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The online auction features a variety of items - experiences, merchandise, gift cards, and more. You also have the opportunity to donate to our causes:

Days for Girls Camrose Team creating and sending menstrual health kits to girls in need around the world. Almost 6,000 produced to date
Dolly Parton's Imagination Library Camrose Affiliate serving 325 children under 5 in Camrose City and County with a new age-appropriate book every month
Rotary Youth Exchange giving high school youth a one-year immersive experience abroad while we host a student from abroad
Other projects addressing Rotary's Seven Areas of Focus, including Community Economic Development and Peacebuilding and Conflict Resolution

The Online Auction will be live on April 16 at can.givergy.com/RotaryCamrose100/.

100th Anniversary Gala April 27

Our Gala Celebration will be at the Days Inn Norsemen where will Honor Our Past | Celebrate Our Present | Build Our Future. From the special welcoming cocktail, enjoyable cocktail hour musical entertainment, delicious buffet dinner, live auction of six special experiences, timely keynote, and fellowship our goal is to entertain you and share the impact of Rotary in Camrose and around the world thanks to the support of our community and the passion of our members.

Venue, event particulars, and Ticket information is at can.givergy.com/RotaryCamrose100/.

Family Fun Day June 15

Saturday, June 15 is a time for our community to enjoy a free, family oriented day of games, food, and fellowship at the Camrose Rotary Pavilion by the Stoney Creek Centre. Our butterfly and hummingbird gardens are close by while our Camrose Rotary Peace Path featuring trees planted to recognize Rotary Youth Exchange students going abroad (outbound) or being hosted by families here (inbound). The students spend close to a year in an immersive cultural experience usually hosted by three to four different families while attending school and being part of the local community.

More details about the Family Fun Day will come as we approach June.

For information on any of the events here, email RotaryCamrose@gmail.com.

2022-04-11 CORE Youth Program

Dan C introduced Cst. John Fernhout who has been with the Camrose Police Service for 15 years.

As the D.A.R.E. initiative has aged, Cst. Fernhout took it upon himself to create a new program, aimed at kids in Grades 3, 6 and 9.

This program focuses on modern day issues that challenge kids such as cyberbullying, sexting, self-respect and social media awareness.

The program is called C.O.R.E. and has been embraced by Battle River and Elk Island school districts.

C – Caring for their body, mind, and spirit to better serve others
O – Online safety, integrity and responsibility
R – Relationship with self and others based on respect and trust
E – Establishing healthy boundaries or healthy decision making

Children are taught that they need to take care of their body (health), their mind, and their spirit (ethics, conscience, and beliefs). The CORE is where the three intersect, and you have to have a healthy CORE in order to be able to help others, including family, friends, the community and the world. They are taught that it is NOT about themselves, but about what they can do.

The children participate in community projects, and after a successful project are usually awarded with a pizza party and/or tee shirts or other prizes. Some of the projects have been:

a bottle drive for charity.
a letter writing campaign to thank people and businesses for all their work during COVID.
Cards and letters to seniors and first responders.

The program has been extremely well received by students, staff and the school boards.

Cst. Fernhout answered many questions from the group.

Odell then presented Cst. Fernhout with a certificate confirming that ten children have been vaccinated against Polio in thanks for his presentation today.

2021-10-04 Dolly Parton Imagination Library

President Dan along with Kim, have been researching a program called the Dolly Parton Imagination Library, with the intent of asking the club to consider taking it on as a local project.

Kim introduced the program to club members, explaining that it is a program that sends free books to young children, age 0-5, once a month. The books are sent directly to each child so the children can look forward to receiving them in the mail, and that they also understand that the books are theirs. Children who are enrolled in the program at birth receive at total of 60 books.

Kim asked that we watch a short video about the project which can be viewed here.

Kim then walked us through a slideshow describing the program. Highlights are as follows.

The Dolly Parton Imagination Library was created in 1995, and while it started in a local county in Tennessee, it has now grown throughout the US, Canada and the UK.
The program currently sends out over 1.5 Million, high-quality books every month, and since the start of the program has delivered over 167 Million books.
In Canada, there are 300 community partnerships in 10 provinces and three territories.
The books are paid for by the local partner at $3.55 per child per month, while the Dolly Parton Foundation pays for all the overhead, employee salaries etc.
All of the local funding goes towards the books and delivery
By providing books to children, the child's interest in reading is increased, parents read more to their children, and the children are better prepared for school.
The books being delivered directly to the child at their home creates an "event" that the children look forward to. It also promotes sharing and interaction and helps to promote a connection between the child and the caregiver(s) other family members and siblings, strengthening the home environment.
Books are high quality, age-specific and selected by a committee of specialists. In 2020 42/60 were Canadian titles.
Local partners, like Rotary are responsible for raising funds to support the program. While the program should be open to everyone regardless of income class, the sponsoring club can place limits on the number of participants. It is possible to start a pilot program.
Information collected about the child (Name, Address and Birth date) is stored in a secure database provided by the Dolly Parton Foundation.

There is typically a 60% enrollment rate, so if there are 1000 children in the community, approximately 600 will participate.
600 participants represents a commitment of about $25,560 per year.

Kim and Dan will be discussing this project at the next Board Meeting. If they receive the support from the board, they will bring it back to the club asking for approval to initiate a local project.

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Truth and Reconciliation Resources

September 30th has been declared National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

Here are some resources to learn more about this call for reflection and its call for action:

Truth and Reconciliation Event Documentary https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2JOOIHbFmRU

Blue Quills Website https://www.facinghistory.org/stolen-lives-indigenous-peoples-canada-and-indian-residential-schools/chapter-8/blue-quills

Videos

Home Fire: Ending the Cycle of Family Violence https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lmstyXc6FnI

Journey Home (the follow up to Home Fire – Healing for Indigenous Children in Foster Care) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-q4VepX4vU&t=9s

Website: Delivering on The Calls to Action https://www.rcaanc-cirnac.gc.ca/eng/1524494530110/1557511412801

Honouring the Truth, Reconciling for the Future: Summary of the Report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada https://ehprnh2mwo3.exactdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Executive_Summary_English_Web.pdf

They Came For the Children https://publications.gc.ca/collections/collection_2012/cvrc-trcc/IR4-4-2012-eng.pdf

Fiction

Porcupines and China Dolls https://www.cbc.ca/books/porcupines-and-china-dolls-1.4148284

Indian Horse by Richard Wagamese https://www.cbc.ca/books/indian-horse-1.3973010

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Online Food Drive

#RotaryResponds

The Rotary Club of Camrose is currently holding an On;ine Food Drive in Wetaskiwin for the Montana Cree Food Bank. Visit CamroseRotary.ca.to make a cash donation or book a pick-up of goods at your business or home this Friday the 26th or Saturaday the 27th.

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Montana Cree Food Bank

#RotaryResponds

The Rotary Club of Camrose, the Rotary Club of Camrose Daybreak and Rotary District 5370 co-operated to purchase over $2,000 of groceries and supplies for the Montana Cree Food Bank in Maskwacis. Delivery is happening today (May 1st).

Watch for an updated story.

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Socks Donations for Camrose

Rotary Clubs Donate socks for Camrose