In the midst of the COVID pandemic, the Rossland Rotary Club came up with a creative way to celebrate its 70th birthday on Jan. 25 and invited residents to share in the festivities.
“Unfortunately, we have not been able to make a big deal of it and celebrate publicly, but members met online, shared memories of Rotary projects and community involvement, and ate cupcakes to celebrate,” explained Rotary president Fiona Martin. “And that’s really what Rotary is all about: enjoying the fellowship of club members and giving back to our local and global community.”
So much so that Rotary consulted with local businesses to offer to buy beverages for their patrons on Friday (Jan. 29) and those who have supported the club over the years.
Founded in 1951, Rossland Rotary has made significant contributions to the Rossland community, including hands on projects and money raised through various fundraisers to create or improve facilities in our community. Rotary provides learning and service opportunities for community members to help our most vulnerable in society and to assist the international community in their development.
“It is hard to look around Rossland and not see something that Rossland Rotary has contributed to,” said Martin. “Whether it is in buildings like the swimming pool, museum and discovery Centre, library, Golden City Manor, and Miners Hall, or recreation facilities such as Nicklepate Rotary Park, Jubilee Park, Centennial Park, skatepark, or the arena, Rossland Rotary has been an active participant in building our community infrastructure.”
The club is not just about physical building, it is also dedicated to providing educational opportunities for youth and adults.
Currently, Rotary provides scholarship funds for students graduating from both J. L. Crowe and Seven Summits Centre for Learning.
Rotary programs such as Rotary Youth Exchange and Rotary Group Study Exchange have been key to providing international travel and learning opportunities for both local and international students from around the world.
Rossland Rotary celebrate seven decades of service to community. Photo: Submitted
Other programs that focus on youth education and leadership skills have also benefited local youth.: Adventures in Citizenship, Adventures in Technology, Adventures in Forestry, Rotary Youth Leadership Program, and the Rossland Interact Club for youth interested in community and international service.
Through food drives and funding, Rossland Rotary cares for our most vulnerable citizens through support of the Rossland Food Bank and the Community Kitchen program.
Of course, as part of the largest international non-profit organization, Rossland Rotary also regularly contributes to the global community. We host visiting Rotarians from around the globe, enriching our community and sharing with the worldwide Rotary community.
This year’s “Panhandling for Polio” campaign raised almost $1,000 for Polio Eradication.
“We sponsor several children to attend school in Honduras with the Tegucigalpa Market Children program, participate in a water project in Peru, and we recently provided potable water to a girl’s school in Ethiopia.”
Currently, Rossland Rotary is working with the Arena Society and the City of Rossland to renovate the Arena Lounge, providing modernized accessible washrooms, and a family-friendly space for all Rosslanders to enjoy.
“Thanks to a grant from the Rotary Foundation, we have been able to ‘double’ our money, and contribute to this revitalisation project in a meaningful way,” added Martin.
Although, due to the current pandemic, Rossland Rotary is challenged in their usual fundraising efforts. If you are interested in supporting the Club’s efforts, please consider joining us in our “100 Rosslanders Who Care” initiative, or play Bingo on Friday nights at 5 p.m. with the Rotary Online Bingo Community on Facebook.
For more information about the Rossland Rotary Club’s activities please visit their Facebook page. For more information on becoming a member or “friend of Rotary”, email fiona@rosslandrotary.org.
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