When I accepted the privilege of serving as President of the Rotary Club of Lindsay, I made a promise to myself: this would not be a year of simply keeping things going. It would be a year of purpose.

Because there’s a difference between being busy and being meaningful. Between reacting and leading. Between maintaining a legacy and building one.

Our club has spent 104 years quietly changing lives across Kawartha Lakes. Long before hashtags, headlines, or social media, Rotarians were showing up — building trails, feeding families, supporting students, creating places where people felt seen, supported, and cared for.

That legacy humbles me. And it challenges me. Because we don’t inherit a legacy to protect it behind glass — we inherit it to carry it forward.

This year’s theme, Lead with Purpose, isn’t a slogan. It’s a promise.

A promise that every meeting will matter. Every event will have intention. Every new member will feel genuinely welcomed. Every dollar entrusted to us will create meaningful impact. Every decision will move us closer to becoming the kind of Rotary club our community deserves.

I want people across Kawartha Lakes to think of Rotary not simply as a service club, but as people they can count on — people who show up, people who care, people who turn ideas into action.

This year, we’ll grow our membership, strengthen our financial foundation, deepen our service, and launch Lindsay Rotary Fest — a celebration I hope becomes a lasting tradition for generations to come.

To our members and to our District, thank you. Your support, trust, and encouragement are what make this role possible, and I don’t take that for granted.

And to my son — thank you for being 99% well-behaved every time I’ve had to duck out for a Rotary meeting. That other 1% keeps me humble.

But none of that happens because of one president. It happens because ordinary people choose to do extraordinary things together.

Thank you for trusting me with this year. Let’s make it count.

With gratitude and purpose,

Rizzan
President, Rotary Club of Lindsay
Rotary Year 2026-27