Whyte Avenue Rotary Newsletter for the Week of January 26 (Jan 22, 2021)

Ashley Walsh, RMHC Donor Relations Officer, joined us online to talk about how Ronald McDonald House Charities Alberta supports families seeking vital medical treatment for their seriously ill or injured child. RMHC houses provide a home-away-from-home for families who need to travel for medical reasons. This is an organization that is near and dear to the Whyte Avenue Rotary Club; the Edmonton RMHC house is only blocks away from where our club regularly meets in-person when we aren't meeting online, and members have volunteered there to make meals for families staying in the house. Ashley shared powerful videos of families who told their stories of staying in a Ronald McDonald house and she shared impressive statistics on the impact that RMHC has made for Alberta families who have been in this tough situation over the years. It was so great to hear from RMHC and we can't wait until we are able to volunteer with this amazing organization in-person again

Service above self is a trait that Whyte Avenue Rotary members, and all Rotarians, admire and strive to demonstrate. The Whyte Knight Award was created by our club to recognize the commitment of our fun, fearless, and focused members in serving others. The previous recipient of the award decides, in consultation with other club members, the person who deserves to have this award. On Tuesday, Kristin Jennings, the past recipient of the award, presented The Whyte Knight Award to Michelle Okere for her service.

Michelle is a passionate and dedicated member of our club who embodies service above self. We really appreciate that she brings a lot of knowledge to the club from her work life. As Communications Chair for our club, Michelle has increased our social media engagement on all of our club platforms. She helped conceptualize and develop an online version of our Pumpkins for Polio fundraiser, including an in online voting component, and she was a joint-force in organizing and promoting our online Holiday Silent Auction. Michelle has incredible energy and warmth, kindness and generosity. Congratulations Michelle!

Polio Eradication Podcast by our Upcoming Speaker Craig Baird

When Craig Baird, host of the Canadian History Ehx podcast, did his presentation to the Rotary Club of Edmonton West in August, one of the questions he received from a member was if he would do an episode on polio eradication. Well, Craig has done just that!

The podcast episode looks at the polio threat in Canada, its impact it had on individual Canadians, and how it was mostly eradicated by Canadian scientists and he mentions in the episode the immense efforts Rotary put into eradicating polio.

We can't wait to have Craig as our speaker on February 2nd. You can check out his podcasts at Canadian History Ehx – A deep dive into our amazing history (canadaehx.com)

Click Here to Listen to the Canada and Polio Episode

Youth Services is looking to set up an Interact Committee that will help both Rotary sponsoring clubs and Interact Clubs bridge the gaps during COVID, but also to help provide assistance and training for clubs who wish to sponsor an Interact Club.

The District is looking for Rotarians and Rotaractors who are interested in sitting on this new committee from ALL areas of District 5370. The committee goals will be to work toward a training program for Rotary and Rotaract clubs wishing to sponsor Interact clubs, provide regular communication to the club sponsors, and share ideas and best practices.

The next meeting will be February 11 at 7 p.m. The hope is to get this committee in place to help support RYLE, & RYPEN which coming up in May.

If you are interested, please contact Elizabeth Bonkink, Youth Services 5370 Co-Chair, at e_bonkink@hotmail.com

Foundation Moment

Global grants support large international activities such as graduate scholarships, vocational training teams, and long-term project partnerships. The minimum budget for a global grant activity is $30,000.

What Makes a Successful Global Grant Application?

To be approved, a Global Grant application must clearly describe how the project, scholarship, or vocational training team:

✓ Is sustainable — include plans for long-term success after the global grant funds have been spent

✓ Includes measurable goals

✓ Aligns with one of Rotary's areas of focus

✓ Responds to real community needs

✓ Actively involves Rotarians and community members

✓ Meets the eligibility requirements in the grants terms and conditions

Are you interested in supporting or learning more about our Foundation? Ask Tamara Larsen, Foundation Chair, for information.

Click Here for Information about the Foundation