWS | 15 both members of South Puget Sound Rotary. guy who sounded enthusiastic and genuine “Bob was one of my mentors, both in “Bob had an uncanny way of making each Rumor has it that this was the first father, son with a believable message. That was DG Rotary and in business. His care and of us always think of the Rotary work we & grandchild club in District 5020. Bob: an excellent leader, so able to relate to insightfulness were something we can all did as “doing good in the world”, always everyone and committed to Rotary.” learn from.” pushing us to do just a little bit more, just Bob was an enthusiastic hiker, bike rider, tennis a little bit longer, just a little bit harder, & golf player in addition to his philanthropic PDG Norm Watts 2007-08 Treacy Duerfeldt, Capital Centennial without ever really saying those words. He pursuits. One of the big life lessons he passed Rotary was an avid supporter of all things Rotary down to his family was the importance of a “My first real interaction with Bob was and certainly was one of the most ardent firm handshake, attested to not only by his on 9/11. I was relatively new to the club, “To our dear Rotary friend, Bob, Our participants in every project, conference, family but his Rotary friends as well. Bob lived a red badge, and we had both volunteered memories of you are many and favorable. fundraiser, Board meeting or Club meeting. the 4-Way Test in every aspect of his life & was to work on a “Rotary House” for Habitat You helped charter a new Club, helped Bob’s passing left a hole that we all feel will firm about the need for it to be recited at every for Humanity. Even with the confusion organize a significant annual fundraiser, be impossible to fill. He certainly was ‘Mr. Rotary event. surrounding that morning, it was clear that enabled the District to writ its Rotary Rotary’.” Bob was no stranger to Rotary projects. history from the information you provide, Some of Bob’s Rotary friends made the Over the years, I came to view Bob as the and inspired so many other members to be Marnee Obendorf, Gateway Rotary following remarks upon hearing of his passing: ultimate Rotarian. It was a huge part of his good Rotarians and community citizens. life.” You were always coming up with inventive "I was first acquainted with the Lovely “Bob’s very first meeting as the District ideas on how to better promote and fund family soon after I arrived in Olympia. The Governor in 2000 was in Parksville on the Bob Perry, Past President, South Puget Rotary projects, and they were always family was just completing the construction Island and I was the Assistant Governor Sound Rotary successful. We remember how kind and of their new home in Holiday Hills and I had on duty to introduce Bob. It was a big friendly you were to everyone you met. You a job with Bennett & Johnson Architects club and a noisy club in the sense that “I’m not sure I can find words to say what even pushed a reluctant Rotarian to stretch who designed the home for them. Bob the President was a very upbeat guy who loss I feel with Bob being gone. He was a himself and become District Governor. already started Allied Data in the basement stimulated a good deal of chatter and a person who saw things in people that they of one of the buildings in Panorama City. few “shenanigans” as well. Sometimes didn’t see in themselves and he helped Your accomplishments will not be forgotten members do not appreciate the uniqueness them realize what was possible. I will miss and your legacy will continue. My first Rotary experience with Bob was of the DG’s annual visit, and I worried him.” the Rotary District Conference here in that DG Lovely’s visit would get derailed. PDG Bill McCarthy & Karen, 2003- Olympia shortly after I became a member But as soon as Bob got underway with his Joe Kinerk, South Puget Sound Rotary 04, Rotary E-Club of District 5020 & of the West Olympia Club. Bob was on the address, Rotarians settled to hear from a Tumwater Rotary committee as an Olympia Rotarian, but 16 | DISTRICT/INTERNATIONAL NEWS | UD5020 UD5020 | DISTRICT/INTERNATIONAL NEWS | 17 Gil Olson was Chair of the Committee and its fundraising programs. I was his right- hand assistant. About that same time, Bob and I were both members As a District Governor he had one of the of the Olympia Chamber of Commerce. best District Conventions I have attended. A POEM FOR BOB It was late May and at the Whistler BC Bob also taught me a number of things Conference Center. Members joining our We recently lost a friend named Bob about The Rotary Foundation in the early club after Bob was District Governor might Who never turned down a tough job years of the Area Foundation Dinner. I not realize he held that leadership position Husband, father, serial entrepreneur, chief spent about fifteen years chairing that because he never made a point of it. Skookum*, Bookies** .. we’re all in deep grief committee and could always count on Bob to keep the process in order as he stood in He challenged all of us to set higher goals the background and observed. than we ever thought we could achieve. Bob Sports at the Valley will not be the same was the expert at the "ask". He brought Golf, tennis, pickleball - whatever the game I became a member of Rotary when in more new members than any other There was Bob with a smile for all attendance was part of the agenda. I took Rotarian. Winter, spring, summer and fall advantage of that and did a lot of local club visits. I met a great number of super Bob was a "big picture" guy and also a good people just for my own advantage as very detail-oriented guy as exhibited by all When Razor Clam season reached its crest a young architect at that time and many of the roles he played in our annual dinner/ You’d see Bob Lovely at his very best them helped me out in my field of work. Bob auction fundraiser that was grossing well Pounding the sand, arm in the hole just happened to be one of them. Bob was over $100,000 in recent years. Reaching his limit in record time - his goal just a great fellow to know in everything and every place one would see him." Bob consistently supported Rotary with his time, money, networking, leadership and “S- P- E- C- I- A- L” - ALL CAPS – FULL STOP Steve Massini, West Olympia Rotary mentoring. I expected Bob to be leading That Lovely friend that’s hard to top the way for many more years to come and We needed you then, but now even more "Having been in Rotary with Bob for over we will miss him in countless ways." Your advice from heaven our country restore. 30 years, one of my first impressions was how very strongly Bob supported and Gary Bankers, South Puget Sound RIP by Paul Capra, Friend of Bob Lovely promoted Rotary International and all of Rotary 18 | DISTRICT/INTERNATIONAL NEWS | UD5020 UD5020 | DISTRICT/INTERNATIONAL NEWS | 19

HAVE YOU JOINED THE ROTARY BUSINESS DIRECTORY? HTTPS://WWW.GNWROTARYNETWORK.COM 20 | DISTRICT/INTERNATIONAL NEWS | UD5020 UD5020 | DISTRICT/INTERNATIONAL NEWS | 21 ROTARY OPENS OPPORTUNITIES PERSONAL GROWTH AND motto, “Service Above Self” is about DEVELOPMENT volunteering our time and talents to help BY MARILYN HOPPEN others. Like District 5020, it is no secret that make a positive difference and connect with Rotary provides its members the around the world Rotary membership has others in our communities throughout the opportunity to develop personality, social FUN AND ENTERTAINMENT remained the same for the past five years. world. skills, and people skills. Rotary helps At about 1.2 million members, each year people enjoy being with other people. Everything about Rotary is fun. Meetings Rotary loses about as many members as we To assist you with the recruitment of are fun and even Zoom meetings are fun. recruit. We retain about 92 to 93 percent of Rotarians, here’s a short list of some reasons Rotary membership is a great way to Club projects and service are fun. Social our membership. This is the year for all of to join Rotary. develop one’s leadership skills. Rotary is activities are fun. us to focus on growing Rotary. During this an organization of leaders and successful pandemic people are increasingly looking FRIENDSHIP AND NETWORKING people. Serving in a Rotary leadership Rotary provides members numerous for ways to connect with others. Rotary position is an opportunity to learn how entertainment opportunities that membership is the perfect way to do this. Rotary began in 1905 for friendship to motivate, influence, and lead others. provide a positive way to celebrate life and networking. Founder Paul Harris Also, Rotary is an effective way to practice and connect with others. Rotary club In my professional life, I am a HR Director, recognized that one of the most basic and perfect public speaking skills. socials and fundraising events are always so I understand the importance of people in needs in this increasingly complex world entertaining, as are district conferences, defining the success of any organization, and is the need for friendship and fellowship. THE OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE conventions, assemblies and institutes it is clear that it is our members who define This is even truer today as we navigate that provide entertainment, in addition the success of Rotary. At work, I tell my the COVID-19 pandemic. So many people The best reason to become a Rotarian to Rotary information, education, and employees that they are my best recruiters; are dealing with isolation fatigue and are is the opportunity to do something service. this is also true of members in our Rotary hungry to connect with others. While we for somebody else and experience the clubs. The future of Rotary depends on you, may not be meeting in person, connecting satisfaction of service. Rotarians are Rotary can grow today, even in a pandemic. our members, sharing the many benefits of virtually with others is a great way to typically some of the most active citizens After the pandemic of 1918, Rotary experienced Rotary membership with others. satisfy this important need. in any community. Being a Rotarian is its first great membership expansion. Then a great way to provide service to others, and now, Rotary opens opportunities. It’s This is the year to let others know that “Rotary Also, everyone needs to network not only in one’s local community, but time to grow today, and in the near future, as Opens Opportunities.” According to RI with other professionals in order to to people in need throughout the world. the pandemic recedes, Rotary will grow much, President, Holger Knaack, “Rotary is not just successfully grow and development their Rotary is a service club. Its business is much more. Let’s foster connection, networking a club you join, it is an invitation to endless businesses. Rotarians have always helped mankind. Its product is service. Rotary’s and membership growth. Let’s get ready. possibilities.” Rotary opens opportunities to other Rotarians. 22 | DISTRICT/INTERNATIONAL NEWS | UD5020 UD5020 | DISTRICT/INTERNATIONAL NEWS | 23

BIG WEST ROTARY INSTITUTE BY LORNA CURTIS

Fabulous Speakers including Rick and participate in events that would normally Steves and Steve Farbar be more difficult to attend due to cost and time commitment. Rotary International Senior Leaders - Special Sessions One of these events available to you is the BIG WEST ROTARY INSTITUTE which was to Rotary Fellowships - Top Gov Lounge - be held in San Diego but is now going to be Class Reunion Parties - Rotaract Forum offered virtually to Rotarians in 25 different districts throughout Canada and the USA. House of Friendship - District Celebration Parties - Senior Leader It is an opportunity to view our Rotary world Dinner through the lens of change, focusing on new ideas, new perspectives and new ways of doing District Showcase - Rotaract Happy things, with the ultimate goal of strengthening Hour - Top Gov Gala Rotary leadership which in turn will strengthen our clubs and Grow Rotary. This is a chance to There are few benefits to the current pandemic connect with each other, so look forward to a but one is the ability to connect with each other myriad of fun and friendship events. 24 | DISTRICT/INTERNATIONAL NEWS | UD5020 UD5020 | DISTRICT/INTERNATIONAL NEWS | 25 WHAT IS A ROTARY INSTITUTE? Cost is only a nominal fee of $49 USD for Leader Forum, then meet Steve Farber for • Positive Peace Workshop Rotarians and $30 USD for Rotaractors and Q&A. • Rotaract Forums The Rotary Institute traditionally has been guests. • Servant Leadership an opportunity for past, present, and future Afternoon – Fellowship, Special Session • Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Rotary District leadership to receive training To register https://www. Opportunities, visit the Friendship Lounge • Council on Legislation idea and inspiration, share ideas, and engage in ismyrotaryclub.org/register4/index. or go to your Class Reunion online Party! exchange fellowship. The Institute is now open to all cfm?EventID=77494273&NoCaptcha • Facilitation Skills Rotarians, Rotaractors and guests. SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 14TH: • Big West Think Tank – SCHEDULE AT A GLANCE Membership/Foundation/Public WHAT IS A VIRTUAL INSTITUTE? Start the morning with the Rotaract Image THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 12: Legislative Assemblya • Rotary Youth Program Insights A virtual institute is similar to an in-person Institute but online instead! Registrants are 9am PST - Opening General Session #1 4pm PST- General Session #3 LIVE on Sample of Thursday and Friday afternoon able to attend as few or as many of the sessions Zoom Top Gov Gala featuring 2021-2022 Fellowship opportunities you can look as they desire. Rotary International President Holger District Governors with special guest forward to: Knaack and travel legend Rick Steves. Rotary International President Elect • Wine Appreciation WHAT TYPE OF ACTIVITIES WILL BE Shekhar Mehta • Quilting and Fiber INCLUDED? 10:30am PST Plenary Session #1 - New • Photographers Clubs, then coffee with Rick Steves. Saturday evening enjoy the Big West • Public Health The Institute will feature inspirational Rotaract Happy Hour and Top Gov Gala • Caravanning presenters both from within and outside Afternoon – Fellowship and Special Celebration Parties for each District. • BREW – Beers Rotarians Enjoy of Rotary, and will include relevant and Session Opportunities (see below) Worldwide thought-provoking topics, plus top-notch Sample of Thursday and Friday afternoon • Wellness and Fitness entertainment to enhance your Institute FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 13TH: Special Session opportunities: to • Computer Users experience. There will also be special training participate in: sessions for many Rotary topics that are always 9am PST - General Session #2 Rotary • Rotary-Rotaract Partnerships Join us for inspiration, education and fun at evolving (especially during the pandemic). Foundation Trustee Geeta Manek and • Creating Impactful Events the Big West Rotary Virtual Institute There will be fellowship activities, a House of leadership guru Steve Farber • Public Speaking/Toastmasters Friendship, and group sessions for the various • Big West District Best Practices Come experience one of the best virtual Rotary categories of leadership attendees. 10:30am PST Plenary Session #2- Senior and Innovation events of the year! WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE IN THE DISTRICT MAGAZINE? Membership articles? Foundation articles? Youth Exchange articles? Please ask your District Leaders to submit articles. 28 | NEWS | UD5020 UD5020 | NEWS | 29

THE DENNY WILFORD FOUNDATION – “JUST 2 DROPS” BY LONNA CALAS Polio is a grim disease. It is highly contagious, can cause death and lifelong paralysis and (surprise!) it can return to its host years later in the form of Post-Polio Syndrome. There is no cure, but there are treatments available and there exists a successful vaccine for prevention.... 30 | NEWS | UD5020 UD5020 | NEWS | 31 “JOIN ROTARY” basic surgery and post-surgery rehabilitation services. He saw crippled children trying Denny Wilford had polio as a child. He was vainly to play with other children… fortunate enough to receive treatment early in life, but he carries the disease’s effects with JUST TWO DROPS him to this day. In Denny’s Words: “My logo, ‘Just 2 Drops’ When he retired in 2004 (he was a Nuclear depicts the two drops of polio vaccine that it Engineer & Health Physicist), he wanted to takes to prevent one child from contracting follow his passion in life and help eradicate polio. Just 2 Drops, one child at a time, Polio around the globe. and we will eradicate polio from the world.” In time prevention was not the only service His advice from then-retired WA State District Denny had his eye on. As a sufferer of polio, Attorney Ralph Munro was two words:” Join he knew that life could be better for those who Rotary.” And that is just what he did. He had this life-long paralysis. joined The Rotary Club of Gig Harbor Midday, but he was not content to simply write an Basic surgery followed by physical therapy was annual check. Denny wanted to roll up his needed in Ethiopia. He visited the Cheshire sleeves and work. Post-Surgery Rehabilitation Center in Menagesda, Ethiopia, where he saw the rehab Through Rotary, he teamed up with Ezra “equipment,” which consisted of a ladder on Teshome (past District 5030 Governor) to the ground and a set of parallel bars. That’s travel to Ethiopia as part of the Global Polio when he decided to call the IRS and set up the Eradication Initiative. Denny Wilford Foundation “Just 2 Drops”.

Denny’s first trip to Ethiopia was alarming It was also at this time that he began to to him. It opened a door to another world. look into grants available from Rotary He saw for himself how many victims of polio International to help set up a modern surgical had to crawl on the ground and beg, with no and rehabilitation center with the Cheshire hope of a different life. He saw a need for Center. Denny credits Joe Urvina (then 32 | NEWS | UD5020 UD5020 | NEWS | 33 Rotary Club of Gig Harbor Midday President) lifetime experience for many of these crippled for helping him procure a $65,000 grant from children.” Rotary International in 2014 to equip and build surgical areas and a hydrotherapy pool FREIDIS DISABILITY CENTER, facility at the Cheshire House. UGANDA

“Today at Cheshire House, children suffering With success in Ethiopia, Denny has extended from polio are given post-surgery physical his efforts into Uganda, with the help of Ben therapy. Abe (past president of University District Rotary, Seattle). His current focus is The Through the help of Rotarians and others, Freidis Disability Center in Lira, Uganda. we have built a state-of-the-art hydrotherapy facility. Since its dedication in 2015, it has In the wake of a recent 22-year war, Uganda has greatly assisted in the physical rehabilitation been in need of basic humanitarian services. In of several hundred victims of polio and other August 2018, the Foundation’s first container maladies.” of hospital equipment was delivered to Freidis. Local and National Ugandan officials have Laurene Lund was lucky enough to acknowledged that this has greatly improved spend 3 weeks in Ethiopia in 2008 with medical services in the area. Each year the Rotary International and Denny Wilford, Foundation continues to ship a container full administering the 2 drops of vaccine to tiny of donated surgical equipment, wheelchairs, children and observing the medical work walkers, clothing, soap, and hygiene supplies. being done at the Cheshire House. “It was my The latest shipment included 12 pallet loads first time in Africa, my first time in athird of soap (that’s 2,500 bars) and some popular world country, and my first time witnessing soccer balls - just for fun. how people in the world who have so little often wish for nothing more. I appreciated This Center is free to patients, funded by watching Denny at Cheshire House play soccer Denny’s Foundation, the Freidis Day Care with the kids, hand out gifts, and sit in the Elementary School, and Teachers’ College and sun and chat with them. It was a once in a people like you. 34 | NEWS | UD5020 UD5020 | NEWS | 35 Denny credits his success in Uganda to the DID YOU KNOW? connections he has made and maintains in the country, to his partner, Cara Lee (who • Like a horror movie - during the first half supports and accompanies him), and to of the 20th century, the poliovirus arrived the generous Gig Harbor area donors (like each summer, striking without warning, Cottesmore Nursing Home, The Providence crippling and killing children, and no one Hospital Mission Warehouse, his Midday knew where it came from. There was no Rotary Club and its members, and many other cure. individuals). • In 1953 the number of polio cases in the BILL AND MELINDA GATES US peaked at 57,879, resulting in 3,145 FOUNDATION deaths. It would cause 15,000 cases of paralysis that year alone. In October 2019, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and The Rotary Club of Seattle • After the discovery of a vaccine by Jonas sponsored a World Polio Day event in Seattle. Salk at the University of Pennsylvania, In this gathering of over 150 notable people, over 400 million doses were distributed Denny was selected for the honor of presenting between 1955 and 1962, reducing cases in his history with Polio and his Foundation’s on- the USA by 90%. going activities in Africa to better the lives of others. • For 30 years, Rotary International has teamed with the Gates Foundation, the As Laurene Lund put it, “I am forever grateful World Health Organization, and UNICEF to have made the pilgrimage to Ethiopia. to eradicate polio worldwide, forming But my contribution on my short visit pales the Global Polio Eradication Initiative alongside the steadfast, courageous, and (GPEI). dedicated work Denny Wilford has done and continues to do. He epitomizes the Rotary • In 2019, Rotary donated $100 million US moral code in everything he thinks, says, and Dollars in grants to support the GPEI in does. I am proud to call him, my friend.” eradicating this disease. 36 | NEWS | UD5020 UD5020 | NEWS | 37 WE ARE MAKING HISTORY BY CALEB SUMMERFELT It is hard to keep exciting news contained. As details of his most recent National Immunization everyone knows, we have a once in a lifetime event Day trip. We will then have speaker introductions planned with a level of speakers that are hard to with an open floor question and answer session, find, not to mention at a small District event. which is a rare opportunity to ask any Rotary or Polio-related questions you might have. Please Anil Puri (D5020 AG and Polio Team Leader), join us! Ann Lee Hussey (Executive Director, Polio Survivors Rotarian Action Group), John Germ Rotary members in District 5020 are taking (Past Rotary International President), Johrita action, virtually, on October 17th, 2020, to raise Solari (Rotary International Vice President), and awareness, funds, and support to end polio, a the most recent addition, Michael McGovern the vaccine-preventable disease that still threatens Rotary International Chair of the International children in parts of the world today. Please join PolioPlus Committee, will be joining the event. us. To learn more, please visit www.justtwodrops. com With this exciting opportunity for our District, and with the level of speakers that we currently Rotary has committed to raising US$50 million have, we are excited to announce a format change each year to support global polio eradication for the event. efforts. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has pledged to match that 2-to-1 for a total yearly The event will open with Anil Puri talking about the contribution of $150 million. 38 | NEWS | UD5020 UD5020 | NEWS | 39

already off to a flying start. By early August, no matter what. there have already been a record-high of nine named storms, including two hurricanes. The Recently, ShelterBox has been able to support NOAA is forecasting 19 to 25 named storms, families in the Philippines who are recovering with between 7 and 11 hurricanes, and 3 to from Typhoon Vongfong. The only difference 6 major hurricanes. We can remember how between typhoons hurricanes is the location devastating the hurricane season was in 2017, where they form. Heavy rains and wind-speeds particularly in the Caribbean. Rotary Clubs of up to 165km/h caused extensive damage helped us prepare and we were able to respond and destroyed thousands of homes across quickly after Hurricanes Irma and Maria swept the islands. But thanks to Rotary Clubs and through the area, leaving significant destruction Rotarians around the world, ShelterBox was behind. prepared to help!

Thanks to our global network of supporters Aid was delivered to 1,000 families in the Oras like you, we’re always ready and on standby, and Arteche municipalities, regions where monitoring weather events using a number of no other shelter support was being provided. alert systems. Families, such as Rodante and Nalcie’s in the photo above, have been given the tools they There are always challenges when responding need to start rebuilding their homes, and move 20 YEARS OF PREPAREDNESS: HURRICANE to devastating hurricanes. This year, however, out of congested evacuation centres, providing the challenges are very different. The the ability to isolate as COVID-19 still spreads. SEASON IS HERE coronavirus pandemic means that it will be BY ALLISON KINGSTON more challenging for response teams to travel ShelterBox responds to Hurricanes, Cyclones, 2020 has been a year like no other. While Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) has to hurricane-hit countries. But our links with and Typhoons all over the world, and being coronavirus continues to spread around the already recorded more powerful named storms local partners and Rotary worldwide means prepared for when they world, extreme weather events are now lurking than average since the start of the season. we can provide aid in new ways that keep as well. families safe. This combined with our storage strike is the first step. Challenge yourself and But what does an extremely active hurricane of pre-positioned aid in strategic locations those in your club to help us prepare for our This year’s Atlantic Basin hurricane season is season look like in practice? The 2020 hurricane globally, means we are still able to get shelter hurricane responses before they strike. Learn more active than usual. The NOAA (National season, which runs from June to November, is to families who are in a vulnerable position – more at: www.shelterBoxCanada.org/challenge 40 | NEWS | UD5020 UD5020 | NEWS | 41 DROP INTO THE DREAM BY KEVIN GLEIM Save the date, November 13, for “Drop into the Dream” golf ball drop to benefit Loikaw Myanmar new YMCA which will include a Community clinic, Early childhood development learning center, language center and vocational training.

The Rotary Club of Central Yangon is partnering at the local level. Golf balls will be purchased and numbered to correspond with the purchaser.

Balls will be dropped from a helicopter like the one pictured. Request has been submitted to the National Guard asking to allow Kevin Gleim’s son Nick a CW3 and crew to make the drop using the UH-60 Blackhawk. The closest balls win cash or other prizes. The furthest away ball wins too. Sponsors are welcome so please pass this along.

Several of the Rotary clubs of Pierce County will be participating as will YMCA of Pierce and Kitsap Counties. Ball price is $20 and the drop will take place at The American Lake Veterans Golf Course in Lakewood WA 10am.

For more information and ticket purchase:

Please email [email protected] Or call (253) 840-4414 42 | NEWS | UD5020 UD5020 | NEWS | 43

TWIN CITIES ROTARY RALLIES COMMUNITY SUPPORT FOR LOCAL RESTAURANTS BY CATHERINE CLEVELAND The onset of COVID-19 brought uncertainty We began this program in May 2020 and ran and economic hardship to Lewis County. it through August 2020, and it was a win-win. It gave the restaurant of choice a $250 to $500 Perhaps no industry was harder hit than our cash advance that they got to keep whether the locally owned eateries. With the switch from coupons were redeemed or not. From there, dine-in to take-out, followed by limited dine- we encouraged the community to swarm the in options, many restaurants lost around 70 chosen restaurant on that day. Our goal was percent of their profits. that these two combined efforts would give the restaurant increased business and help raise Our club, Twin Cities Rotary, saw this need and awareness. rose to the challenge. We dedicated ourselves to supporting a different local restaurant every In total, we supported 14 restaurants. Word week. from every restaurant was that the day we supported them they got more business than Each Wednesday, Rotary members ordered they had been getting. Not only that, but the from that week’s featured restaurant. We also coupons we gave out got heavy use as well. encouraged the community to do so as well. While we are not doing the program anymore, In addition to supporting these local businesses, we raised awareness within the community our club realized we could use the project to and our club of the need to support local support those who were struggling. We decided restaurants. Almost no restaurants shut down to purchase between 25 to 50 $10 coupons each within the Centralia/Chehalis area, and that is week, which were then given to local seniors or a huge accomplishment for our community at students in need. large. 44 | NEWS | UD5020 UD5020 | NEWS | 45 CUMBERLAND CENTENNIAL TACKLES FOOD INSECURITY IN CUMBERLAND BY DEBBIE LEMIRE Rotary Club of Cumberland Centennial President, Debbie Lemire, wanted her “President’s Project” to directly impact the community, be sustainable, and one that the whole Club could have a “hands-on” experience. Struggling with this – one day, she received a call from a member about a project. That member, Kathy Stevens, regularly visits family members in Kamloops. As soon as she heard from Kathy about this project, President Debbie knew – Literacy Director Leslie Baird explains collection route to this was it! She contacted Kamloops Rotary Foundation Director Keith Tatton. In the background is Membership Director Caroline Bradfield. Club to ask about their project and how it was implemented. President Debbie asked Kathy to subsidized meals. The broader community co-chair the project and the rest, as they say, is also faced food insecurity due to loss of income history. and other circumstances. Cumberland Food Share is helping to make sure that everyone On Saturday, September 19th, the Rotary Club in our community has healthy, fresh food on of Cumberland Centennial held their first FOOD their plates and the Rotary Club of Cumberland DRIVE to support Cumberland Food Share. Centennial is onboard with the plan. Rotarians drove the streets in Cumberland, picking up donations left by generous citizens, The Rotary Club of Cumberland Centennial’s and a few days before, the Club was generously plan is to make this FOOD DRIVE a semi-annual donated 20 bags of groceries from a local grocers. event in the fall and the spring. Now, more than ever, our communities need Rotary members to When schools closed due to the COVID-19 support them, and we feel it is our responsibility pandemic, 51 students lost access to regular to step up and serve those in need. 46 | NEWS | UD5020 UD5020 | NEWS | 47 POWER OF ONLINE FUNDRAISING: GOLF BALL DROP SUCCESS BY KATIE COARD The arrival of COVID has meant for many of We created a clearly branded website, provided us that our yearly fundraisers were cancelled. all necessary information, had a clear way to The Rotary Club of West Shore was no different contact us, and allowed payments to be made with the cancellation of our main fundraiser, safely, quickly online. We also bought a clear Lobsterfest. So our club brainstormed for a URL to use rotarygolfballdrop.ca. This helped solution to fundraising in the time of a global with branding our event and was an easy URL pandemic. We decided a Golf Ball Drop was the for people to remember and share, especially answer! The Golf Ball Drop could be an event when the event was being promoted on TV. where people could buy tickets online and watch live from home. Social media was another powerful tool we used. We created a Facebook event and made sure to Each ticket cost $5 and secured the buyer one post regularly on our Facebook page. We created numbered golf ball. vibrant imagery that was designed to engage people with the fundraiser. We also made use Suspended 40 feet above three separate targets, of boomerang videos and gifs to get people’s up to 4000 numbered golf balls are released attention. We encouraged members to share and in our sales more than doubling overnight. We of 3,954. This really showed us the power of dramatically. Closest to each of the three golf interact with posts as much as possible. Due to also had local TV filming and the local gazette social media and media coverage in the success flags wins the respective target cash prize. We Covid-19, we asked people not to attend the Golf at the event on the day. The golf ball drop was of a fundraiser, especially one organised at last had 3 prizes available: $500, $1,000 and $3,000. Ball Drop in person; instead, we live-streamed then featured on The Upside show on the local 5 minute due to a global pandemic. The event the event on our Facebook page. Live streaming o'clock news later in the day. This was amazing raised $15,000+, money that we plan to disperse As we couldn’t sell tickets in person, we is a great way for people to watch and take part coverage of not only the event but for the club as to various community organizations that need focused our efforts on having an easy to use from the comfort of their home. a whole. It really showed Rotarians as people of support through the COVID-19 pandemic. website (http://rotarygolfballdrop.ca/), vibrant action who are out in their community, making social media (https://www.facebook.com/ Our event was featured weekly in our local a difference. We are proud of how every club member got WestShoreRotary), reaching out to personal gazette and as well as featured on local TV. In behind this event and embraced a new way of contacts, and utilising the power of local media. fact, one night of coverage on local TV resulted We had 4,000 golf balls to sell and sold a total fundraising. 48 | NEWS | UD5020 UD5020 | NEWS | 49 CELEBRATE OYSTERFEST 2020! BY TERI KING In 1982, Skookum Rotary Club held its first and joins other community icons that rotate West Coast Oyster Shucking Championship through the location – Santa and Paul and Washington State Seafood Festival Bunyan.. We also have a fabulous line up of lovingly referred to as OysterFest. OysterFest activities on our social media and OysterFest. was designed to promote the shellfish org website for the entire month of October industry in Mason County, help local not for with special activities on October 2-3! profit organizations raise funds, promote clean water, and promote tourism in Mason If you have ever been to OysterFest, please County. drop by and share a fond memory, a favorite festival food, and join in the merriment. Since then, every year, the first full weekend in October, we have hosted OysterFest to the Finally, even though we can’t gather this delight of thousands of guests who gather year, another thing that isn’t different is that with us to celebrate. Obviously, this year we are establishing an opportunity to allow things are different due to the pandemic. our OysterFest guests to contribute. The We won’t be able to bring everyone together; generosity of OysterFest patrons and guests however, that doesn’t mean the important over the years has been amazing. spirit of OysterFest won’t be celebrated. So, we would like to ask you to prepare your The Celebrate OysterFest committee has favorite OysterFest menu items at home (we Skookum Rotarians Phil Grigg, been hard at work behind the scenes with our also have recipes available at OysterFest.org), (Grand Old Oyster 2020) left and community partners and sponsors to create get into an OysterFest frame of mind, pour Jill Himlie, Grand Old Oyster 2019) right celebrate the placement of a special pandemic version of the event. We a glass of your favorite beverage, and make the newly commissioned 32 foot started by commissioning a 32 foot larger a contribution in the spirit of this tradition! tall Oysterman at the entrance to the City of Shelton. than life Oysterman at the entrance to the City These funds all go to help our neighbors here of Shelton on Highway 3 to greet all visitors in Mason County as well as other parts of the Photo credit Tyler Ramos, to our community. The commissioned piece world through Rotary International – just as Skookum Rotary was created by local artist Rachel Hansen the funds raised at our previous OysterFests. 50 | NEWS | UD5020 UD5020 | NEWS | 51 FUNDRAISING IN THE “NEW NORMAL” BY LINDSEY HOEDEL Sitting down to chair this year’s annual Barry Peters and Dave Bazowski, the Duck Dip fundraiser took on a whole Rotarians tasked with finding prizes. new meaning this year for chair Doug “We’ve got a great grand prize of $5000 Phyall, “we knew we were going to have cash, we’ve got stay & play golf packages, challenges, but we needed to find a fishing trips, wilderness excursions, way to persevere.” Enter RaffleNexus, BlackRock Resort accommodations, an online partner who specializes in we’ve really got something for everyone building websites for organizations to to adventure here in their backyard.” run fundraisers, highly recommended by the Sidney by the Sea Rotary Club. In addition to selling the tickets online, the Campbell River Daybreak Rotary “While not as exciting as the traditional has been setting up COVID-safe selling choosing of the rubber ducky, this was stations around Campbell River with a great solution where we could raise inspiration and guidance of the Terrace some funds for organizations that are club, even expanding to credit card sales really hurting in Campbell River this this year. year,” says Phyall. “While COVID has provided many RaffleNexus was able to get the website barriers, in true Rotary fashion, the live and allow for a quick facilitation of team has found a way to make it work to the gaming license. All happened while better serve this community, I’m so very the sponsorship committee worked proud,” beams President Don Huestis. tirelessly to find sponsors and gather prizes for the year’s draw. Tickets* are still available for this year’s Duck Dip Raffle at duckdip.ca. “The community has been outstanding *All ticket purchasers must be located in the between sponsoring and providing province of British Columbia at the time of prizes, they’ve really stepped up,” says purchase. 52 | NEWS | UD5020 UD5020 | NEWS | 53

Jeff Frankford Mike Haas Bashir El-Khalafawi Lynne Pearson ROTARY LEADERSHIP DURING A PANDEMIC challenge and their mission during the Cleaning Supplies in Parksville, a family upcoming year is to ensure that Rotary is still owned and operated business since 1996. He BY DIANA MATSUDA working for Oceanside. serves on the Parksville & District Chamber Like the entire world, Rotary is dealing with when the usual Rotary handshake is now a of Commerce Board as a Director and is in his a “new normal,” where old practises and “no-no” … how to attract new members when As a Rotarian for just 5 years, Jeff Frankford, second year of a 2-year term. traditions may no longer be acceptable. With face-to-face contact is limited, and projects President of the Rotary Club of Qualicum July 1 marking the annual transition of Rotary are curtailed … how to continue to raise Beach, is a relatively “new kid on the block”, Jeff sees the coming year as an opportunity officers, new leadership will now guide the money for humanitarian causes when many although he has been an active member taking to think locally, fostering the ideal of service Parksville and Qualicum Beach clubs through Rotary fundraisers have been cancelled …. on the tasks of Club Program Director, Co- to the community through such initiatives as uncharted territory in a year that will be like how to carry out community projects within chair of the Club’s Beer Festival fundraiser, sports programs for youth and the Backpack none other. restrictive guidelines … the list goes on. and a participant in the School District 69 program, feeding hungry kids, and promoting Backpack Program. better learning. And what a list of challenges they have to And so while much has changed, the new contend with … how to keep members engaged leaders in our communities are up to the Jeff and his wife, Tami, are owners of Island By comparison, Mike Haas, President of the 54 | NEWS | UD5020 UD5020 | NEWS | 55 Rotary Club of Qualicum Beach Sunrise, is 1994, Bashir was the Founding President of encompasses Vancouver Island and Western management positions and is Dean Emerita of a seasoned veteran, having served his first the newly formed Rotary Club of Parksville Washington State. Overseeing this massive the Edwards School of Business, University of presidential term in 2015-16. Fast forward AM. In 2020, Bashir reprises his role, district is a District Governor who is aided Saskatchewan. to 2020, and Mike is again at the helm, becoming the Club’s 26th president. by a number of Assistant Governors, one although in totally changed circumstances. of whom is a member of the Rotary Club of With a reputation of being “people of action”, In his words, “this term will definitely be a Bashir joined the Rotary Club of Ladysmith Parksville AM. Rotarians are nothing if not inventive, and our challenge with Covid-19 having us reign in in 1985. He moved to Parksville in 1988 and new Rotary leaders are ensuring that Oceanside our enthusiasm on so many projects.” joined the Rotary Club of Parksville, serving Lynne Pearson has taken on the post of Rotary clubs remain active, continuing to raise as President in 1992. In 1994 the Rotary Club Assistant Governor for Area 3, which includes money and support the community. Mike came to the Island from Alberta, where of Parksville AM was chartered. Bashir has six clubs: Parksville AM, Qualicum Beach, he spent 42 years working in the oil patch been active in a number of leadership roles Qualicum Beach Sunrise, Port Alberni, Port While most fundraisers have been cancelled, as a draftsman, before moving to Qualicum at the District level, including Assistant Alberni Arrowsmith, and Ucluelet. Rotarians continue to recycle cans and Beach in 2010. It was then he officially joined Governor in 2007-08. bottles and investigate the potential of online Rotary, and it has been a huge part of his life The role of the Assistant Governor is to bring fundraisers. Clubs continue to support local ever since. Bashir enjoyed a 40-year career in the information about decisions, activities, and organizations that have been devastated, as hospitality industry in Canada and the US, priorities in the District to Rotary Clubs in donations have fallen due to Covid-19. Mike’s goal this year is to keep his members including operating a Hotel Management the Area - and to bring information from focused on the objectives of Rotary and find Institute. After five years of retirement, he the Area clubs to the District level. The Coats For Kids, now in its 24th year, will resume projects that, although they may be smaller, returned to the workforce for 7 years and is Assistant Governor facilitates the exchange of in the fall, distributing warm winter outwear to will still have a significant impact in our now on his 3rd retirement. information and cooperation amongst clubs in those in need in the community. community and in other parts of the world. the Area and is the key support person from He also hopes “to bring our Clubs together Under Bashir’s leadership, Parksville AM Rotary to the clubs. While international “hands-on” projects, such to work collaboratively on larger projects Rotarians have resumed their clean-up as building houses in Mexico, have had to be that can benefit our local communities. effort on Little Mountain and have re-joined Lynne has been a Rotarian for 23 ½ years. shelved for the time being, Rotarians have been Remember, it’s all about ‘Doing good in the residents of the Shelly Park neighbourhood She became a member of the Rotary Club quick to pivot, reassigning these resources to world’.” who are gradually transforming their of Saskatoon in 1996 and transferred to the benefit local causes. community park. Rotary Club of Parksville AM in 2007. She was When it comes to longevity, Bashir El- President of the Club in 2011-12 and has been With enthusiastic leadership at the helm, Khalafawi is the clear frontrunner among the Oceanside’s three clubs are among 91 Rotary Chair of the Rotary Foundation since that time. Oceanside will soon discover the power of three presidents. Twenty-five years ago, in Clubs that make up District 5020, which Lynne has had an extensive career in senior Rotary during a pandemic! 56 | NEWS | UD5020 UD5020 | NEWS | 57 RIVER CLEAN-UP PROJECT EMPLOYED LOCALS BY MIKE HAAS Puerto Vallarta, where we have been active over the last 6-7 years, had their local Rotary INSTEAD OF PAYING THE Club reach out to the Strathcona VOLUNTEERS BY CASH OR CHEQUE, and Qualicum Beach Sunrise COUPONS WORTH“ A CERTAIN DOLLAR Clubs for help. VALUE THAT COULD BE REDEEMED Fearing the locals may resort to criminal acts such as theft As Covid-19’s frightening path to survive, an environmental swept” across the globe, areas project to clean-up the El Tuito with poor social infrastructure River, which had been severely such as Mexico were hardest hit polluted by a major flood last as jobs created by the tourism year, seemed like the perfect industry disappeared overnight. fit. As the Strathcona Club had Puerto Vallarta, just one of already used their opportunity of many tourist hotspots on the a District Community Grant on Pacific coast of Mexico, created another project, the Qualicum thousands of jobs for locals in Beach Sunrise Club made the the surrounding area. application for a DCG, and the two clubs partnered to create Suddenly locals who depended a River Clean-up Project to on this for their livelihood had employ locals so they could once no means to provide for their again feed their families. This families. The village of El Tuito, project would fall within the about 60 kilometers south of newly created 7th Area of Focus, 58 | NEWS | UD5020 UD5020 | NEWS | 59 ‘Protection of the Environment’; that were lost in last year’s flood in addition to Disease Prevention suddenly became visible. Old and Sanitation. mud-soaked mattresses, tires, kitchen appliances, furniture, Once the District approved the toys, and countless amounts project, the call for workers of plastic were bagged and went out, and within a few removed from the riverbanks. days, dozens of people showed up eager to earn some money By the time the project was over, to buy food for their families. an estimated 7 tons of waste had Work parties were organized been collected and removed into groups, and the rush was on from the river, and a lot of to get as much done as possible plastic that will never make its before the coming hurricane way to the ocean. season would once again be upon them. Instead of paying the volunteers by cash or cheque, coupons Good timing as the first worth a certain dollar value that hurricane arrived a week to could be redeemed at a local ten days after the project’s grocery store became the form of completion. payment. Flour or rice or milk, or fruit, whatever their need The work was hard, the was, these families will now be terrain was difficult, and able to carry on their lives. slugging through waist deep water at times or climbing up We would like to acknowledge embankments with little to hold the District Grant Approval onto except a clump of grass or Process for their compassion in a tree root made for long days. getting this project approved in Much of the household items record time. 60 | NEWS | UD5020 UD5020 | NEWS | 61 62 | NEWS | UD5020 UD5020 | NEWS | 63 64 | NEWS | UD5020 UD5020 | NEWS | 65 TWIN CITIES ROTARY LAUNCHES VEGETABLES IN A BUCKET PROGRAM BY CATHERINE CLEVELAND What is “Vegetables in a Bucket?” It is how our The Vegetable Bucket program hearkens club, Twin Cities Rotary, helped feed Lewis back to the Victory Gardens of WWII. Like County seniors in need. this important piece of our history, Vegetable Buckets helped alleviate hunger, relieved On May 23, seven of our Rotarians gathered COVID-related economic insecurity, cultivated to fill 100 five-gallon buckets with a mixture of self-sufficiency, and engaged seniors in an dirt and mulch. We planted each bucket with exciting new way. Moreover, the project shows tomato and strawberry starts, along with bean, that when we work together, there is no limit to pea, radish, and carrot seeds. what we can grow.

The first round of planting was completed in less than two hours, but more was yet to come. When Chehalis Walmart heard about the project, they pitched in several flats of tomato, lettuce, herb, zucchini and squash starts, along with dozens of seed packets, soil and fertilizer. With their strong community support and a second round of volunteer planting, the vegetable buckets promised a robust harvest for those in need.

We, along with the help of local company Twin Transit, cultivated the buckets through the end June. In early July, we distributed to local Photo credit: Dave Rubert. The planting team included Larry McGee and seniors, who benefited from their fresh produce his grandchildren: Sovanna Roberts and Ella McGee, Jakob McGhie and his wife Nicole Loffelmacher, Mike Crouse and his grandson Tyler Torres, the entirety of the summer. Dave Rubert, Michael Evinger, Jenni Swenson, and Dave Campbell. 66 | NEWS | UD5020 UD5020 | NEWS | 67 THANK YOU, GOVERNOR HORN Each of us almost takes for granted our ability to other assistance. Many Rotarians volunteer as read and write and master our choosing subjects. mentors. BY JEFF HARRIS That we do is not, however, as simple as that. Thank you, Governor Horn, for celebrating are currently 5 LFL in our community, the Each of us has benefited from caring parents, One benefit of the pandemic might just be that Basic Education and Literacy month in the latest sponsored by Marcia Harris, also a past a quality educational system, public libraries, it has given some more time to read and discuss September 5020 Newsletter. The Rotary Club president in the new Gateway park on the Key and many other resources. The Rotary Club of with others (via Zoom, of course) the important of Gig Harbor shares your views regarding the Peninsula. Additional LFLs will be added to our Gig Harbor also supports our locally run chapter questions of our day. Rotary is playing a very importance and value of education and literacy, community over time. of Communities in Schools (CIS). CIS seeks important role in supporting education and especially during these trying times as together to provide one on one help to those students literacy here in our community as you are doing we face the COVID 19 pandemic. On the international scene, the Rotary Club of who have difficulties learning to read, among in yours and worldwide. Thank you! Gig Harbor, along with the Floyd and Sandra The value of quality education not only for the Olson Foundation, have supported various individual but for our communities, nation, educational and literacy projects in Peru, and the world has never been more apparent. Nicaragua, Philippines, Guatemala, and other We clearly need to understand the dangers and nations. Those projects have ranged from the steps needed to overcome this challenge. providing computers, training, books, and This is true for all Rotarians and all the children support for facilities. Other Rotary clubs have - those in our communities and those in the joined this effort, including Tacoma 8. developing nations of the world. The most significant of these projects has been The Rotary Club of Gig Harbor has, is, and will our involvement in the World Possible Rachel continue to address the need for education and digital library program. This project, which literacy in both. At the very local level, the Gig is being lead currently by the Rotary Club of Harbor and Key Peninsula communities are Chatham, Ontario, is currently in year two and, benefiting from the Little Free Library (LFL) when completed, will provide both computers program. This nationwide program provides and the incredible content provided by World free books contained in a weatherproof display Possible to more than 10,000 students in some container, all built by Dick Vanberg, a past of the poorest areas of northwest Guatemala. president. The program was initiated by Linda This Global Grant was the first in Rotary, and Glein, who has now joined Rotary after many we are already planning a second in the Peten, years in a supportive Rotary spouse. There Guatemala area adjacent to Belize. 68 | NEWS | UD5020 UD5020 | NEWS | 69 GIG HARBOR MIDDAY SOUP & SANDWICH DRIVE BY CHERI JOHNSON A creative idea to help build club membership The club focused on the Soup & Sandwich during COVID restrictions led one club to an theme to encourage donations of healthy impactful service project and new potential protein items. The result far exceeded the Rotarians. Recognizing that people get goal, netting 5,000 cans/jars and over $1500 personal satisfaction from service through in donations. Cases of peanut butter, canned Rotary projects, the Rotary Club of Gig Harbor chicken, tuna, spam, and hearty chilis, stews, President-elect Lonna Calas collects food at a food drop off event. Midday launched a membership drive with and soups came in through club members’ a service focus; a Soup & Sandwich Drive to circles. A neighbor of president-elect Lonna benefit Hungry Kids. Calas was so inspired, he donated $200 from his foundation in her honor. A shopper at a local Each club member was asked to reach out to Fred Meyer store emptied all $70 in her wallet business associates, friends, colleagues, and to help. Many people remarked that it felt good family with a simple email message asking for to do something positive for kids and hunger a contribution of hearty-style canned meals, or during the COVID shutdown. All monies and high-protein cans of chicken, tuna, spam, etc food were distributed to two local food banks Food is readied for delivery to 3 local and Backpacks4Kids on the Key Peninsula. food banks. Over 5,000 items and Club President Gunda Meissner takes . The goal was set at 50 items per club member $2400 was collected in the Soup & cash donations at one of the food drop- off to reach 2500 cans. Along with this request, Club president Gunda Meissner said, “The Sandwich Food Drive. events. members were asked to tell the Rotary story food banks are under tremendous strain right been hit particularly hard during the COVID interest in Rotary,” said Cheri Johnson, and invite people to attend a Zoom Rotary now. The need is greater than the inventory, restriction. “Families are out of work, out of Membership Chair.” Having an opportunity meeting. Gig Harbor Midday also held three so our Soup & Sandwich Drive happened at a money and out of options,” stated a volunteer. to demonstrate Rotary service rather than just donation-drop events at local grocery stores, perfect time. Since most students are distance- “This food really helps.” talking about it was a big benefit. which created buzz and participation from the learning, the local Backpack4Kids is providing general community. Gig Harbor Timberland weekly bags of groceries to the families they The goal of increasing membership is also The community can see Rotary at work and Bank served as a central drop-off location and serve, an estimated 1,000 people a week!” The seeing success. “We have a list of people we understand the impact a club service project even invited bank customers to participate. Bischoff Food Bank on the Key Peninsula has met during this food drive who have expressed can have. 70 | NEWS | UD5020 UD5020 | NEWS | 71

Midday Rotary volunteers sort and load 5 truckloads of food items for delivery. (Left to Right) Jannae Mitton, Karen Hoven, Dan Wilson, Gunda Meissner, Cheri Johnson, Kellie Barnett, Dan Brown 72 | NEWS | UD5020 UD5020 | NEWS | 73

ROTARY CLUB BUILDS TRANSITIONAL TINY HOME RESIDENCES BY REBECCA SANCHEZ FOR THURSTONTALK.COM The power of volunteers is incredible. Thurston county charity groups, students and volunteers united in an effort to house the unhoused in the Olympia community. Lacey, Olympia and Gateway Rotary clubs, Community Youth Services’ Youth Build and the Olympia Union Gospel Mission partnered in a construction project and built five tiny new homes. 74 | NEWS | UD5020 UD5020 | NEWS | 75 Olympia Therapy LogoThe genesis of the electricity. These small homes were destined project was with an application submitted to for those without shelter in the community. local Rotary club members proposing the idea Funding ended up being enough to build five of building the tiny homes for the homeless. homes in all. Each year, Rotary clubs review such proposals requesting support. The Youth Build program The one room structures are about the size of with Community Youth Services proposed a small bedroom. A built-in bed lines the far the tiny home project and was selected as the wall under a bright window. A table and chair recipient of Rotary’s financial assistance. With sit under another window by the front door. funding from three different Rotary clubs and Olympia Union Gospel Mission’s Jackie Smith, matching funds from the Rotary district level, wife of Steve Smith OUGM’s pastor of Sunday Youth Build began their construction project at worship and chaplain of street ministries, the New Market Skills Center in Tumwater with is the lead volunteer preparing the interior a total of $21,000.00. In its twelfth year at New of the homes and bringing people into the Market, Youth Build is a program for students residences. Each dwelling will have a washable ranging from 16 to 20 learn construction trade mattress, underbed storage bins and a small and medical field skills while committing to table. Electricity runs a wall heater and lights. earn their GED or high school diploma. Blinds in the windows, a place to hang one’s hat and a door to close out the rain make it an The construction students gain job experience uplifting place to stay. and trade skills simultaneously and are able to see tangible results from their efforts. “There is Providing shelter for those without a home no way to quantify the pride that the students has been a consistent effort for the Mission. get from completing a project such as a home,” OUGM, a faith based community outreach, says Matt Newton, construction instructor serves those who are homeless or are in at New Market. Many of Newton’s students poverty by providing health, recovery and on the build had experienced homelessness meal programs. “Over the years, we at the themselves at one point in their lives. The Mission have encountered many men and plan was to build four small dwellings, each women who were yearning for a different life insulated, with a window, a front door and but were afraid to leave what was familiar, 76 | NEWS | UD5020 UD5020 | NEWS | 77 unsure of what they were seeking or how to individuals during the pandemic. A wonderful harness the resources to begin the journey thing about volunteers is that they love what of change,” Skip Steffens, volunteer on the they do and look for more ways to be involved. project shares. “It has been a dream of mine With many people brainstorming solutions, to create an island of refuge in the sea of chaos the idea of moving the tiny structures to the that is life on the street. A place where they are Mission’s downtown lot was born. “We were met with love and acceptance, but also a place thinking tents,” said Jackie Smith, “and where they are accountable for sobriety and God gave us houses.” With the structures behaviors acceptable in mainstream society. A relocated, volunteers stepped in to finish place that can act as a bridge to support them them. Many joined the effort including Rotary in finding directions in their lives and provide members from three different area clubs as the resources to start them on the journey to well as the Mission. Interior and exterior where their interests and God given potential finishing construction was completed on site. may take them. These tiny houses are that Furnishings and supplies have been and will island of refuge and Jackie Smith will provide be provided through donations to the Mission. the needed support and mentorship.” A small celebration unveiled the new homes. When COVID-19 closed schools, including New OUGM and Rotary volunteers attended, Youth Market and its building project, construction Build’s instructor and other those representing came to a halt. The houses were not quite city and county support services and public finished and next steps were unknown. Within office. Each home was open for viewing. the Rotary club, discussions began about how to Front doors were open, the blinds letting continue the project with pandemic distancing through sunlight. The transitional units are precautions. Logistical questions arose and the already expecting their first tenets and are a desire to complete the goal for those in need testament to the amazing feats that volunteer persisted. The first order of business was to organizations can accomplish. find a place to finish the houses. The Olympia Union Gospel Mission and the At the same time OUGM was seeking solutions new tiny homes are located at 413 Franklin for sheltering increasing numbers of homeless Street in Olympia. 78 | NEWS | UD5020 UD5020 | NEWS | 79

PROFOUND GRATITUDE BY JEFF FRANKFORD The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) date’s back to 1873 when the parliament of Canada sent 150 recruits West to Manitoba that was 147 years ago. Back then, they were known as the northwest mounted police, but on February 1, 1920, the Canadian act changed, and they became the Royal Canadian mounted police or RCMP.

The Rotary Club of Qualicum beach wanted to honour our local police force for the excellent work they do in our community and their dedication to their jobs and service above self. The RCMP, like Rotarians, are tireless fundraisers supporting such things as Cops for cancer, Cops for kids, and the RCMP foundations whose mandate is to give back to Canadian communities through a variety of charitable programs.

It was with profound gratitude and support that we honoured our local RCMP with the Paul Harris. 80 | NEWS | UD5020 UD5020 | NEWS | 81 DISASTER AID CANADA-WIDE GARAGE SALE BY GERRY BELTGENS Join the Disaster Aid Canada-Wide Garage Sale - ongoing projects including our Guatemala Famine Clear out your old stuff and get a tax receipt! and Covid-19 Relief program, Beirut Explosion Relief, rebuilding our relief supplies, and other Disaster Aid Canada has been impacted by the disaster relief programs as they happen. Pandemic. As World Wide Crises have increased, donations to nonprofits have dropped off. Our So talk to your friends, inspire your Club, set up a reserves are being stretched and there is no swap and shop, tailgate sale, cul de sac sale or just reduction in the need for Disaster Relief. sell that treasure on Used “Your Town Name" and help us continue to provide aid to those in need. We needed to find a way for our supporters to When you do please take a photo and post it on continue to help without adding to their financial facebook and tag @DisasterAidCanada. strain. Here is our idea: PDF Garage Sale Poster for a 100% donation: Hold a Garage Sale! - Each one of us has treasures https://tinyurl.com/y3fjhrg7 we no longer need or use. Between now and the end of the year, hold a Garage Sale, flog something PDF Garage Sale Poster for a 50% donation: on Craigslist or Kijiji, sell some books, your old https://tinyurl.com/nowjfu7 lawnmower or fishing gear to a neighbour. Then send a portion of your revenue as a donation to You can also download an information sheet our "Canada-Wide Garage Sale" appeal. You will about Disaster Aid Canada to have on hand at get rid of your old stuff and get a Canadian Tax your sale: https://tinyurl.com/y2r9o9hg Receipt from Disaster Aid Canada. We will hold one in our own community and will post photos Gerry Beltgens, Executive Director to our Facebook site. Disaster Aid Canada [email protected] Donations will be used to provide support to https://disasteraid.ca/ 82 | NEWS | UD5020 UD5020 | NEWS | 83 LACEY ROTARY DUCK DASH A FLYING SUCCESS BY KEVIN HAYWARD Lacey Rotary raised $69,140 in the 100% of this money to help local and 2020 Duck Dash raffle for local and international charitable organizations international charity projects. Due fund projects to make our community to Covid-19, the club could not host and the world a better place.” an in-person event, but that didn’t stop them from achieving a fantastic result. Raffle items are donated, so all Nearly 7,000 tickets – Ducks – were Duck Dash funds are distributed to sold for the drawing, and community worthwhile causes. Past recipients of members won two dozen great prizes, Duck Dash funds include Boys & Girls including $5,000 cash, a diamond Clubs of Thurston County, Lacey ring, and a vacation to Maui. Loves to Read, Homeless Backpacks, the Thurston County Food Bank, and President Kelly Golob praised the hard more! work of Lacey Rotary Club members to make the event a success, despite Nonprofit organizations can submit the challenging circumstances. applications to receive Duck Dash funding to club outreach director “I couldn’t be more proud of the Tony Barrett at tony.barrett1080@ incredible team effort that made this gmail.com year’s Duck Dash the most successful fundraiser in our club’s 50-year For more information about the history,” Kelly said. “The need in Duck Dash, contact Lacey Rotary our community is so huge, and we Club president Kelly Golob at kelly@ look forward to being able to use tumwaterchirocenter.com 84 | NEWS | UD5020 UD5020 | NEWS | 85

COVID-FRIENDLY ONLINE FUNDRAISERS: harbour with Joan and a few close friends. partnered with the University of Victoria, Faculty of Human and Social Development, to establish CHEERS FOR CHARITY We learned a few lessons – lighting, noise the daycare. The goal is to provide an innovative BY LINDA MURRAY interference (wind, seagulls, and floatplanes), child care program that meets the needs of Our Club’s focus is to provide support to all fundraiser, “Gins for Joan” back in July, which and the logistics of package delivery. parents and children who are or have experienced families in our community. We are a small Club raised $2,620 for End Polio Now. “Gins for interpersonal or structural violence or trauma. in Victoria that likes hand-on projects – difficult Joan” was a gin tasting event with Spinnakers We are planning to do a series of similar online Vancouver Island Brewing (represented by due to do during a pandemic. We organized two Brewpub, Canada’s oldest Gastropub, and an tasting events in partnership with Spinnakers, Dave Pearson and Brewer Danny) hosted the fun and successful online tasting events using Island pioneer in brewing craft beer. Spinnakers so stay tuned! tasting from their tasting room. We learned a Zoom and Eventbrite. provided a custom West Coast Tasting Package lot about beer, beer tasting, and food pairings. for event participants that included the gin, We hosted our second event, Cheers for Charity, We promoted the event through local print and We partnered with two local businesses that are mixers, and a West Coast-inspired canape in partnership with Vancouver Island Brewing online news media outlets and were able to also dedicated to giving back to the community sampler. in Victoria, raising $4,500 for the Little Phoenix support this very worthy, community-oriented – Spinnakers Brewpub and Guesthouses and Daycare, which is Canada’s first trauma- imitative. Vancouver Island Brewing. Owner/operator Paul Hadfield and his daughter informed childcare program. Kala (who is Spinnakers’ Gin Distiller) led Thanks to everyone who participated and Joan Peggs, our former Area 6 AG, allowed us the tasting event. We hosted the event from The Victoria Immigrant and Refugee Centre supported these great causes and please continue to leverage her birthday for our End Polio Now Spinnakers’ patio overlooking the Victoria Society and Family Services of Greater Victoria to support our local businesses. 86 | NEWS | UD5020 UD5020 | NEWS | 87 PROVIDING MEALS FOR THE HUNGRY IN NEPAL BY LEANNA CHRISTIAN Friday, September 18, 2020, was a great day to be a Rotarian from the Rotary Club of Lakewood. We had a special presentation from one of our newest members, Tom George. While Tom might be new to our Lakewood club, he is no stranger to Rotary. Tom was a charter member and past president of the Tacoma Sunset Rotary. We are so thankful that he has decided to join our club. His first presentation to the club came in response to a dire need in the world, specifically Nepal. As everyone around the world knows, humanity is facing an unprecedented pandemic crisis affecting the lives and livelihood of all. While the Nepal government and local non-profits are doing their best to help in these troubled times, Nepal does not have the required social service net to meet the needs of those who are hungry in their communities. In Nepal, as in other countries, many people have become jobless without any source of income that will enable them to satisfy their daily meal requirements. As a result, children and families are going hungry!

Tom paired up with Rose Stevens from our club as well as Rotarians from 9 clubs spanning 3 88 | NEWS | UD5020 UD5020 | NEWS | 89 districts. He shared about the project to provide Kathmandu started on September 19, 2020. On meals for 100,000 people for $33,000. That is this day alone, 700 people were fed in more than 33 cents per meal! The project is only made 6 locations with as many as 200 in one spot. 8 possible by partnering with existing programs Rotarians and Rotaractors gave 80 volunteer that have been providing meals since the hours to cook, pack, transport, and distribute lockdown of Nepal in March. President Mark the meals. Edgecomb shared that both Tom and Rose have committed to donations of $250 each Please join us in helping feed the hungry to the project and asked the club members to children, adults, and grandparents in Nepal. join in. He then opened the floor for the club to respond. Donation after donation came in from A donation of: generous club members. The tally was in with • US $100 will provide meals for 333 people over $2,750 from the club going to help feed • US $250 will provide meals for 833 people the hungry in Nepal. This will provide meals for • US $500 will provide meals for 1,667 people close to 10,000 people! Wow, what a response. • US $1,000 will provide meal for 3,333 people We know the work is never done, and support is still needed. There are many ways to support this need! Make a donation today at https://rotarycluboflakewood. The distribution of free meals in the streets of square.site/ 90 | NEWS | UD5020 UD5020 | NEWS | 91 92 | NEWS | UD5020 UD5020 | NEWS | 93 FORMER PRIME MINISTER ZOOMS INTO THE ROTARY CLUB BY MICHAEL RIBICIC In mid-March, when much of the world shut normally would be. down, the Rotary Club of Lantzville did not. We immediately started meeting on Zoom. When we came to that realization, we decided This was a new phenomenon for many of us to start looking for guest speakers that we in our club. would otherwise have no access to in a non- virtual world. We looked at various charities We have members in their 20’s-80’s, but we and foundations across Canada, and there was all did our best to adapt to this so-called “new one that stood out, the Martin Family Initiative normal.” In the first month or so, our format (MFI). MFI is an organization that focuses on was very different than what we were used to. working with Indigenous People to bring new Instead of starting our meetings at 7:00 a.m., approaches to the education and well-being of we were starting our meetings at 7:30, and their children. MFI was founded by Canada’s they were quite short. We did not have any 21st prime minister, the Rt. Hon. Paul Martin. speakers, and we did not fully know how we the Martin Family Initiative. is doing honourable work. Our club hopes to could really make this new situation “normal” We knew that asking a former prime minister help contribute one day in some way to his moving forward. to speak to our club, little Ol’ Lantzville, was Mr. Martin discussed his organization in great organization. a bit of a far stretch. However, we reached out detail and took the time to answer all of our However, once we had some time to adapt to the wonderful staff at the Martin Family questions. He also discussed his personal Mr. Martin joining us was a meeting our club and to accept our new reality, we started Initiative, and to our surprise, we heard back. experience with polio as a child and expressed members will never forget and is just one trying more and more to make our meetings After a month of some back and forth and his gratitude for Rotary. example of how we as Rotarians are doing our as normal as possible and brought back planning, we were delighted to be joined by best to make the best of things and, at times, having guest speakers. We had some speakers the Rt. Hon. Paul Martin, along with a few Mr. Martin seemed very happy to have had the making things even better than before. come in that usually would, and we were all other clubs in our area. When Mr. Martin opportunity to speak with all of us, and it was pretty happy about that. Everyone was still retired from politics, he knew that he wanted easy to feel relaxed with him on the call, just To learn more about the Martin Family able to come in and join us, if anything, guest to spend his time out of politics focused on like he was one of our fellow members. Mr. Initiative (MFI), check out their website: speakers were more available to us than they Indigenous education and, therefore, created Martin was very generous with his time and https://themfi.ca 94 | NEWS | UD5020 UD5020 | NEWS | 95

CELEBRATING 50 YEARS OF SERVICE 96 | FEATURE | UD5020 UD5020 | FEATURE | 97 CELEBRATING 50 YEARS OF SERVICE BY GERRY BELTGENS 2020 has been an interesting year, to say the least. While it was initially a challenge to adapt to the new reality, the Club of Ladysmith has risen to the WE ARE VERY EXCITED TO BE occasion and is continuing to work on WORKING ON THIS PROJECT projects and support the community. “ WITH THE OTHER SERVICE In 2018 the Rotary Club of Ladysmith CLUBS AND NONPROFITS teamed up with the Service Clubs of Ladysmith and with the Mid Island Soccer Club to create an “all-access” walking trail around the ” Forrest Field Soccer pitch. The project has been in the works for nearly 2 years, with fundraising projects, planning, and approvals completed by late 2019. Work was slated to start in early 2020, but Covid-19 put a hold on that. Finally, in September 2020, the work proceeded even though the smoke from the fires in Washington and Oregon had drifted North over Vancouver Island.

On Saturday, September 12, 2020, members of the Ladysmith Rotary, Kinsmen, Eagles, and the Soccer Clubs began preparing the ground and forming for new paving from the parking lot and around the soccer pitch. Part of the work will include widening the existing concrete sidewalk to allow wheelchairs and walkers to navigate around spectators during games.

The Clubs have raised close to $20,000.00 for the project 98 | FEATURE | UD5020 UD5020 | FEATURE | 99 through fundraisers, including an All Clubs Oktoberfest at Aggie Hall in 2018 (Lions, Kinsmen, Eagles, Soccer, and Rotary) and an “Eggs Benefit” organized by the Oceanview Church of Ladysmith. Funds were also provided through a BC Gaming Grant application and a raffle by the Rotary Club of Ladysmith. Island Savings Credit Union donated another $1,000.00, and the Lions Club donated $750.00.

Ken Greig of the Rotary Club of Ladysmith has been the lead organizer and committee chair for the project. “It has been great working with all of the groups on this project, It is the first time we have all worked together, and the people involved have kept the project alive through some tough times,” said Greig. “We also want to thank the Town of Ladysmith for supporting the project right from the start, in particular Bob Simpson and Chris Barfoot, for providing us with help to get the project to this stage.

The project teams got started on Saturday, September 12, at 8:30, and worked through the day. All volunteers were asked to wear masks, proper physical distancing. Water and sanitizer will be available, and the Kinsmen provided a lunch partially donated by Jason Kelland, who operates the Ladysmith A&W.

“We are very excited to be working on this project with the other service clubs and nonprofits,” said Kelland. “We especially want to thank local businesses who have either donated or discounted their materials and services. This project is a great start on the future development of the planned Lot 108 SportsPlex.” 100 | FEATURE | UD5020 UD5020 | FEATURE | 101 102 | FEATURE | UD5020 UD5020 | FEATURE | 103 104 | FEATURE | UD5020 UD5020 | FEATURE | 105 CELEBRATING 50 YEARS - THE LADYSMITH GOLF COURSE STORY BY ED NICHOLSON, CLUB HISTORIAN Ed Nicholson is a member of Forward: The Rotary Club of Ladysmith was formed in 1970 Ladysmith Rotary and a researcher and received its Charter on September 31. It was and still is with the Ladysmith Historical Society very active and took on some major projects in its first 10 years, but nothing as big as the commitment to build a community Golf Course. Here is the story of the project that is still an important part of Ladysmith, even if it did nearly kill the Club. - Gerry Beltgens, Club Public Image

The Ladysmith Golf Course was a project conceived by Legion Branch #171, designed by Ernie Brown and built by the Rotary Club of Ladysmith. It is a remarkable story of what a community can achieve when it keeps its collective mind on the goal and sets individual differences aside.

Clearing operations for a 9 hole Par 3 golf course in Ladysmith began in the first week of August 1975. Jim Taylor of the Royal Canadian Legion # 171 had originally proposed the project to the Town Council in October of 1973, where it received enthusiastic support. HE DID A GOOD JOB, AND The course was initially conceived as an SUPPLIED US WITH DETAILED 18 hole course to be built on the 12 acres “ of parkland that was available between PROFESSIONAL DRAWINGS Coronation Shopping Centre and the FOR THE COMPLETE COURSE area already developed near Holland THAT WE USED TO CONSTRUCT Creek as a baseball-soccer field. ” According to Taylor, the estimated cost 106 | FEATURE | UD5020 UD5020 | FEATURE | 107 of the project was $200,000. The Legion had $10,000 available and a commitment from the provincial government equivalent to one-third of the cost, regardless of whether it is cash, land, or services. It was also hoped that Malaspina College Vocational Division’s heavy equipment operator’s course would do the preliminary work on the ground.

The Ladysmith Town Council under Mayor Kate Grouhel was very supportive of the project, and it was approved in principle. Council also agreed to pay for the cost of an engineering study into the feasibility of the plan. “It’s for young and old. Just what we have been crying for,” Alderman Bob Stillin enthused. The Mayor agreed. “The land on which the course would be built was practically unusable for any other purpose. In fact, I’m surprised that it can be done at all!”

Community support was also strong. Editor John MacNaughton wrote: The Chronicle believes that such a golf course in that location would be both recreationally and esthetically satisfying. Golf is becoming increasingly popular, and the sight of a well-tended golf course from the Trans-Canada Highway would do much to create a pleasing image for the community.

However, a major remaining hurdle for the Legion was a lack of manpower to construct the course. It was decided to approach the Ladysmith Rotary Club (established1970) for assistance. The fledgling club had already made its presence known in the community by constructing a boat ramp, baseball team dugouts in Holland Creek Park, and purchasing a fifteen passenger van for the Ladysmith Secondary School. Although Ladysmith 108 | FEATURE | UD5020 UD5020 | FEATURE | 109 Rotary had less than 30 members, the club readily agreed to take on this enormous project. Rotary Charter Member Pat Bryan was appointed to chair the Golf Course committee, as he was an “experienced” golfer. Little did Bryan know that he and his fellow Rotarians were committing themselves and their families to more than six years of weekend labour to construct a golf course and clubhouse for the community.

In a recent interview, Pat Bryan recalled that there were major problems with this huge enterprise right from the start. The club learned that the heavy equipment program at Malaspina College had withdrawn their offer, saying the proposed site of the golf course was unsuitable and unsafe for student training on heavy equipment. Frustrated but determined, Bryan appealed to the newly appointed College president Carl Opgaard. He shared his notes of the meetings and telephone calls where the offer by the former Vocational School had been made. President Opgaard agreed to honour the commitment. A few months later, Heavy Equipment Instructor Howard Besse and eight students, “including one young lady,” began the work of shaping the course. Pat Bryan recalls the college students used graders, backhoes, cats, scrapers, and front-end loaders to move more than 50,000 yards of fill – “All at absolutely no cost!”

Bryan and some of the other Rotarians visited the site and agreed with the Town report that the original Legion proposal for an 18 hole course was not feasible. Bryan told me, “I even had a professional course designer from Vancouver look at it, and afterward, he told me that if we ever found suitable land 110 | FEATURE | UD5020 UD5020 | FEATURE | 111 for a course, give him a call!” As planning proceeded, it was decided that due to space, time, and financial limitations, a 9 hole would be more feasible. Ernie Brown, an experienced golf course architect, was hired to design a suitable course.

“He did a good job,” Pat Bryan told me, “and supplied us with detailed professional drawings for the complete course that we used to construct it.”

Brown’s plan called for the lowering of the elevation by about 13 feet and the soil used as fill.

Another challenge in the course design was how to incorporate the 70 foot deep Holland Creek gully. The problem was solved by placing one hole on the northwest side of the gully with a connecting bridge. Close contact was maintained by Rotary with the Town of Ladysmith, the Fisheries Department, engineers, and the Recreation Commission to protect this water resource.

The club at first attempted to clear around certain stands of standing timber but found this impossible. Instead, the site was cleared, and seedlings planted where they would best benefit the course (See map). Crown Zellerback helped remove some of the existing trees, but evergreens that fit into the course design were left. The saleable timber was taken off, and much of the cut wood was sold as firewood by Rotary at $25 a truckload.

Once the basic shape of the course had been completed, the next task was to install an underground sprinkling system. The installation had to be completed before the fairways and 112 | FEATURE | UD5020 UD5020 | FEATURE | 113 greens could be seeded.

By the end of September in 1978, the club was almost exhausted from months of earth-moving, rototilling, shovelling, and raking. Rotarians were also kept busy selling Western Express and Provincial lottery tickets with the support of 49th Parallel and Dunn’s grocery stores, who contributed their ticket profits to the project. The end was not yet in sight.

Ken Mulholland agreed to take on some of the leadership duties to give Pat Bryan a much-needed break. It was decided to employ Ross Rivers (who was heavily involved with the construction of the Nanaimo Rutherford Golf Course) to seed the course. Rivers, who held a Professional Golfers Association (PGA) card and later served as a club pro, told them that the project would take several more years. Normally, he said, it takes about one year for the greens to become well-established and another three years before grass over the remainder of the course is well set.

The greens are oversize to compensate for smaller fairways, and all are elevated to handle runoff water from a nearby residential district. In addition, they are built on a one-foot- deep bed of gravel, and the grass is of a special type which permits extremely close cutting. There are no sand-traps. “Those are obstacles that would slow play”, Rivers said, “and it has enough natural hazards already.”

The two holes nearest a large ravine will be the most difficult, he said, because golfers will tee off on one side, aiming for a 114 | FEATURE | UD5020 UD5020 | FEATURE | 115 green on the other. While the holes average about 100 yards in length, Rivers did not feel clearing the ravines would be an easy task for all golfers. Comparing the new course to others in the area, he felt it was closest in characteristics to the Rutherford one, which is also a par three course.

On November 28, 1979, a public meeting was held at the Legion Memorial Hall, organized by the Legion and the Ladysmith Rotary Club. The meeting was chaired by Jim Taylor, and 48 people were in attendance. Pat Bryan gave a brief history of the Ladysmith course to date. The main purpose of the meeting was to form a golf club. The meeting elected nine individuals – three legion members, three Rotarians, and three community members as club directors with Jim Taylor as President and Marg Weaver as Treasurer. By January, treasurer Marg Weaver indicated 70-plus golfers have signed on and hoped that the number would more than double before the opening ceremonies.

The club, which was formed as a non-profit society, contracted with the town to oversee the course’s operation and maintenance. It offered reduced rates of $100 a year to those who joined immediately. Non-members were to pay annual greens fees of about $120, and Seniors were offered a reduced rate of $80 a year or $150 a couple.

Rotary also obtained a former portable classroom from the nearby primary school site and, as you can see from the accompanying photo, completely rebuilt it as a clubhouse - still in use today. Ross Rivers was initially employed to manage the 116 | FEATURE | UD5020 UD5020 | FEATURE | 117 Note: The writer was not able to course, and when he left, volunteers took on the task. Currently, locate information on the amount of equipment, materials, and skilled it continues to operate as a non-profit society, and the course is labour provided both by local now maintained by the Town of Ladysmith. businesses and tradesmen, but it is very clear that the project could not have been completed without their Rotary Past President Ken Sutherland and Ladysmith Golf generous support. Club President Jim Taylor both commented publicly on the involvement of nonRotarians in the golf course construction. Rotary may have been in charge, said Sutherland, but it truly was a community undertaking. Chronicle Publisher Rollie Rose, after watching a dawn to dusk golf course September work party, proclaimed in an editorial, “Who said there is no community spirit in Ladysmith?”

Rotary Treasurer Bob Bafaro, who ‘moonlighted’ as manager of the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce in Ladysmith, informed me that at one critical point in the development, all 28 of the club members signed guarantees of $1000 each to ensure ongoing funding for the golf course construction. There was a collective sigh of relief when the Town of Ladysmith came up with a grant so that the loan was not necessary!

During his remarks at the official opening ceremony on June 14, 1980, Rotary President Ivan Gardner stated, The golf course has consumed about $350,000 of effort. Yet, the sole financing for the project has totalled about $76,000: $10,000 from the The photos show the construction of Legion, $26,000 to date from the province, and $40,000 from the course and clubhouse. The current photos show three of the original Golf the Rotarians through fundraising. Course Team. Pat Bryan and Bob Bafaro are the last of the original The Ladysmith Golf Course is a prime example of Rotarians Charter Members that we could locate. The rest have either passed, left town, living up to their motto. Service above self. or are in care. 118 | FEATURE | UD5020 UD5020 | FEATURE | 119 SHIPS IN A HARBOUR.... BY EILEEN BELTGENS Ships in a harbour are (generally) safe, but heritage in Ladysmith is. that’s not what ships are built for.” John A. Shedd and Albert Einstein My husband Gerry has been a Rotarian for 15 years. I joined five years ago because I The Rotary Club of Ladysmith is proud had seen the difference Rotary makes in to celebrate 50 years of fellowship, the local and international communities, service projects, and building community and I wanted to be part of that difference- sustainability, both locally and making. internationally in Guatemala. The club was formed in 1970 through the work One of the most exciting parts of my and commitment of 20 community doers. involvement in Rotary has been my work Within the first 6 years, they had built a golf with the students at Ladysmith Senior course, a community boat ramp, Holland Secondary as we founded and sponsored Creek trails, a toddler playground, and the Interact Club at LSS. A group of become a mainstay for Ladysmith Days students saw a vision for service within with a pancake breakfast, parade, and dance the community and set out to learn about parties. Through the years, Rotarians and leadership and “service above self,” which their families contributed many volunteer is the Rotary motto. hours assisting the town and other service organizations to complete needed projects. We thank our many community partners – businesses and service organizations – Only three of the charter members are for their ongoing support for Rotarians as living; however, their commitment and we work together to support families and the energy they infused into that charter grow our community. It takes the whole in 1970 is with us today. When I consider community to grow a community. the projects they completed and the impact their work has had on our club and our Eileen Beltgens community, I realize how rich Rotary’s President 2020/2021 120 | FEATURE | UD5020 UD5020 | FEATURE | 121 122 | EVENT POSTERS | UD5020 DISTRICT AND CLUB UD5020 | EVENT POSTERS | 123 EVENTS

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