Past President Joan Barrett invited guest Archie Allison to the front to present him with a Paul Harris Fellow Award. Rotarian Shirley Zinman nominated Archie, for his continued contribution to Variety Village, and his ongoing efforts to educate others to the needs of the disabled.
Archie has been teaching “Introduction to Inclusion” at U of T, Centennial and Humber Colleges for the past 18 years. As Shirley stated in her nomination: “Archie stands out as a Champion for anyone and everyone who needs a voice, for anyone and everyone who faces daily challenges which may be barriers to success.”
Archie works on the Accessibility Committee of the City of Toronto and is on the Board of Para-Sport Ontario. He championed the Fitness Friends program for the Durham School Board, which buddies a child with a disability to a child without a disability, promoting friendship, understanding and integration in 400 buddies. The Peel School District is now adopting this program too.