At last week’s Rotary meeting, our guest speaker was Tanya McCready-Debruin.
Tanya provided Sunrisers with a passionate account of how her and her husband followed their dream and turned their love for dogs into a dogsledding company.
She also described her husband’s first dramatic attempt at running the 1000 mile Iditarod and overcoming challenges to eventually reach this goal
Winterdance is an Ontario dogsledding tour company that operates out of the Haliburton Highlands, alongside Algonquin park, and is owned and operated by husband and wife team Hank DeBruin and Tanya McCready-DeBruin, with help from their 4 dogsledding children, Logan, Dustyn, Michaela and Jessica.
RI President, Jennifer Jones’ Canadian Tour July 5, 2022
For the first two weeks of the new Rotary Year, incoming Rotary International President-elect, Jennifer Jones is travelling across the country to showcase Canada to the Rotary world.
Next week, we will each be receiving a message from RI President-elect Jennifer with more specific details of her tour, so watch your inbox for more information!
There are a number of stops on the tour, including Toronto on Tuesday, July 5th, 2022. Four Ontario Districts (7010, 7070, 7080 and 7090) have been asked to jointly plan the event(s) for the day. Jennifer will be with us with us for approximately 12 hours.
We need your help in deciding on two events for July 5th. Please email your suggestions to me by email by 5pm Friday, January 21st. For more information on the details and selection criteria, please click HERE.
Virtual Gala and Fundraiser
On February 23, 2022, we are holding our second annual celebration of the Rotary Foundation. Vice-President Valarie Wafer and Director-Elect Drew Kessler are asking you to support and promote this celebration. RI President-Elect Jennifer Jones, Trustee Dean Rohrs and Past Director Jeffry Cadorette are also on the planning committee.
Last year we raised almost $200,000 USD for the Rotary Foundation with an estimated 2000+ participants from 39 of our 43 districts, and this year we hope to do even better! Click here to buy tickers and Register.
Rotary’s Seven Areas of Focus
Rotary is dedicated to seven areas of focus to build international relationships, improve lives, and create a better world to support our peace efforts and end polio forever.
Promoting peace: Rotary encourages conversations to foster understanding within and across cultures. We train adults and young leaders to prevent and mediate conflict and help refugees who have fled dangerous areas.
Fighting disease: We educate and equip communities to stop the spread of life-threatening diseases like polio, HIV/AIDS, and malaria. We improve and expand access to low-cost and free health care in developing areas.
Providing clean water, sanitation, and hygiene: We support local solutions to bring clean water, sanitation, and hygiene to more people every day. We don’t just build wells and walk away. We share our expertise with community leaders and educators to make sure our projects succeed long-term.
Saving mothers and children: Nearly 6 million children under the age of five die each year because of malnutrition, poor health care, and inadequate sanitation. We expand access to quality care, so mothers and their children can live and grow stronger.
Supporting education: More than 775 million people over the age of 15 are illiterate. Our goal is to strengthen the capacity of communities to support basic education and literacy, reduce gender disparity in education, and increase adult literacy.
Growing local economies: We carry out service projects that enhance economic and community development and create opportunities for decent and productive work for young and old. We also strengthen local entrepreneurs and community leaders, particularly women, in impoverished communities.
Supporting the environment: As our newest appointed area of focus, Rotary clubs can now apply for environment-related global grant projects.
It is with great excitement that I am writing to let you know that Nick and I will be starting the 2022-23 Rotary year as President of Rotary International on a tour from coast to coast to coast across Canada.
There is a countrywide team planning the tour and we will be officially announcing the dates and locations following the International Assembly this February. Each destination is intended to be a “hub” that will draw from surrounding districts and geographical areas.
The Canada tour is part of a global effort to elevate the profile of Rotary. As people of action, people of purpose and people of influence, we want to engage our members along with community leaders and supporters, and each location will include service and social opportunities.
While we are dedicating several weeks to this tour, I hope you understand that that we will not be able to visit each Province or Territory and encourage you to consider participating in one of the hubs that is most convenient for you.
Please watch for more announcements about this – and I hope to see you in early July 2022!
Wishing you and your families much peace, love, joy and health in this new year.