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The NWSS Interact Club teamed up with our Rotary Youth Committee to clean up the gardens and plant spring flowers for the enjoyment of the 110 Seniors who live at the Rotary Towers in New Westminster. 13 Interactors & 9 Rotarians spent their Saturday morning pulling weeds, laying new soil and bark mulch and planting perennials throughout the gardens. The 3 sets of stairs leading to the back gardens were also cleared of moss and the gravel was replaced to ensure the safety of the tower residents. It was a great outdoor project for both Interact & Rotary that included fellowship over lunch in the pristine gardens!

A BIG thank you to Gordon's Landscaping and Trevor Crean for helping with the supplies and equipment!

May 27 Presentation 7PM Bio Medical Engineering Program

Please plan to join us on ZOOM at 7PM, Thursday May 27th for a special presentation from Dr Robert T Ssekitoleko

Robert will be speaking about the Bio Medical Engineering Program our club has been involved with for the past 5 years. He will discuss the need for the services as well as the success of the program. He will share what some of the past students are doing now.

Dr Ssekitoleko is a lecturer, researcher and the head of the Biomedical Engineering Program at Makerere University.

He completed his MEng Degree in Medical Engineering at Queen Mary, University of London in 2007.

email lperrynewwestrotary@gmail.com for ZOOM link

Power of Pets Show

Thank you to all who participated in our show & to all who donated directly to PADS! We are donating $2,500 to PADS puppy raising program.

https://pads.ca

And a big round of applause for our sponsors and partners.

G&F Financial Group - Team Dave Vallee - Nancy Eidsvik - New Westminster Firefighters Charitable Society - Bosley's - New Westminster Hyack Ambassadors - Rotaract - Interact

Here are few of our category winners showing off their rosettes.

May 6 Rotary Program at Noon on Zoom

Please plan to join us on ZOOM at NOON, Thursday May 6th for a

presentation from St. John Ambulance to hear about the

Start Me Up BC initiative.

As a social enterprise, the revenue generated by St John Ambulance BC&Y is reinvested in community services programs and training, which in turn further supports the mission of the organization to save lives at home, work, and play.

Please contact lperrynewwestrotary@gmail.com for the Zoom link.

April 29th Program - New Westminster Hyack Ambassadors

Please plan to join us on ZOOM at SEVEN PM, Thursday April 29th for a presentation from The New Westminster Hyack Ambassador Candidates.

The candidates will present a selection of their prepared speeches.
Contact lperrynewwestrotary@gmail.com for link. www.newwestrotary.org

To learn more about this wonderful leadership programme please visit https://www.hyackfestival.com/hyack-ambassadors

April 8th program

Please plan to join us on ZOOM at NOON, Thursday April 8th for a presentation from Freddie Marsh.

In 2015, Freddie Marsh became a living kidney donor to his friend, Anna Maria. Freddie is an advocate for organ donation and volunteers his time at BC Transplant sharing his story. Freddie donated extra funds from a fundraising campaign to BC Transplant. This donation went towards BC Transplant first, Live Life Pass It On Scholarship that will be awarded to two grade 12 students who lead an organ donation awareness project.

Freddie has a passion for traveling and movies.

Contact Louise Perry by email for ZOOM link lperrynewwestrotary@gmail.com

Spring has Sprung!

Spring has Sprung! Please join us April 1st at Noon on Zoom for a special program.

Eric Young will present The Art and Science of Dahlias

Eric has been a volunteer with Rotary International since he joined the Rotaract Club in 2007 while in university.
He has a BSc in Health Information Science from the University of Victoria and moved to Vancouver in 2014 to work at the BC Patient Safety & Quality Council as a Data Analyst. Eric has a strong interest in healthcare transformation and quality improvement and is passionate about using health information to story-tell and drive improvement work.
In recent years, Eric picked up gardening, growing dahlias in particular.
This is a passion of his mother (Connie) and he took it upon himself to learn from her.
In his spare time he enjoys spending time outdoors either running
Contact Louise Perry by email for ZOOM link lperrynewwestrotary@gmail.com

District Governor Dave Hamilton passes away

Our heartfelt condolences to Dave's family and friends at this very sad time.

We admired Dave's strength and determination this past year as our District Governor.

Still time to support our POWER OF PETS

Catching Up with Victor

Victor, a former exchange student from 2017/2018 (Rotary: Making a Difference) zoomed in from Brazil this week.

It was great catching up with him! One of the benefits of virtual meetings.

Power of Pets Show

Check out our prizes!

Here are a few recent entries into our Virtual Pet Show airing on Instagram @powerofpetshow

Still time to enter! March 31 is the deadline. We also accept donations. See the top of our home page.

Three March 1 Rotary Anniversaries!

These three outstanding Rotarians share March 1 as their Rotary Anniversary.

John Berry (active member since 1987) and Bob Crawford and Bill Payne (now honourary members who both joined in 1994)

A big thanks for their service to the local and international communities.

Here are a few throwback photos - Bob Crawford inducts John Berry as President in 2015.

and Bill Payne presents the Salvation Army with a club donation.

Throwback Thursday

A fine photo of four fine gentlemen.

All Past District Governors for District 5040

Many, many years of Rotary experience and dedication is reflected in this photo.

Left to Right

David Kirk PDG 2000-2001, Don McKenzie PDG 1978-1979

Irwin Stewart PDG 1993-1994, Del Paterson PDG 2002-2003

Although we have lost Don and Irwin their legacies and service to the local and international communities lives on.

We thank all four for their years of Rotary service.

Meet our Hyack Ambassador Candidate Claire Haffner

Claire is the daughter of Michael and Melissa Haffner, and is sister to Grace. She is in grade 11 at New Westminster Secondary, where she plays both basketball and volleyball. Claire also plays volleyball outside of school, and dreams of continuing to play for a university, as it is one of her biggest passions. Having played many sports in her lifetime and after taking the career course in grade 10, she has been looking at jobs in Health Sciences (physio therapy, genetic counsellor, etc). buat has also recently been interested in business and technology, and she looks forward to exploring her options. Claire also plays piano and has volunteered at many small events, but looks forward to doing more volunteering in her community through the Hyack Ambassador Program.

Claire is most inspired by her parents, as they are the kindest, most supportive and hardworking people she has ever met. They always push Claire and her sister to do their best and make them take risks even when they don’t want to. She is very thankful to have them in her life.

Claire's most treasured keepsake is her Pandora charm bracelet. Almost every
important event that has happened in her life is represented by a charm. It shows her family, friends, travels, May Day and so much more.

Her proudest moment of her life so far was receiving female athlete of the year for her grade last year. "I worked really hard during the volleyball and basketball season and it was nice to
be recognized for my effort."

Claire's favourite thing to do in the Royal City, besides the Hyack Festival, is going down to the Quay in the summers, getting gelato at the farmers market and walking along the boardwalk with her friends. "At the end of the boardwalk, there used to be
beach volleyball courts and I loved playing there. Or relaxing in the hammocks the city would hang. It was the perfect place to relax."

When asked who she would trade places with, past or present, Claire says:
"I have always wanted to know what it was like to live during the renaissance so I think it would be interesting to trade places with Marie-Antoinette. When I visited France, I got to go inside
the place of Versailles and it would be interesting to see how the royal family lived back then. The society was very divided and it would be different to live in a monarchy government, especially to be the Queen. However, if I was to trade places with her, I would want to leave before the French Revolution."

If she could give advice to her 13-year-old-self, Claire would tell herself not to care what anyone else thinks or says. "It’s typical to be self-conscious at that age but the only thing that matters is how you see yourself." She would also tell her 13-year-old self to not worry so much about the future and to just live in the moment.

Claire believes she would make a good Hyack Ambassador because no one loves this city more than she does. She
loves our traditions like the Hyack Parade and May Day. "We are a small community but our spirit is big. My parents grew up here and it only seems fair that I do my part to give back by
volunteering and representing my Royal City."

We are inclusive and promote diversity

The Rotary in New Westminster Virtual Pet Show has more than just cats and dogs!

Here are few of our more unique pets that have recently entered.

An alpaca, donkey and a few guinea pigs!

Get your pets pictures entered before March 31 to show them off and maybe win an awesome prize from one of our sponsors!

Enter at:

https://newwestrotary.org/event/power-of-pets-show/

Follow along on Instagram @powerofpetshow

Welcome to our first Service Dogs Entries

Meet Kirra (right), a released VIP PADS Dog, along with her sister Adelaide (left), a PADS Hearing Service dog between jobs.

These two beauties are our first Service Dog entries who are enjoying some well deserved family time!

Kirra & her sister Adelaide are one “Dazzling Duo” who are all about providing comfort & companionship to their human family.

We are enjoying our virtual pet show on Instagram at @powerofpetshow while raising funds for PADS and our youth programs.

Check out the button on the top of our home page for registration details.

Show your pet you love them and help us raise funds and awareness of the Power of Pets.

Power of Pets Show- We have our first bunny!

Our virtual pet show is growing! We welcome our first bunny!

Luna is a very loving bunny, she licks the people she loves most!

And meet Abbey a recent entry in our Golden Oldie category.

She acts like a cat!

February is Peace and Conflict Prevention/Resolution Month

https://youtu.be/8DiH4nn1TMg

Today, over 70 million people are displaced as a result of conflict, violence, persecution, and human rights violations. Half of them are children.

We refuse to accept conflict as a way of life. Rotary projects provide training that fosters understanding and provides communities with the skills to resolve conflicts.

Rotary creates environments of peace

As a humanitarian organization, peace is a cornerstone of our mission. We believe when people work to create peace in their communities, that change can have a global effect.

By carrying out service projects and supporting peace fellowships and scholarships, our members take action to address the underlying causes of conflict, including poverty, discrimination, ethnic tension, lack of access to education, and unequal distribution of resources.

Our commitment to peacebuilding today answers new challenges: how we can make the greatest possible impact and how we can achieve our vision of lasting change. We are approaching the concept of peace with greater cohesion and inclusivity, broadening the scope of what we mean by peacebuilding, and finding more ways for people to get involved.

Rotary creates environments where peace can happen.

Two Rotary Anniversaries!

We love to celebrate our Rotarians and their service to our club and the community.

On January 31, 2008 - 13 years ago we welcomed Kevin Gordon to our club. He served as Club President in 2012/2013

and is currently our Director of our Rotary Tower.

Here is a throwback photo of Kevin with one of our former exchange students, Ana.

And 35 years ago on February 1, 1985 Karl Dech joined our club.

Karl is currently an Honourary member and we are always delighted when he joins a meeting.

This is picture of Del Paterson, presenting Karl (seated) with a Paul Harris Fellow. Karl's wife Barbara was there to celebrate as well.

Power of Pets Announcement!

Meet a few more of our recent entries into our Power of Pets Show!

This is Diesel, he is waiting for Christmas!

This is one of our Cool Cats! Meet Harry!

Cachet, age 13 is one of our Golden Oldies.

Jan 28th Presentation - Come Sail Away with Mike!

Since we can’t travel why not learn about each other’s past adventures!

Join us January 28th at 7pm on Zoom for a presentation from Rotarian Mike Crean - come sail away with Mike!

Since he was a youngster Mike was always drawn to the sea. His father was a marine physicist and they spent time on research boats and sailing. Over the years family and life made it difficult to spend much time sailing, but he was always drawn back to it. In recent years Mike was able to sail more and wanted to do a major ocean crossing. When a friend told Mike about the Clipper Race he decided to put himself to the test and do a leg of the Clipper Round the World Race. Novice, intermediate and experts can all participate in the experience of ocean racing through The Clipper Race, either round the world or on a single leg. The Southern Ocean is reputed to be the wildest ocean experience - he chose to do the Southern Ocean.

For Zoom login contact lperrynewwestrotary@gmail.com

Catching up with Farhan Lalji

It was great catching up with Farhan and the world of sports during the pandemic.

Check out our speaker schedule on the left hand side of our home page to see what our future programs are.

Precious Puppies! Milo and Miley

Milo is one of our “Precious Puppies”.

Milo loves to give high-fives & shake his booty!

And meet Miley, another entry into our Precious Puppy category!

Miley is teething and her favourite treats are ice cubes.

It's easy to participate in our Virtual Power of Pets Show - supporting Rotary Youth Programs and PADS (Pacific Assistance Dogs Society)
Click the tabs on the top of our Home Page, or check out the event section on the right had side.

Show off your beloved pets! Dogs, cats, birds, fish, reptiles, rabbits, gerbils....

Kim Husband

The members of the Rotary Club of New Westminster fondly remember Kim Husband, who joined our club in 1971.

He remained a honourary member until his recent passing on December 10th.

Our heartfelt condolences to his wife Bernice and family.

https://vancouversunandprovince.remembering.ca/obituary/john-husband-1081344045

Photo by Gabor Gasztonyi (January 2016)

Power of Pets Show

Here are a few entries from our Power of Pets Show raising funds for Rotary Youth Programs and Pacific Assistance Dogs Society (PADS)

Follow Instagram @powerofpetshow to see them all and some fun facts about animals!

Entry fees $10 for 1, $12 for 2, $15 for 3. Honour your beloved pet with an entry.

Lots of categories! All pets welcome! Click the button at the top of our home page for details.

Rosettes for the winners of each category and a Best in Show prize to be awarded.

Meet Callie and her hedgehog!

Introducing the very Regal King Kobe!

50 Years Ago!

On January 1, 1971 Mike Kaburda joined the Rotary Club of New Westminster.

He served as Club President 1994-95 and 2004-05 and remains as a Honourary member.

A big thank you Mike for your 50 years of Rotary service.

Photo of Mike and his spouse Barbara from The District 5040 Foundation Dinner 2019

Interact Christmas Decor Sale

Congratulations to the members of the Interact Club of New Westminster for a very successful Christmas Decoration sale!

Thank you to the members of both Rotary Clubs in New Westminster for supporting our youth by donating some of the items.

Merry Christmas 2020

The members of our club would like to take this opportunity to wish our community a very Safe and Happy Christmas Season!

Thank you for your support!

Tis the Season to Ring the Bells!

Thank you to several of our members and friends who came out and raised over $900 for the Salvation Army Kettle Campaign!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Power of Pets Show

Join in the fun! Show off your pets!

Check out the full details under our events tab on the right hand side of our home page.

Rotary International President, Holger Knaack

We meet weekly on ZOOM and always give our guests a warm welcome. To hear what we are doing please contact

President, Louise Perry at lperrynewwestrotary@gmail.com for login details.

See our speaker schedule located on the right of of our home page.

Happy Anniversary Dave!

On December 1, 1994 The Rotary Club of New Westminster welcomed Dave Vallee as a member.

For the past 26 years he has been a generous, enthusiastic member of our club and community.

Dave has served as President twice and is always willing to step up and support our projects with his time and sponsorship.

Thank you Dave! Happy Rotary Anniversary!

(Throw back pic from last Christmas.)

New Members Welcome!

Contact Louise Perry

lperrynewwestrotary@gmail.com for information about our club.

Poppy Volunteers for the Royal Canadian Legion

Thank you to Rotarians, and friends that came out and supported The Royal Canadian Legion Poppy Campaign in New Westminster.

We were able to provide volunteers for 5 days!

Online donations:

https://legion.ca/remembrance/the-poppy-campaign/donate-to-the-poppy-fund

Oct 29 Special Presentation Gabor Gasztonyi

An award-winning professional photographer, author, gallery owner and filmmaker, Gabor Gasztonyi lives in New Westminster with his wife, artist Judith Copland.

Gabor is a two-time winner of the prestigious Nikon Press Award. He is a regular lecturer at Emily College University and Bernie Legge Cultural Award winner.

Recent exhibitions include The Sudanese, at the Surrey Art Gallery, in 2015, as well as two selected and featured exhibits at the Capture Photography Festival in Vancouver.

His film No Way Out premiered at the Harlem Film Festival in New York, in May 2019. It won the award for Best Cinematography.

A dedicated member of Rotary, Gabor is currently the Polio Chair for District 5040 and is keenly interested in Rehabilitation for Polio Victims particularly in Ethiopia. He is also interested in promoting accessibility for Rotary meeting places.

ZOOM in at NOON, October 29 for this presentation, Polio, a personal journey.

For login information email lperrynewwestrotary@gmail.com

We walked TO END POLIO

On a beautiful day - 3 members, Louise, Laurie and Grace and her doggy, set out for a walk around New Westminster dressed brightly in our END POLIO NOW attire- to share some personal stories and discuss future plans for our club. We stopped in at Old Crow coffee shop for a delicious beverage.

Walk to END POLIO

#tbt to our Walk to End Polio - a few pics from last May at the New Westminster Quay.

Although we can't hold a large gathering to mark World Polio Day on October 24th please consider walking or running next week individually or with a small group.

But please maintain your physical distance!

Get your sneakers or boots on and check out the beauty of fall.

Register for Rotaract of New Westminster's Virtual Polio Walk that starts next week between Oct 19-24th. Just follow these 4 easy steps:

Donate a few dollars via an e-transfer if you are able to Rotaract.nw@gmail.com

Take pictures of you & a few friends participating in this 5km Polio Walk on or before Oct 24th - “World Polio Day”,

Submit your favorite photo to Rotaract.nw@gmail.com

Meet our newest member! Grace Wardle

We were delighted to have our District Governor, Dave Hamilton induct our newest member Grace Wardle.

Born and raised in New Westminster, Grace has been involved in community from a very young age. While growing up she was volunteered by her family, the “Wardle’s of Westminster”, for various events with Hyack football, Royal City Youth Ballet, and Hyack Festival Association to name a few.

What became obvious was the dedication and commitment of the people involved in these programs. This was something that resonated with Grace.

In 2011/12 she entered into the Hyack Ambassador Program to combine her passion for community with her love of friendly competition. She was honoured to receive not only the title of Miss New Westminster but also Miss Friendship, as chosen by her peers.

After high school Grace went on a softball scholarship to Graceland University in Iowa, USA. With a Bachelors degree in Communication Studies completed in 2017, Grace returned home and began looking for ways to give back to the community. Since 2018 she has been volunteering with the Coquitlam Classics/ Tri-City Titans Softball Associations. But what was missing was The connection to the city she grew up in.

Remembering the time she spent with the Hyack Ambassador team she noted Miss Rotary’s declaration of “Service above Self”.

This was the opportunity that she had been looking for and she is beyond proud to once again involved in helping to make her community a better place.

Dr. Irwin Stewart Memorial Project

DR. IRWIN STEWART HEARING HEALTH CENTRE – UGANDA

Special Club meeting October 15 on ZOOM. See details on the Event Tab.

Deaf and hard of hearing children in Uganda face a myriad of challenges, and very limited resources. To address those challenges, the Rotary clubs of New Westminster in Canada, and Kololo-Kampala in Uganda are sponsoring the establishment of a Hearing Health Centre in memory of Dr. Irwin Stewart.

The Centre will target children under 6 and their families. Intervention at this stage has the greatest potential for lifelong impact. The Centre will address early diagnosis, early intervention services, a pre-primary education program and parental support and outreach. Additionally, it will provide staff and other ENT professionals with mentoring/training in modern prevention techniques and the treatment of hearing and other ear disorders. This will help to sustain the initiative. The Centre will be partly based in a clinical setting at Makere University Hospital in Kampala. University personnel can provide only limited support. Professionals will be hired locally. The Centre will be operated by a registered NGO, Hear His Voice. Dr. Brian Westerberg of Vancouver, a colleague of Dr. Stewart, will coordinate medical and professional support from Canada.

Dr. Irwin Stewart, and his wife Lois, spearheaded many overseas humanitarian health projects and dedicated much of their retirement to improving Hearing Health Care in Africa, particularly in Zimbabwe and Uganda. Irwin was a hugely committed Rotarian, a member of the Rotary Club of New Westminster who served Rotary in many capacities, including District Governor. As a physician, Irwin was recognized as a pioneer in the medical profession, he was a full Clinical Professor at UBC, Head of Otolaryngology, Professor Emeritus, a member of the Fellowship of Royal Colleges of Surgeons (FRCS) who received many honours including the Order of Canada. Both Irwin and Lois exemplified Rotary’s motto “Service Above Self” and they have left a huge legacy of service in hearing treatment, education, and training through their volunteer efforts, at home and abroad, and very significantly in Uganda. They will forever be remembered as humble and kind humanitarians.

The Hearing Centre builds on and extends the work begun by Dr. Stewart and continued by Dr. Westerberg and others through a number of Rotary projects. Establishing the Centre, and naming it in honour of Dr. Stewart, are fitting tributes to a remarkable Canadian Rotarian.

Funding for the Centre is coming from a Rotary Global Grant project sponsored by the two Rotary Clubs. A good deal of the $133,000 (US) project cost is being provided by Global and District Rotary Foundation grants, along with a $40,000 (US) contribution from the Government of Canada. The Rotary Club of New Westminster is committed to raising $23,000 (US) to complete the project funding. Some donations have been received, and the Club itself will provide part of the funding.

Thursday Sept 24 meeting 7PM on ZOOM

We have moved our lunch meeting to Thursday September 24 at 7:00pm on ZOOM

For login information please contact lperrynewwestrotary@gmail.com.

Our presenter will be Allison Perry, an elementary school teacher will be joining us to provide some insight on teaching in the classroom during the COVID 19 pandemic. She currently teaches grades 6/7.

Allison graduated from UBC with her Bachelor of Education and has been teaching for 7 years. She has been at her current school, Cedar Hills, in the Surrey District for 5 years.

Allison attended RYLA and is a Past President of the Rotaract Club of New Westminster.

Can't make it?

Check out our club website for upcoming speakers.

Rotary Myth Busters

Queen's Park Healthcare Foundation

Over the years the Rotary Club of New Westminster has contributed new equipment to make life a little nicer for the patients at Queens Park Healthcare Centre.

On September 17th they are holding a virtual trivia fundraiser - they need the community's support.

So show off your trivia skills and buy a ticket!

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/qphf-virtual-trivia-night-fundraiser-tickets-114472807248?utm_campaign=post_old_publish&utm_medium=email&utm_source=eventbrite&utm_content=fullLinkOldEmail

A Celebration!

A small group celebrated outside in person, and with others on ZOOM to wish Gerda Suess, a wonderful Rotarian and community supporter a VERY HAPPY 90th Birthday!

The Rotary Foundation transforms your gifts into service projects that change lives both close to home and around the world.

Since it was founded more than 100 years ago, the Foundation has spent more than $4 billion on life-changing, sustainable projects.

With your help, we can make lives better in your community and around the world.

Our mission

The mission of The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International is to enable Rotarians to advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through the improvement of health, the support of education, and the alleviation of poverty.

What impact can one donation have?

For as little as 60 cents, a child can be protected from polio.
$50 can provide clean water to help fight waterborne illness.
$500 can launch an anti-bullying campaign and create a safe environment for children

Fundraising and Fellowship at the District Foundation Dinner

Posted on Nov 16, 2019

Several members and their guests gathered at the recent District 5040 Rotary Foundation dinner.

A great evening of fun and fellowship while raising funds for our Rotary Foundation.

Rotarians at Remembrance Day

Posted on Nov 11, 2019

Past President Nick Cheng, Rotary Club of New Westminster and Lizz Kelly, President Elect from the Royal City Rotary Club lay the wreaths.

Rotarian/ Captain John Milne, CD, Company Commander, with The Royal Westminster Regiment honours the fallen.

Photo Credit: Jennifer Gauthier New Westminster Record.

No Stone Left Alone

Posted on Nov 04, 2019

Club members, Nick Cheng and Captain John Milne CD, Company Commander with the Royal Westminster Regiment attended the

“No Stone Left Alone” ceremony at the Military Section of Fraser Cemetary, New Westminster on Monday November 3.
Poppies were placed on military headstones.

Remembrance Day Program

Posted on Nov 07, 2019

John thanks our guest speakers for our informative Remembrance Day presentation.
Robert Mitchell Harley, WW1 Historian and Curator of the Regimental Museum and Terry Leith, President of The Royal Westminster Regiment Association and 1st VP it the Royal Canadian Legion.