Governor’s Award – Reflection of Rotary International Theme
This award is donated by Past District Governors for the current District Governor to award to the club, which has most clearly reflected the Rotary International Theme.
 
Gilbert Paterson – Community
This award is presented to the club whose project best reflects one Avenue of Service in the Community.

Gilbert Paterson – International
This award is presented to the club whose project best reflects one Avenue of Service Internationally.

Gilbert Paterson – Youth
This award is presented to the club whose project, activity or event best reflects service to Youth.
Public Relations and Marketing
This recognition is awarded to a club or group of clubs producing the best publicity brochure or marketing event/tool during the 2019 – 2020 year.
 
Membership
This award annually recognizes the club with the largest percentage increase in membership.

Foundation Award – Annual Fund
This award is presented annually to the club, which has the highest per capita contributions to the Rotary Foundation.

Polio Plus
This award is presented annually to the club, which has the highest per capita contributions to Polio Plus.

Governor's Award - Reflection of Rotary International Theme

In Its submission to the awards committee, the Rotary Club of Edmonton Whyte Avenue provided several examples of what it did to connect with the world through volunteerism and community service, by growing the club's diversity and membership, by connecting with the community, by empowering leaders, by helping those in need around the world and by providing service during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

During the year the club provided over 1,000 volunteer hours to community service projects and donated more than $19,000 in cash, goods and services to communities in need. Responding to 2019-2020 RI President Mark Maloney’s call to increase club diversity, the club recruited new members who reflect the diversity of Rotary, including younger members and people with diverse backgrounds and experiences.

Believing that, “One of the best ways to strengthen our Club and build member potential is to give members the tools and skills to be even stronger club members and Rotarians,” the club created a Club Leadership Development Program.

During the pandemic, the club found ways to keep members connected and also serve the community. This included supporting the Edmonton Food Bank, Operation Friendship (a program for seniors in need) and preparing and delivering 400 meals to others in need.

 

Gilbert Paterson - Community 

For more than 20 years, the Rotary Club of Grande Prairie—Swan City has enlisted Rotarians from all the city’s clubs, Rotaractors and Interactors and other community members to participate in a city-wide food bank drive.

The food bank drive is conducted in September each year, but due to the increased demand due to COVID-19,  the club organized a second campaign in March 2020.

The September drive utilized approximately 1,000 volunteers who collected 47 tons of food, which is believed to a Canadian record for a one-day food bank drive. In March, the Rotary Community Food Bank Committee launched an online campaign, with a target of $100,000 for local food banks. By the end of May, more than $225,000 had been raised.

 

The efforts of the Rotary Club of Edmonton Northeast were focused on 13 schools, non-profit and charities in northeast Edmonton, which the club says “contains neighbourhoods that have some of the most significant social issues in the Edmonton area.” During 2019-2020 the club provided more than $22,000 in program funding and over 400 volunteer hours.

The club also partnered with the Rotary Clubs of Edmonton Glenora and Edmonton Whyte Avenue to support volunteers at the Edmonton Expo Centre, which was set up to house homeless people during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In its submission, the club linked their programs to five of Rotary’s six areas of focus.

 

Gilbert Paterson - International Service

The award for international service was given to the Rotary Club of Grande Prairie for its Healthy Girls Healthy Future program, which has benefitted more than 10,000 girls in Punjab, India.

The purpose of the program is “to give young girls the knowledge and facilities necessary to develop and maintain good menstrual hygiene practices … [and to] improve their knowledge of the biological process on menstruation and [to] learn healthy management strategies.”

The club links their project to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal #5: Achieve Gender Equality and Empower Women at the Grassroots Level. 

In its award submission, the club cited research that due to inadequate menstrual protection, girls aged 12 - 18 miss up to five school days a month and 23 percent drop out after reaching puberty.

Sice initiating the project in 2013, that club has provided nearly $39,000 menstrual hygiene education and to fund the installation of sanitary napkin vending machines and incinerators for safe disposal. 

Gilbert Paterson - Youth

 

The Rotary Club of Edmonton Strathcona received the Gilbert Paterson Award for Youth Services in recognition of the support it has provided to the New Hope School in South Africa.

For the past five years, two club members have led tours to South Africa and Zambia for Rotarians, family and friends. During these trips, the groups visit New Hope School, one of the largest schools for students with special needs in South Africa. 

These visits have inspired donations from individuals and the Strathcona club, which have assisted the school to create a safe environment for these students and housing for students, who come from other parts of South Africa and from other countries to attend the school.

Public Image and Marketing Award

The Rotary Club of Edmonton Strathcona was selected for the Public Image and Marketing award for its poster promoting its Polio Plus event.

The poster was circulated to members and their contacts and resulted in a better than anticipated attendance, which prompted the club to plan a second event that would have been held in May. Due to the pandemic, this second event was postponed.

Other District Awards

Membership

The Rotary Club of Morinville received the membership award, which recognizes the club with the largest percentage increase in membership during 2019-2020. The club had a net increase of five members or 17 percent.

Rotary Foundation

The Rotary Club of Hinton was recognized for its support of The Rotary Foundation, with an average per capita contribution of $393.12. The average contribution by members of the Rotary Club of Whitehorse was $384.67 and of the Rotary Club of St. Albert, $303.54.

Polio Plus

In terms of the total donations to Polio Plus, the top three clubs were the Rotary Clubs of Grande Prairie After Five ($63,790.81), Edmonton West ($9,952.83) and Edmonton South ($6,535.36).