Riverview Rotary’s first Shredfest was a raging success! It feels great when our Club hits a win-win like this one. Thanks to Best Shredding, SANDRA BAYROCK at Century 21, Alberta Traffic Supply, Emmanuel Foundation, and Kingsway Garden Mall for partnering with us on this fundraiser. Many people drove up and watched their documents get shredded on the spot right in front of their eyes and we thank you for your support. Funds generated will give kids at Edmonton's inner-city Delton School a pair of new shoes.
A HUGE thank you to Roberta Adams and Gail Black of the Jewel Rebekah Lodge #25 and Odd Fellows of Edmonton for a generous donation of $3000 towards the Delton Running Shoe Project.
Riverview Rotary wishes to thank all the people who came out and supported us. Watch out this fall when we do a repeat performance and have a bigger, better Shredfest!
The Rotary Club of Edmonton Riverview is featured in the July 2020 The Rotarian Magazine.
In 2019, first responders in Canada displayed a spirit of international cooperation by donating a firetruck and four ambulances for use in Belize.
The Rotary Club of Edmonton Riverview, Alberta, which has been coordinating donations of ambulances and medical supplies to Belize for a number of years, helped with logistics. To deliver the firetruck and ambulances, the club applied for the Denton Program, a joint effort of various US government departments and agencies, which provides transportation of humanitarian assistance using military aircraft. The truck, destined for the city of Corozal, came off the US Air Force transport plane at Philip SW Goldson International Airport in Belize City.
Indefatigable Dr. Roman Bayrock is helping his Riverview Rotary Club run a “Shred Fest” Saturday, June 27. (Kingsway Mall, Edmonton, North Parking Lot)
“We are offering to shred people’s old tax returns and other sensitive papers,” says chiropractor Bayrock. “Funds raised will help some of the many inner-city children who have never owned a new pair of shoes. “These youngsters have never experienced the many positive benefits of wearing a good pair of shoes and our plan is to see every child at Delton Elementary School in a new pair of running shoes by Oct. 31.”
People can see their papers shredded in front of them from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the north parking lot at Kingsway Mall. The cost: a donation or $10 per box. No limit to the number of boxes supporters can have shredded. Social distancing rules will be in place.
Bayrock is forever helping others and recently played a leading role in his club’s servicing of 200 donated wheelchairs being sent to different charities or to needy overseas countries.
 Amy Smith was the presenter at the Riverview Rotary Club and spoke from Brisbane, Australia. Amy has visited the Riverview Rotary Club as our grant scholarship student. She is a Graduate of the University of Alberta and originates from Calmar, Alberta. She was a member of Rotaract and participated in Rotaract Belize projects. She recently completed a 2-year masters from the University of Queensland, Australia and is now on temporary work assignments. 7 Rotary Clubs, including the Riverview Rotary Club contributed and with the Rotary Foundation dollars provided the 2-year scholarship. Amy talked about international Indigenous Development and Reconciliation in Settler States in Canada and Australia. She is proud of her Metis heritage. She studied Political Science in 2015 and since worked in Human Resources and organized cultural awareness events, bringing her 2 worlds together. The Rotary Global Grant Scholarship has been an amazing experience. She studied at the University of Queensland and received her Master’s Degree in Social Sciences. She was accepted into the Aurora Internship Program in Australia. A 5-week internship. “Understanding alone does not bring change. It’s what we do with that understanding that matters.” – Krishna Pujari. Amy believes we cannot sit on our understanding but need to take action. |
 Jessica Brandon ACT- Jessica Brandon, Manager of Training and Education, Action Coalition on Human Trafficking presented to the Riverview Rotary Club. |
Riverview Rotary has received a heartfelt email updating the good news results of the Kashojwa Uganda Water Project.
Hope this finds you well.
I am writing to you to bring to your attention to the water project impaction to our village.
As the major reason of the kashojwa project that you and your Rotary club funded was to bring down the typhoid cases..... READ MORE..
Missing Rotary because your club cancelled its regular meeting. Continue your Rotary involvement by “visiting” the Rotary E-Club of Canada One (the home club of DGE Jim Ferguson).
The E-club also holds a weekly Coffee Chat on Thursday morning at 8:00 am MDT. These gatherings are “strictly for fun and fellowship and a way to get to know our fellows Rotarians.”
On the third Tuesday each month, the E-club holds a monthly fellowship assembly at 6:00 pm MDT, with a different theme each month.
Visit the E-Club Canada One website <https://portal.clubrunner.ca/8529> to learn more and sign up to attend its meetings.
Lynn Gagne, C.H.N. Certified in Holistic Nutrition presented on the importance of nutrition on health. |
HSMUN High School Mock United Nations Opening Ceremonies with guest speakers Rt Hon. Michaelle Jean, 27th Governor-General of Canada and Tracey Vavrek Rotary District Governor.
Dr. Roman Bayrock returned from 12 days with the Westend Rotary Club in Guatemala and Westend Club President Ben Doz. The Westend Club worked on its vision program and our Dr Roman Bayrock worked hard as the resident Chiropractor. Patients said they felt delicious. |
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Cynthia Dusseault and brother Blaine also went on this trip. They worked with Marielle Black who has a registered charity Roby’s Helping Hands and instrumental in getting the project off the ground. There were 11 women that trained to sew on this trip.
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The Multiple Paul Harris Fellow Plus 3 Sapphires Award and pin recognize Dr. Greidanu's contributions to the Rotary Foundation.
Darcy Frunchak (left) Dr. Tom Greidanus (right)
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Darcy Frunchak, Riverview Rotary Club President presents The Paul Harris Fellow Award to Carl Simonson. The Paul Harris Fellow Award is presented in recognition acknowledges individuals who contribute, or who have contributions made in their name, of $1,000 to The Rotary Foundation. Rotary established the recognition in 1957 to encourage and show appreciation for substantial contributions.
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Recognized by The Insurance Nexus Awards, in Chicago, Calvin Lim is the 2019 Innovative Broker of the Year Winner for the insurance broker organization who goes above and beyond to meet the needs of the customer in the modern insurance industry.
In the pursuit of delivering customer-first products with a seamless experience from purchase to claims, each carrier must first become a customer-centric organization. To recognize excellence and innovation at each stage of this process, in the category for product development, customer service, operational transformation and claims – and aim to celebrate both the executives leading the change and the teams on the front line every day executing on customer strategy.
Calvin Lim is the Owner of UW Insurer Brokers and a Riverview Rotarian since 2016.
Possessing a moral compass and unwavering moral principles. Upstanding. Honorable. Fair. Sincere. This aptly describes the individuals who were honored on May 8, 2019 at the 2019 Capital Region Rotary Integrity Awards. Every year, Rotary clubs are invited to honor non-Rotarians who embody the ideals of Rotary in their contributions to the community. The members of our club who attended the event heard some incredible stories about some incredible individuals. Just as we, as Rotarians, strive to "Be the Inspiration," these individuals serve as inspiration for us.
We were delighted to have Jim Bradshaw as our club's honoree. Jim has spent countless hours volunteering on community boards and for community initiatives--working to make communities better places for everyone.
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Jimmy Morrison, Community Relations Supervisor at Operation Friendship Seniors Society (OFSS), addressed our club at Tuesday's meeting, filling us in on the amazing work the society does for our city's disadvantaged seniors. OFSS may be unknown to many, but it's dear to the hearts of our club members and is an organization we have been supporting for many years. Jimmy reminded us how lucky we are to live the lives we do, and how much our gifts of compassion and support mean to those less fortunate.
OFSS is holding it's Breaking Ground Gala on Monday, May 27, 2019, with the goal of raising money to build a new OFSS building that will provide an extra level of care for disadvantaged seniors who are in the fragile stages of life. If you have it in your heart to give, consider attending the gala or donating online to OFSS.
The Edmonton Centennial Interact Club (at Ross Sheppard) hosted us for breakfast on April 30th and told us about their recent work in Belize.
Interact club president, Maya, says, “This year, Ross Sheppard’s Centennial Interact Club made our 7th trip to Belize to work with two of the schools in partnership with us--Ocean Academy and Eden Primary. It was beyond incredible. Each and every member who went has returned beyond grateful for our experience. We painted murals, rooms, and a guardhouse, and shared wonderful memories with the students of each school! We’ve come back with a renewed sense of leadership and service, ready to embody Rotary’s motto of ‘Service above Self’ within our communities and with the schools in the future!”
Here are some pics of the Interactors in Belize. We're proud to be a sponsor of this club.
It makes for a great Rotary meeting when there's an induction. At Tuesday's meeting, there was one. Welcome to the club, Mariusz Sapijaszko!
Mariusz is a dermatologist and cosmetic surgeon https://www.youthfulimage.com/dr-mariusz-sapijaszko-cosmetic-dermatology. He's eager to serve, and we're delighted that he decided to join our club.
“Sewing for a Better Tomorrow,” our club’s newest international project, delivered a week of sewing lessons to a group of women in Sandhill Village, Belize and left the women with the equipment, supplies, skills, and knowledge they need to start a sewing cooperative and earn gainful income.
It was a week of long days and hard work in some mighty intense heat—both for the women of Sandhill and for the project’s volunteers—but under the fantastic leadership of club member Lora Lee Peaslee, the rewards reaped by all were many.
The ultimate goal was to help the women help themselves, so we’re looking forward to hearing updates from the co-op executive regarding how things are going. Lora Lee will stay connected with the women to provide ongoing support and advice. A heartfelt thanks goes out to all of you who donated to this worthwhile project.
On Tuesday, April 16th, Cecilia Blasetti, Director of the Boyle McCauley Health Centre addressed members at our weekly meeting. Our club has had a long relationship with the Centre, providing annual funding for its IUD (intrauterine device) program. Cecilia thanked the club for its ongoing support and had some good news. The IUD program has now obtained secure, sustainable funding for the program, so we can channel our club’s funding donation to other good causes.
Cecilia described the many other services and programs that the Boyle McCauley Health Centre coordinates, pointing out that there are still opportunities and needs for partnerships with Rotary. For example, people often come through the door of the Centre with no healthcare card. The Centre assists them with getting “into the system” so that they can access much needed medial care. The Centre also offers dental, footcare, chiropractic care (Our own club member Roman Bayrock, a chiropractor, has often donated his time here.), acupuncture, optometry as well as assistance with finding housing, pregnancy services, etc. The list goes on.
The Boyle McCauley Health Centre offer services to the most vulnerable in our society—individuals who have challenges accessing health services. This is awesome work and we look forward to exploring new ways we can become involved.
Paul and Cynthia Dusseault are beginning their journey home from a six-week stay in Ecuador. The trip was very much a volunteer vacation. The club’s International Committee provided $5000 CAD for them to use in a partner project with the Tomebamba Rotary Club in the city of Cuenca. The project involved equipping Casa Maria Amor, a shelter for abused women and their children, with a variety of much-needed items—clothing, running shoes, kitchen supplies & equipment, etc. The women and children flee their homes with only the clothing on their backs, and the shelter is their refuge sometimes for many months. Government support for Casa Maria Amor was recently cut back, so the shelter is struggling to meet the needs of the women and children.
While helping the Tomebamba Rotary Club seek out (shop for and order) the many items that were needed by Casa Maria Amor, Paul and Cynthia embarked on a side volunteer project of their own. This project turned out to be much bigger than they had imagined. They spent almost every morning—for four weeks—at Hogar Miguel León, a home for low or no-income seniors (many with no families) as well as for orphans.
A week was spent turning up the soil in a huge overgrown-with-weeds garden plot, preparing the soil for a vegetable garden. Paul and Cynthia arrived early every morning to first help the staff with the seniors—to get them ready for the day and to help them with breakfast. (Many of the seniors are in wheelchairs, so they need help with showering and dressing. Many have great difficulty feeding themselves or simply cannot feed themselves.) Once breakfast was over, then Paul and Cynthia headed into the garden for three to four hours, adzes and shovels in hand. The seniors watched curiously and offered the occasional bit of advice.
The next two/three weeks were spent fixing the seniors’ wheelchairs, which were in very bad shape—flats tires, loose brakes, missing footrests and armrests, missing bolts on hand rims, etc. Paul and Cynthia got to know where to buy tubes, tires, tools, etc.—Ecuador is not a place with one-stop-shops. They were also entrusted with a key to a secret room that contained about two dozen old wheelchairs, from which they were able to salvage parts. It was an exercise is creativity. Some of the seniors cried when they were given their refurbished wheelchairs. Thanks to the generous donation of money from the Operation Esperanza ward nurses whom Paul and Cynthia had come to know through volunteering on that medical/dental mission for 6 years, and who had entrusted them with some money to do something charitable with, there was money to buy supplies, tools, and parts to fix as many wheelchairs as possible plus to buy three brand new wheelchairs.
Towards the end of the wheelchair project, the nuns who run the hogar asked Paul and Cynthia if they could help with a fairly big donation—of an oxygen concentrator needed by a sweet 103-year-old man who has to be on oxygen 24/7. Compiling the remaining money from the nurses, plus a donation by a Canadian friend (Thanks, Dennis!) who had come to visit, plus some personal money that Paul and Cynthia contributed, plus a top-up by the Riverview Rotary club, Paul and Cynthia had the funds to go oxygen concentrator shopping. There was much happiness at the hogar the day they purchased it, squeezed it into a taxi, and delivered it.
The day Paul and Cynthia went to the hogar to say good-bye to the nuns, staff, and seniors, a two-hour-long surprise party was held to thank them—complete with speeches, cake (a real treat for the seniors), hand-made gifts and cards, and a few tears.
Back to Casa Maria Amor, just before leaving Cuenca, Paul and Cynthia and a delegation of Tomebamba Rotarians went to deliver all the items that had been purchased for the shelter. More speeches. Another little party. But the gratitude goes both ways. As Paul and Cynthia point out, giving back makes you a better person, so everyone benefits.
Fervone Goings, WISEST team lead, spoke to our club at Tuesday's weekly meeting about equipping and empowering girls and women to pursue and embrace careers in STEM--science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. WISEST (Women in Scholarship, Engineering, Science & Technology) is a unit of the University of Alberta.
The Rotary Club of Edmonton Riverview sponsored four grade six girls from Delton School to attend the Choices Conference (hosted by WISEST) in February, engage in hands-on activities, watch cool demonstrations, and learn about the fascinating world of STEM. Seeds planted? Here's hoping!
At this Tuesday’s club meeting, Nelson Scott introduced Rotarians to narrowboat vacationing on the canals of England. These boats were built during the Industrial Revolution, and Nelson and his wife, June, embarked on a unique narrowboat adventure. After receiving a brief introduction to their 72-foot-long, seven-foot-wide narrowboat as well as an orientation to the operation of the locks they would be navigating through, they set out on a week-long journey on the Stourport Ring. This trip of about 90 miles included 10 tunnels and 118 locks, of which only three of the latter are manned. The boat itself was well equipped and provided comfortable accommodation for four people (up to six people is possible). Nelson said that narrowboats and locks are easy to operate. The trip offered contrast between urban settings—such as Birmingham—and tranquil countryside. Needless to say, many pubs were located along the route.
At Tuesday's club meeting, member Chris Gowers took the stage and delivered part 3 of his "classification talk. In his working career, Chris was a hotelier par excellence.
Each member of a Rotary club is expected to deliver a presentation about his/her vocation/profession; this is called a "classification talk."
We inducted a new member at Tuesday's meeting, and we're delighted. Rozanna Wyatt is an executive leadership and performance coach and the founder of her company, Wyatt Leadership IQ. Rotary is the perfect place for her to use her expertise and knowledge. Happy Rotary journey, Rozanna!
Here's Rozanna with Stephen Lau (who introduced Rozanna to Rotary) and Paul Dusseault (Club Membership Director).
On Monday evening, our club’s Membership Committee hosted an “Introduction to Rotary” event for new and newish members of the club. Club Membership Director, Paul Dusseault, welcomed the attendees—five of the club’s newish members (Svetlana, Lola, Sandra, Mark, and Denis), along with Denis’s spouse, Monique, Stephen Lau’s girlfriend, Faye, and the Membership Committee members, Wayne, Nelson, Stephen, and Dean.
Wayne identified the many benefits of Rotary membership—networking, fellowship, the reward of “giving back,” the opportunity to develop humanitarian projects using one’s knowledge and skills. He explained the club’s focus on impacting inner city youth and seniors. Projects such as the Rocky Mountain Experience, the Voyager Experience, school dinners, music programs, and scholarships demonstrate our commitment to youth. Our partnership with Operation Friendship Seniors Society (serving meals, holding clothing drives, and assisting with Christmas programs) forms the focal point of our work with seniors. Internationally, our many projects include the Operation Esperanza Medical/Dental Mission to Ecuador, providing ambulances to countries in Central America and Africa, building playgrounds in Belize, and a brand-new-this-year sewing project in Belize.
The “Introduction to Rotary” evening was interactive, with lots of questions, answers, and great conversation. Everyone took away a greater appreciation of what the club does, what it can do, and how individual members constitute the driving force behind it all.
Members of our Rotary club celebrated the 50th anniversary of Operation Friendship Seniors Society (OFSS) this morning at their "kick-off breakfast," which heralds a string of anniversary year events. It was great to spend a little time with the seniors served by OFSS, to meet some of the society's board members, and to mingle with other folks who give of themselves to help this shining star of a social service agency in our city.
The Calgary Flames fan is Jimmy Morrison, OFSS's Community Relations Supervisor. And that's long-time OFSS board member, Sue Walsh, wearing the lovely green and purple scarf. The rest . . . well, that would be us Rotarians, from left to right: Leslie, Chris Cynthia, Paul, and Dean.
The Salvation Army hosted an "appreciation lunch" for its recent Christmas Kettle Bell Campaign, and some of our club members who took shifts at Southgate Mall to help fill the kettle attended.
The Edmonton campaign raised over half a million dollars to provide social services to the capital region's vulnerable and disadvantaged.
Here we are with Rotarians from other Edmonton clubs that also "rang the kettle bells."
There's Chris (far left), Paul (next to Cliff), and Raemonde and Darcy holding the certificate of appreciation.
We're delighted to announce our club's newest international project, spearheaded by long-term member Lora Lee Peaslee. Please consider supporting this project that will change the lives of low-income and no-income women in a village in Belize.
We've set up a GoFundMe campaign to tell the story and to make it easy for you to give if you can. Click here or click on the photo to learn more.
At this morning's weekly meeting, club member Stephen Lau, President and Founder of Edmonton Home Pros, gave us a fascinating crash course on the current status of the real estate market here in Edmonton mainly but also in other parts of the country.
Get ready for more “skinny homes.” Understand that millennials have a huge effect on the market because they’re doing everything later in life—including buying homes. If you live in a huge house, think of downsizing soon because demand for big homes is dropping. Modernize/renovate your home if you plan on living in it for another 5-10 years; otherwise, don’t bother. Expect the real estate market to remain flat because of the uncertain economic and political situation. Etc. etc. etc.
Stephen, who organizes speakers/presenters for our weekly meetings, had to figure out how to cover the last-minute cancellation (due to illness) for this morning. He stepped up in a big way to be the speaker himself and outdid himself. Tons of info, a heap of insights, and an excellent handout to boot.
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At our meeting this morning, Dr. Mark Joffe, Vice President & Medical Director for Northern Alberta with Albert Health Services, walked us through the history of polio, from when it was a mysterious and misunderstood disease that afflicted thousands and killed many, through to the discovery that polio is caused by a virus and can be vaccinated against, and finally to today when immunization programs have almost wiped this dreaded disease from the planet, the only countries with polio cases being Nigeria, Afghanistan, and Pakistan--and the numbers of those cases being very small. Joffe pointed out that the barriers to wiping polio from these three countries are both political and social. For example, the Pakistani Taliban have banned the polio vaccine.
Joffe gave us incredible insights into how polio affected life in Edmonton through the years, and how medical professionals here stepped up to cope with the epidemics of the 1950s. He told a moving story of iron lungs and lives destroyed. It's a story that Rotarians embrace and pay attention to because the fight to end polio is a fight that Rotary will not walk away from until polio is no more.
You can help Rotary and its partners in the fight to end polio.
Cliff Neufeld, our club's president, thanks Dr. Joffe for an informative, insightful, and powerful presentation.
What a great club meeting we had this morning! Too much for one story, so there will be two today. This one's about service . . . one of the pillars of Rotary. We gave and we thanked.
First, there's Edmonton's Food Bank. Our director of community services, Leslie Cleary, handed a cheque for $5000 to Tamisan Bencz-Knight, Manager of Strategic Relationships & Partnerships for the Food Bank. The money will help augment the Food Bank's food hamper program through the provision of shelf-stable milk for the hampers handed out to the Edmonton's families in need.
Second, there's Alberta Honda. Club member Roman Bayrock presented Glen Lewis, Shop Foreman at Alberta Honda, with a plaque in appreciation of Alberta Honda's work on servicing our donated ambulances and fire trucks to get them ready to go to places like Belize and Honduras--places that are in dire need of emergency services vehicles.
Third, we have Operation Friendship Seniors Society (OFSS). Long-time club/board member Dean Wood loaded up his vehicle with items collected by our club members for the disadvantaged seniors who use the services of OFSS. Winter clothing, coffee, mugs, a blanket/afghan or two . . . we hope these items help the seniors stay warm this winter.
The Rotary Foundation enables Rotarians around the world to undertake humanitarian service projects that change lives. At Tuesday morning's club meeting, Vicky Grabb, who is a governance consultant by profession and a Rotarian at heart, reminded us of that.
Donations to the Foundation come back to club members so they can carry out work in the Rotary's 6 areas of focus:
• Peace and conflict prevention/resolution
• Disease prevention and treatment
• Water and sanitation
• Maternal and child health
• Basic education and literacy
• Economic and community development
Rotarians donate to the Foundation, but so can anyone--everyone. Read more about the Foundation, and . . . well, why not consider donating.
Our club president, Clifford Neufeld is thanking Vicky with a gift--the gift being a donation to the Foundation, specifically to the fund to eradicate polio from the planet.
Our club volunteered for the Salvation Army's "Christmas Kettle Campaign" again this year. You might have seen some of us at Southgate Mall this past Friday and Saturday.
If you haven't had a chance to put a little something in the kettle, you can donate online.
And remember, one of the secrets to happiness is helping others.
Professor Gordon Houlden, Director of the China Institute, explained China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) to our club's members and guests this morning. Consisting of a “belt” of overland routes based on the ancient "Silk Road" and a maritime “road” of shipping lanes connecting numerous ports, the BRI is, as Houlden explained, the "biggest infrastructure project in history," with over 100 countries involved. (Learn more)
While China--a country that has been on the rise for a few decades--is the driving force behind the initiative and will reap substantial economic and social rewards from it, the goals are multi-fold for all involved countries. Houlden identified them in his presentation: 1) policy coordination; 2) facilities connectivity; 3) unimpeded trade; 4) financial integration; 5) people-to-people bonds.
This is an initiative you can expect to hear much about in the future.
On November 8, 2018, some dedicated members of our club and some friends of our club met at the Emmanuel Foundation's warehouse to load a shipping container that is now on its way to Belize. In the container . . . well, there's literally a ton (or more) of donated items. Thanks to our club members Roman and Sandra Bayrock for working with the Emmanuel Foundation to collect items and spearhead the loading of this container.
3 playgrounds
6 boxes EMT (emergency medical technician) uniforms
5 desks
30 hospital mattresses
2 bundles of garden tools
4 handsaws
10 chairs (for a sewing project that our member Lora Lee is organizing for 2019)
6 tables (for Lora Lee's sewing project)
14 sewing machines (for Lora Lee's sewing project)
2 boxes fabric (for Lora Lee's sewing project)
30 wheelchairs
10 walkers
10 spinal boards
37 bicycles
600 soccer balls & pumps
20 boxes soccer uniforms
2 hospital gurneys
. . . plus so much more (4 calling birds, 3 French hens, 2 turtle doves, and a partridge in a pear tree--well, not really, but 'tis the season)
District Governor Ingrid Neitsch met with our club’s board on October 29th and spoke at our club meeting on October 30th, to deliver some advice and inspiration.
This past week, club member Sandra Bayrock spent some time with Stanice Tokio Markham at Operation Friendship Seniors Society (OFSS) making Christmas lists for disadvantaged inner city seniors in Edmonton. This is part of an amazing program--called Stocking Stuffers for Seniors--developed by OFSS. Actually, it was OFSS Community Relations Supervisor Jimmy Morrison, who came up with the idea, and it makes one's heart sing.
For each senior, Sandra and Stanice created a list of 3 items--could be something like toiletries, socks, throw blankets, cookies, chocolates, etc.--that would make Christmas special for that person. Those lists will be taken to London Drugs, written on ornament-shaped tags, and hung on a Christmas tree.
Then it's up to Edmontonians to pitch in. How? When you're doing your Christmas shopping this year, pop into a London Drugs store, look for the tree, take a tag, buy the items and leave them with the cashier. The gifts will be wrapped and given to the seniors at Christmas.
The Edmonton Journal wrote an article about the program last year.
It truly is better to give than to receive, and this program brings that home.
Back from a month-long journey in Russia, Paul Dusseault presents our club president, Cliff Neufeld, with "flags" from two Rotary clubs (a St. Petersburg club and a Kazan club) in Russia. When you're a Rotarian, you're welcome--in fact, more than welcome--to attend meetings of clubs in other countries. The exchange of flags is a token of friendship, and each club's flag is representative of some feature or aspect of the club, its city, or its country.
About that journey, Paul Dusseault and his wife (Cynthia, also a member of the Riverview club) travelled independently (not on a tour), learning a great deal about Russia, its people, and its history. Two members of the Kazan club even took an afternoon off work to show Paul and Cynthia some of the historic sights near Kazan, which is the capital of the Republic of Tatarstan. That's Rotary fellowship!
Paul Dusseault says, "Visiting clubs anywhere in the world is a great feature of Rotary. We think this type of people-to-people relationship building contributes to peace building by reducing mistrust and misinformation between people and nations. And by the way, go to Russia, it is amazing."
So, at Tuesday's meeting, Karen Unland and her daughter Elizabeth Spencer gave us some insights into podcasts and why we should make them part of "our media diets." Check out Karen and Elizabeth's podcast, "That's a Thing." (https://thatsathing.transistor.fm/) And if that's not your thing, check out the Alberta Podcast Network (https://www.albertapodcastnetwork.com/ for more great podcasts by Albertans. Then go even broader, and check out Time's "the best podcasts of 2018 so far (http://time.com/5275708/best-podcasts-of-2018-so-far/).
Induction!! At Tuesday's meeting, Jessy Nerval became our first new member in this Rotary year. Jessy launched the Seva Food Truck not-for-profit (see Seva YEG) a project of Edmonton’s Sikh community. Seva Food Truck provides meals to Edmonton’s hungry, regardless of ethnicity or religion. Welcome Jessy!
Today’s speaker was our own Roman Bayrock, who, with his fiancée, our own Sandra McDonald, enjoyed a unique boating adventure this summer, through the many locks of Canada’s Rideau Canal. The Canal was opened in 1832. It was designed to defend Kingston, Canada’s capital at the time, from an American attack. Thankfully, that attack never happened.
Andrew Otway, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Royal Alexandra Hospital Foundation delivered an eye-opening and highly informative presentation to our club on Tuesday, about the hospital that many of us know well. This busy hospital runs 28 operating rooms, can provide complex care for 66 babies at a time in its neonatal intensive care unit, delivers hundreds of babies every year, and so on and so on.
A few weeks ago, our club had a "handover" event at the Faculty Club, at which the reins of the club were handed over to a new president and a new board. Past President Paul thanked those who served on the board and served in key roles during his presidential year. Thanks again, everyone!
John, Jason, and Tamisan couldn't be at the event, so Paul thanked them at this week's meeting. Thanks, John, for another year of serving as Club Secretary. Thanks, Jason, for arranging our weekly speakers and handling our ongoing grocery card fundraiser. Thanks, Tamisan, for scheduling us all for meeting set-up and take-down.
As our club embarks on a new Rotary year, we invite you to learn about Rotary (https://www.rotary.org/en) by coming to a meeting. Head over to our website (https://portal.clubrunner.ca/454) and learn more about us. Send us a message and we'll let you know about our upcoming meetings, our meeting format, what Rotary does, and how Rotary can become one of the most meaningful aspects of your life.
At Tuesday's meeting, one of our newest members, Dr. Denis Vincent, spoke about ezReferral (http://ezreferral.org), a must-have service for health care professionals and their patients.
The service (Dr. Vincent is the founder and CEO) makes it possible for health professionals to send referrals easily and securely through the cloud, ensuring that everyone is on the same page, including the patient. The system automatically notifies and reminds patients of what's up, which means patients don't have to wonder what's really happening with those referrals their physicians said they made.
The ezReferral system means no more faxing. Faxing is an archaic, inefficient method of communicating, and as Dr. Vincent points out, lost faxes can and do put patients' lives at risk. A referral that's acted upon in a timely manner can save a life.
Dr. Vincent and his innovation partners built ezReferral as a social enterprise. It won the Canadian Medical Association’s top prize for innovation last year.
Ask your health care professional if he/she uses or knows about ezReferral. If the answer is "no," then forward him/her this article about the downfalls of old-fashioned faxing: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/…/article-why-are-fax-mach…/ and encourage him/her to advocate for a change. Some health professionals are already on board, but bureaucracy is an impediment. Advocacy can make a difference--and save lives.
On May 31st, we enjoyed a lovely "cinq à sept" farewell party for long-time club member Mary McLean. We gathered at the home of member Lindsay Robinson to celebrate Mary's years with our club and to wish her well as she prepares to move far away from us, but closer to her family.
Good-bye Mary. We are going to miss you. We thank you for your many years of stellar "service above self." (And here are just a few photos of the delightful evening.)
Another great meeting on Tuesday. Induction happened first. Meet our newest club member, Dr. Denis Vincent, family physician and innovator (http://www.cbc.ca/…/ezreferral-alberta-denis-vincent-1.4248…). Welcome to the Rotary family, Denis! And thanks, club member Stephen Lau, for inviting Denis to our meetings to learn about Rotary and now embrace it.
We were also treated to an informative presentation about University of Alberta’s High School Model United Nations (HSMUN) 2018 Conference (https://hsmun.org), of which our club has been the primary sponsor for the past six years.
Thanks, Perrin Michalyshyn (HSMUN 2018 Secretary General), Abdel Tayem (HSMUN 2019 Secretary General), and Azan Esmail (HSMUN 2020 Secretary General), for telling us about the issues/debates and how students solve world problems.
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At Tuesday's club meeting, Raemonde Bezenar, Executive Director of the Mountain Gorilla Conservation Society of Canada, donned her gorilla suit and gave us an impassioned talk about her work with the endangered gorillas of Africa.
In May of this year, to raise money for students pursuing careers in veterinary medicine--and who will potentially become "gorilla doctors" for these great apes--Raemonde will be spending 12 days trekking to Everest Base Camp and then participating in the 60 Km Extreme Ultra Everest Marathon. Please consider supporting Raemonde in her efforts by donating to her GoFundMe campaign.
This year marks the 16th anniversary of HSMUN, and for the past 16 years the University of Alberta campus has been transformed for three days of each year into a realm of negotiation and intrigue. High school students from across the province had the opportunity to work together through real life scenarios. Riverview Rotary is pleased to continue to support the HSMUN financially each year.
HSMUN 2018 will took place from Thursday, February 22 to Saturday, February 24, 2018 at the U of A north campus. The conference commenced with opening ceremonies on Thursday night and wrap up on Saturday afternoon with closing plenary.
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We live longer than ever before, and life is indeed a gift. But, along with that longevity often comes chronic illnesses, dementia, and a host of other conditions and issues. Dr. Jean Triscott (https://www.ualberta.ca/medicine/about/people/jean-triscott), Professor and Director of the Division of Care of the Elderly, spoke at our Tuesday morning club meeting about the work being done to improve the care of the elderly and make life better for us in our twilight years.
Read more about the work of the Division of Care of the Elderly here: https://www.ualberta.ca/…/a…/division-of-care-of-the-elderly.
Here's club member Chris Gowers thanking Dr. Triscott for taking the time to talk to us.
Thanks and thanks again to the Honourable Stephanie McLean, Minister of Service Alberta. Through her efforts, the Alberta Government was most gracious in responding to our request for surplus wheelchairs, tables, and chairs.
Our club partners with a few charities, especially the Emmanuel Foundation https://www.efoundation.ca, which ships containers full of playgrounds, medical equipment, and educational materials worldwide. In the extra spaces of those containers, we stick our tables, chairs, sewing machines, and other donations. Off they go to countries like Nicaragua, Uganda, and Belize.
Here are some photos of our work parties loading up wheelchairs and disassembling and loading up tables for delivery to the Emmanuel Foundation's distribution centre. Way to go, Riverview Rotary!
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Rotary Club of Edmonton Riverview
Invites You To
The First Annual
Rotary's Got Talent!
With proceeds to be donated to hurricane relief efforts.
Friday, January 26, 2018
Be "wowed" by the talent of Rotarians
and friends and relatives of Rotarians.
Enjoy the commentary of a panel of "celebrity" judges.
This is purely entertainment. Performers won't be awarded prizes.
Tickets: $45 per person
(includes buffet dinner and show)
Dinner starts at 6:00 pm.
Show starts at 7:00 pm.
The Carvery Buffet Royale
3318 Gateway Boulevard
Edmonton AB T6J 6V1
On December 1st, several of club members headed to Southgate Mall to volunteer for The Salvation Army's Christmas Kettle Campaign, which helps support those in need at Christmas and year round. Thanks to the busy shoppers who took the time to stop, say "hi," and put something in the kettle. Every little bit helps to make the holiday season brighter for those who have less.
There is no greater joy than giving.
Here are Norm Johnson and Paul Dusseault, who took the last shift at the Christmas Kettle.
Riverview Rotary heard that Edmonton's Food Bank is experiencing a shortage of donations -- food and funds. We have committed $5,000 to this wonderful organization and the cheque is already making its way there now.
We're asking your help in matching our donation and sending another $5,000 to Edmonton's Food Bank that does so much for so many.
Our club has a long history of serving meals to Edmonton's needy, whether they are the children and families who belong to our inner city school communities, or they are disadvantaged seniors struggling to meet their basic needs. But, on a daily basis, people in our city are hungry, and Edmonton's Food Bank is there for them. Visit the website of Edmonton's Food Bank to learn more.
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Club Mailing Address:
Rotary Club of Edmonton Riverview
Suite 1300, 10020 101A Ave NW Edmonton AB T5J 3G2
Club Contact:
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