World Polio Day Light up on Oak Bay Avenue

This Close!

   In honor of World Polio Day, members of the Rotary Clubs of Greater Victoria (above) staged an END POLIO NOW Light Up on the corner of Hampshire and Oak Bay Avenues last night from 6:30 to 9:30. Representatives from the clubs will be accepting donations for PolioPlus on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday (October 24^th, 25^th, and 26^th) at 4 locations along the Avenue, from Noon to 2 PM. This represents Victoria's part in Rotary’s 26-year mission to eradicate the crippling childhood disease. Since December 1, 2007 Greater Victoria clubs have donated $122,000, protecting about 203,000 kids! Many members of the local clubs have participated in National Immunization Days in numerous countries.
   As part of Rotary’s most recent campaign to match a US$355 million challenge grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation with $200 million by June 2012, it is close to reaching its goal, with more than US$180 million raised to date. The funding will provide critical support to polio eradication activities in parts of Africa and South Asia.  Since 1985, Rotary has contributed more than $1 billion and countless volunteer hours to the protection of more than two billion children in 122 countries. The disease remains endemic in four countries: Afghanistan, India, Nigeria, and Pakistan - although other countries remain at risk for imported cases.
   In many countries, Canada included, we forget that polio is still present in the world. How fortunate we are.

Oak Bay Rotary event: huge turnout for Rwanda Forum

District 5020 Governor, David Stocks, with speakers Phillip Lancaster, John Nsabimana, and John Jordan at the October 14 Rwanda Forum.

    The Monterey Centre in Oak Bay was filled to standing-room-only capacity for the speakers' forum, Rwanda Today: Hope after Tragedy on October 14. Organized by Oak Bay Rotarians, in particular speaker, John Jordan, to discuss the challenge of creating sustainable improvement in lands impacted by war, disasters, and poverty, the focus of the evening was on the positive accomplishments of peace and development in Rwanda today.

      Presenter Major (Ret.) Philip Lancaster, Military Assistant to General Romeo Dallaire during the period of the genocide in Rwanda spoke from his years of field experience as Special Advisor on Conflict and Social Development for fragile states in Africa. John Nsabimana, a Rwandan genocide survivor, told of how he came from the killing fields to become a University of Victoria graduate and a UNICEF World Ambassador for the Protection of Children. And John Jordan described how the partnership he formed with Rwandans has created sustainable living for hundreds of widows and orphans. 

     The evening began with the large crowd enjoying African drumming and percussion (above), thanks to Jordan Hanson of Drum Victoria, and, as well, there was a delicious sampling of Rwandan food for all to taste. 

     For more information on Sustainable Households Rwanda, contact John Jordan at 250 598-9739 or visit this his blog at www.rwandanvillage.blogspot.com

Rwanda Today: Hope after Tragedy - October 14 at the Monterey Centre, Oak Bay

THE ROTARY CLUB OF OAK BAY

Presents

Rwanda Today: Hope after Tragedy

A speakers forum, Rwanda Today: Hope after Tragedy, will be presented by the Oak Bay Rotary Club on October 14 at the Monterey Recreation Center. The forum is to discuss the challenge of creating sustainable improvement in lands impacted by war, disasters, and poverty. A focus of the evening will be the positive accomplishments of peace and development in Rwanda today.

Three presenters address that challenge from first-hand knowledge:

Major (Ret.) Philip Lancaster, Military Assistant to General Romeo Dallaire during the period of the genocide He speaks from his years of field experience as Special Advisor on Conflict and Social Development for fragile states in Africa.

John Nsabimana, Rwandan genocide survivor, tells how he came from the killing fields to become a University of Victoria graduate and a UNICEF World Ambassador for the Protection of Children.

John Jordan, Oak Bay Rotarian, describes how the partnership he formed with Rwandans has created sustainable living for hundreds of widows and orphans.

A cultural evening opens at 6:15 with African drumming, music, and a sampling of Rwandan food. The Speakers Forum (from 7 – 9:00PM) promises to explain how history, politics, aid and grassroots development help or hinder progress in Africa.

Tickets are only $15 and are available at Global Village in Market Square and at Ten Thousand Villages, at 1976 Oak Bay Avenue and in the Broadmead Shopping Center.

For more information, contact John Jordan at 250 598-9739 or visit this INFORMATION web page.

The snow has gone, the lights are on... March 8 light up on the Malahat Building

Some dedicated Victoria area Rotarians and their spouses attended the End Polio Now light-up last night (March 8) at the Victoria Custom House (Malahat Building) above. You can see more famous buildings throughout the world that have been lit up at this link.

If you missed Bruce Williams on the A Channel broadcast, you can see it here - District Governor Elect, David Stocks, was interviewed. 

Why the light up? Rotary was founded on February 23, 106 years ago; it has been fighting to End Polio worldwide for 26 years. Rotary International has made February 23 End Polio Now day. As we had the snow in Victoria on Feb 23, it was put off until last night -  a glorious winter night in Victoria.  

 In the photo above, left to right are: Paul Croy (who supplied the lighting equipment), Joan Peggs, President Elect, Oak Bay Rotary; David Stocks, Rotary District 5020 Governor Elect; Leslie Rogers-Warnock (Oak Bay); Bev Hoag (Royal Oak); Frances Stocks, wife of David; Amy Kezes (Royal Oak). Photos by Tricia Timmermans (Oak Bay)

FEBRUARY 23: Rotary Day in Victoria Schedule of Events update

08:30 a.m.  A member of Victoria City Council will address Rotary club members gathered in main reception area of City Hall.

08:40 a.m.  Town Crier (Bob Alexander) will read aloud official proclamation of Rotary Day in Victoria.

08:45 a.m.  Rotary flag will be raised on Victoria City Hall flag pole.

09:30 a.m. (2nd) Rotary flag will be raised on flag pole of Inner Harbour - courtesy of Victoria Harbour Authority.

                    (3rd) Rotary flag will be raised at the Oak Bay Municipal Hall.

12:00 noon. Rotarians, Chris Dysart & Bill Freyer will be guests on the Ryan Price open line talk show C-FAX 1070 radio to speak of Rotary Day and of our recent humanitarian projects in Tegucigalpa, Honduras.

12:00 noon Rotary clubs in Oak Bay, Saanich, Royal Oak will hold (by donation) hot-dog sales in aid of Polio Plus at the Municipal Halls of Saanich, and Oak Bay and in the "up-Town" shopping complex.

5:30-11:00p.m. Historic Malahat Building on Wharf Street, will be illuminated with Rotary message "End Polio Now."

CELEBRATING ROTARY'S ANNIVERSARY - FEBRUARY 23

The following are events to be held by individual Victoria Area Rotary Clubs to mark the 106th anniversary of the foundation of Rotary on February 23rd.

Oak Bay will hold a ‘by donation’ hotdog sale in front of City Hall, from 11:30 – 2:00 pm. All proceeds to benefit Polio Plus. The Rotary Day proclamation will be presented to Council this week, and efforts are to be made to have a Rotary flag flown outside The Oak Bay Municipal Hall on the 23rd. Rotaract students from Oak Bay High have been asked to create window displays in store fronts along Oak Bay Avenue, and so far two banks ( HSBC and CIBC) have agreed to loan space for this purpose.

On February 23rd, Oak Bay will also facilitate the illumination of one side of the Malahat Building on Wharf Street with the Rotary wheel emblem and “END POLIO NOW”. The illumination will commence at 5:45 pm. Gerry Pash of the Downtown club is trying to arrange that A Channel TV weather man Bruce Williams will conduct his early news hour weather forecast in-front of the light display.

Saanich/Sidney will hold a ‘by donation’ hotdog sale at the Saanich Municipal Hall from 11:00-1:30pm on the 23rd, they will also have Rotarians strategically located at the new Uptown shopping precinct offering long stemmed white roses for donations to Polio Plus.

Harbourside has arranged that Victoria City Council will read and adopt the Rotary Day proclamation at their regular council meeting, Thursday Feb 10th. On the morning of the 23rd, His Worship the Mayor, Dean Fortin will address Rotarians at City Hall at 08:30 a.m. and afterwards (08:45 approx.) he will raise the Rotary flag on the City Hall entrance flag pole.

At 12:30 (noon) Harbourside Rotarians, Chris Dysart and Bill Freyer, will be guests on C-FAX 1070 with Ryan Price, to speak about Rotary and their recent trip to Honduras on humanitarian projects for Rotary.