Rotary Club Ottawa South worked alongside Ecology Ottawa and gave out tree seedlings on Saturday, September 3, 2022. It was a fun and successful event... read on!
What a successful tree giveaway event we had at South Keys Shopping Centre! Two hundred and two (202) baby trees found new homes in our community. Ten people entered the Rotary drawing for free community blend coffee; three of these individuals are interested in knowing more about Rotary. From logistics to communications and promotion, to setting up, staffing our table and assisting Ecology Ottawa in giving away the seedlings and take-down, everything went smoothly. This was truly a club-wide initiative, with everyone supporting the event and seeing the value in participating in the community tree giveaway, organized by our club's Environment Committee and co-hosted with Ecology Ottawa. A hearty thank you to all club members and their families who participated!
Ecology Ottawa representative, Meera, who was interested to learn a lot about Rotary, was very pleased with the success of this fall tree giveaway event. We will definitely be welcomed to participate again in the future.
Some interesting observations from the event:
- Some individuals were replacing trees that succumbed to the recent derecho that tore through the Ottawa area - it is great to see rebuilding / regreening!
- People really love trees and some folks came from other Ottawa neighborhoods to get free seedlings.
- One woman who is interested in Rotary volunteered to help us on the spot!
- New and long time Rotarians alike had a great time at this event and got to know each other better by serving together.
- We learned about the different trees that were being given away.
- It was nice to meet our neighbors and make connections - it felt like putting down roots in the community!😊
Thanks for making our community greener, healthier, and happier! We can look forward to the absorption of carbon and release of oxygen from these trees for decades to come!
Sherri Kelly
Environment Committee Chair
