Stories

International Women's Day Event 2024

The Four Rotary Clubs of Langley are proud to celebrate International Women's Day with our annual event Saturday, March 9 from 11:00am to 1:30pm at Langley Golf Centre (21550 44th Ave). For Tickets, Award Nomination Forms and more information, please visit International Women's Day – Featuring Women of Distinction (rotarywomensday.com).

This Women’s Day Event has been held for over 10 years by Rotary, each year bringing you a prominent speaker as well as a lunch. It’s an opportunity to meet your friends and perhaps create new ones. We are also looking to you to nominate someone you know who deserves the title, Woman of Distinction. Someone who works for the benefit of the community, an unsung hero you can always count on. We hope to see you there and help us celebrate.

Local Businesses Donate to Starfish

We are very fortunate to have caring local businesses in our community. The Starfish program in North Langley have received some impactful donations to the program lately.

We would like to send a big thank you to Western Financial Group and Innovative Fitness for their contributions to the Starfish Program. The initiative offers packs of 2 breakfasts, 2 lunches, 2 dinners, and snacks to hungry students each weekend of the school year.

RIBFEST 2023

The Rotary Clubs of Langley along with Otter Co-op and Angry Otter are excited to bring you Ribfest 2023. We are expecting more than 40,000 people at this huge family event this year and hope you will join the fun. With live entertainment, great food, huge KidZone and site-wide adult beverage service there is something for everyone. The best part is it is free to attend but hope you will donate generously to support the many charities.

100% of Net proceeds from Ribfest support Service Organizations in Langley & and Rotary Service Projects.

Bring your family & experience a fun day of delicious food & great entertainment while supporting your community.

The event happens at McLeod Athletic Park in Lanlgey August 18-21, 2023.

For more information on this year's event: https://www.ribfestlangley.com/

Terry Fox Run 2022

We are back to an in-person event this year. Come out and join us for the 2022 Terry Fox Run in Walnut Grove on Sunday, September 18. Register here.

Registration starts at 8:30am at Walnut Grove Community Centre.

Langley Meals on Wheels

At the start of the pandemic, our Rotary Club partnered with Langley Meals on Wheels, the organization is a charitable, non-profit society providing affordable menu plans and social meal programs in the Langley community. "Rotary Langley Sunrise helped us increase our capacity allowing us to serve more at the onset of COVID by taking on driver scheduling of Sunrise’s Rotarians drivers" , Shannon Woykin, Executive Director of the Langley Meals and Wheels explained.

Our Club has seen the impact of Langley Meals on Wheels has on the community and wanted to continue our support of this impactful community organization. We most recently were able to make a donation that will help with funding a fire suppression system in their new facility in Aldergrove.

Shannon also commented, "Langley Meals on Wheels is grateful for Rotary Langley Sunrise’s donation for the Aldergrove Community Station House fire suppression. Thanks for keeping the fire out of the Kitchen! Fire suppression is crucial to ensure personnel safety and protection of property and equipment damage."

Terry Fox Virtual Event 2021

The annual Terry Fox Run has become a fall tradition in Canada. Our Club is coordinating the virtual event for our local community of Walnut Grove, Langley. The event is set to take place on Sunday, September 19.

You can register here.

Langley Rotary 5050 Mega Draw

The Rotary Clubs of Langley are excited to launch the 50/50 Mega Draw as a fundraiser to support the good work they do in their local and global community.

50/50 tickets are: Single Ticket for $20; 3-Ticket Pack for $50; 8-Ticket Pack for $100.

To purchase tickets visit langleyrotarymegadraw.co m.

We will also be selling tickets at locations around Langley over the upcoming weekends. Keep updated by following us on Facebook @RotaryClubLangleySunrise on Facebook.

Thank you for Caring Society

We are so appreciative and thankful of community supporters like the Thank you for Caring Society. They have chosen the North Langley Starfish Program as their beneficiary this year, this is a program that sends backpacks full of food staples home with elementary school kids on the weekend who lack food security. Thank you for Caring Society has donated $6500.00 to the program. This will help a lot of kinds in North Langley. We were happy to meet with the Society to receive the cheque. In the photo below are members from the Thank you for Caring Society and RCLS members Dan Bennett and May Bernard.

Debbie Froese, the wife of Langley Township mayor, was the founder of the Mayors Wives' Tea, which over time became the Thank You For Caring - A Christmas Tea. In 2019 the Tea evolved into the formation of a not-for-profit society. This allowed them to expand their reach to help more Langley families in need. The first tea started with 200 woman and now sells out annually with 500. Since 2013 they have raised over $178,000.00 for the local Christmas Bureau, and other local Charities. This has helped over 700 families yearly in the Langleys. For more information on the Society check out this link.

Strawberry Sale 2021

Successful Langley Rotary 50/50 Mega Draw

On December 3, 2020 we were happy to announce a winner to the Langley Rotary 50/50 Mega Draw. It was a successful fundraiser for the four Rotary Clubs in Langley. The jackpot grew to over $147,000.

Katy Mayrs, the winner of the Langley Rotary Clubs Mega 50/50 Draw was more than surprised at the news. She owns a local printing business in Langley and has always supported Rotary. Congratulations to Katy on her big win.

We also have to thank our sponsors and partners for their contribution to this important fundraising event that will help Rotary continue the work they do in the community.

Starfish Program Continues During COVID-19

The Rotary Club of Langley Sunrise is a proud supporter of the Starfish Program. This program provides much needed food on the weekends. Each Friday at school these kids are given a backpack full of staples to ensure they are ready and nourished to learn on Monday. It is providing food security to the most vulnerable in our community. Our Club has been integral in fundraising and coordinating donations for this program in North Langley. It is facilitated and supported by the Langley School District Foundation. One of our Club’s signature events - Taste of Fort Langley - dedicates all the proceeds to this program.

We are pleased to continue supporting the North Langley Starfish program during the COVID-19 pandemic with a matching grant from the Rotary District 5050 of $1700.00. We have sent a cheque for a total of $3,400.00 to the Langley School District Foundation who, in turn will use these funds to provide weekly grocery credit to these same families until the schools have returned to being fully operational. To encourage contactless interactions these families are asked to provide identification and a letter from the School District at participating grocers. This will ensure that there is no interruption in support for nourishing food during this time of isolation while at the same time reducing the chance of further spread of this virus.

To make a donation to this program click here.

Meals on Wheels

There has been an increase in the demand for services like Meals on Wheels in our local community during the pandemic. As part of our Club's response to COVID-19 we have been working with Meals on Wheels, and our Club members and their friends & family have been lending a helping hand, delivering meals to those who cannot get out to get groceries. It has been a great way for our members to connect with those in the community.

If you are interested in volunteering please email us at rotarylangleysunrise@gmail.com, and we will assist in connecting you. Our Club members have enjoyed the experience thus far, and those who receive the service are super grateful.

Terry Fox Run Goes Virtual This Year

One Day. Your Way. September 20, 2020

The Terry Fox Foundation is excited to announce that Canadians will continue to support cancer research through Virtual Runs from coast to coast to coast this September. Terry once said, “Anything is possible if you try.” Today, 40 years later, we will have to innovate as well – we can’t think of anything that Terry would appreciate more. Help us celebrate the 40th anniversary of Terry’s Marathon of Hope by joining us today.

The Terry Fox Run is an annual tradition for our Club to run in partnership with Township of Langley based out of the Walnut Grove Community Centre, we want to continue to raise money this September for his foundation so if you would like to participate please register at: https://terryfox.org/run/ and choose the run location Langley-Walnut Grove.

Donation of Homemade Masks to Ishtar

Rotary Responds....since the onset of the the pandemic one of the projects some of our Club members and volunteers have taken on is making homemade masks. We have been able to donate 85 homemade adult and children face masks to Ishtar, a Women's Resource Society, to help some of the vulnerable members of our local community.

Laurie Parsons, Executive Director of Ishtar says, "the face masks are absolutely beautiful and very soft and comfortable. We really couldn’t be happier or more grateful. Thank you to May, June and Ann – as well as Sherry, who reached out to see what we might need during these challenging times.

Thank you so much Rotarians!"

Starfish Backpack Program - North Langley - COVID- 19 Update

We are currently seeking donations to help kids during these unprecedented times. We typically would be supporting the Starfish Pack program at this time during the school year. We are working with our partner the Langley School Foundation to supplement this program while school is suspended - they are now distributing grocery gift cards to those families who could use a hand during these challenging times. Gift cards are being purchased by the Langley School Foundation at Save-on-Foods, Super Store & affiliates and Otter Co-op and being distributed. To keep this going we are seeking the community's help with donations. Click here to make a donation today.

Rotary Club Langley Sunrise is proud to be involved and support the Starfish Program in North Langley. It is a program that sends food home on weekends to elementary students for those are in need. We have been supporting schools in North Langley since 2017. Each year the program has been growing and the need is becoming greater. $620 offers one child food on the weekends, so they can come to school ready to learn. To learn more about this program, click here

We have had various companies in the community step up and give direct donations to our Club for this program, as they feel strongly about helping local youth. We really appreciate these donations and they go a long way in helping those who need it!

RCLS Supports Community Justice Initiatives

The Rotary Club of Langley Sunrise has donated $5,000 to CJI's Restorative Action Program in Langley! This partnership will enable CJI to update training curriculum they use in all Langley schools. The program allows students and staff can participate in building a strong restorative culture.

Community Justice Initiatives Association (CJI) is a community-based non-profit society located in Langley, British Columbia, Canada. Considered the ‘go-to’ place for anyone wishing to learn or understand restorative justice practices from a real-world perspective. CJI's mission is to promote peacemaking, reconciliation and the resolution of conflict through the development and application of restorative justice values, principles and processes.

For more information of CJI, visit their website at https://www.cjibc.org/.

Theatre Seats at Walnut Grove High School

The Rotary Club of Langley Sunrise was pleased to provide Walnut Grove Secondary School Drama department with $3,000 to help purchase some seats for the newly renovated Theatre being put in place at the school. The chairs will have the RCLS acknowledgement on them. The new performance space is being designed to be flexible to accommodate a wide range of performances and presentations. This gives the students much more opportunity to be create as well as showcase their work to the larger community.

Dorothy Peacock Playground

Our Club was able to contribute financially to the new playground at the local Walnut Grove school, Dorothy Peacock. We also had members participate in building the new playground on the community work day. The playground was in rough shape and the new playground would provide equal opportunity and accessibility. We were on hand at the grand opening event and it was fantastic to see the great reaction from all the children.

YAIL

YOUTH ADVENTURES IN LEADERSHIP

The Rotary Club Langley Sunrise is looking for youth in our community who would be interested in attending YAIL; a leadership camp held at Camp Alexandra on February 7-9, 2020 for those youth aged 15-17.

THE YAIL MISSION is to give participants opportunities to: utilize their new (undiscovered) leadership skills; create interpersonal bonds; embrace challenges; and learn the value of teamwork.

For more information on the program please visit www.yail.org. And if you are interested please contact more information on sponsorship from our Club.

Taste of Fort Langley 2019

We are happy to announce that our Club raised over $5000 at our Taste of Fort Langley Event held on Tuesday, October 8.

The evening had groups of diners walk about Fort Langley and enjoy a progressive dinner at the neighbourhood's finest.

Thank you to the four restaurants who participated Fortitude, Saba, Trading Post Eatery and Rail & River, and also to the wine supplier that evening KIS Marketing. They all really went the extra mile in impressing our guests. And of course a thank you to our guests for purchasing tickets and making it a great social night out in the Fort.

Proceeds from the evening go to support community programs like Starfish. This is a program that offers to kids who need it food for the weekend. Backpacks are filled with food each weekend of the school year for them to take home. We specifically focus our efforts in North Langley.

If you are interested in supporting this community effort please click the link here.

Tip'n'Taste 2017

Come join us for a great evening of Beer tasting (also some wines, coolers, and ciders) and fantastic food by:

Dublin Crossing Pub

Browns Social House

Original Joe’s

Me’n Eds Pizza

Townhall Pub

Ricky’s

Gateway Catering

Langley Tip’n Taste is coming Friday July 7 at Langley’s Coast Hotel and Convention Centre.

Proceeds to the Gateway of Hope – Cook Training Program, and other local Rotary service projects.

Thanks for your support!

21st Annual Strawberry Sale!

We want your help! The money raised from our sales of Strawberries go directly back into funding community projects in Langley. Help us to support local! You can order online here: https://goo.gl/g26gt8

2nd Annual SASSY Awards Langley

For a second year, our SASSY Awards Langley committee successfully pulled off an incredible event! Not only did we recognize 20 oustanding youth in our community but we facilitated the giveback of over $10,000 to worthy charities both locally and internationally. We are so honored to be able to provide such a great program to Langley and look forward to making next year's event even better! If you'd like to join us on our endeavor, please reach out!

Check out an article written about our event by Langley Advance here.

Greater Langley Chamber of Commerce President, Scott Johnston

Thanks to Scott Johnston for visiting our club yesterday morning to share insight into the Greater Langley Chamber of Commerce as he is currently serving as the President.

Our club recently joined up with the Chamber and have been actively participating for the last few months. We look forward to getting even more involved and building relationships with the business community in Langley.

https://cbmlawyers.com/our-lawyers/scott-t-johnston/

Our Newest Member - Doug Simpson

Our newest member, Doug, was inducted a couple weeks ago!
He is a B.C. boy, born and raised in North Vancouver. He took a degree in Political Science at UBC before the legal profession drew his interest. Doug completed his law degree in Alberta, quickly deciding he didn't want to live there so now resides here in Langley with his wife, 2 stepdaughters and a son. At age 46, he decreases the average age of the Club while increasing the average height.

Doug belongs to a firm with 15 lawyers and 50 staff and they deal with all aspects of the legal profession in a collaborative way, while he specializes in family law. He has special interests in kids with disabilities and is excited to be part of a club that focuses heavily on the youth in our community.

Welcome to the Club Doug! We're happy to have you!

BLT Dodgeball Tournament

This morning we handed over $1300 to BLT (Basic Life skills Training) program from the proceeds of our Dodgeball Tournament in April.

These guys (James on the left and Kerry on the right) run an amazing program working with at-risk youth and youth with mental health issues here in Langley.

Thank you for the great work you do and thank you for working with us to host a fun event benefitting your kids!

For more information on this program, visit: http://www.yrc.ca/services/basic-lifeskills-training-blt/

Aboriginal Education, S. D. # 35

Mike Morgan manages the aboriginal education programs in School District # 35, Langley. The goal of the program is equitable education for aboriginal students. Fifteen years ago female aboriginal student graduation rates were 33 %. Today it is at 78 %, which is at equity with the rest of the student population.

In 1996 a Royal Commission declared the need for an equitable outcome for aboriginal people. The Indian Act is Canada is 140 years old and still exists as the determining legislation on how the government deals with native people in Canada. The " gradual civilization act " resulted in Indian residential schools that native children were required by law to attend. Local youth were removed from home and taken to stay at the schools where every effort was made to eradicate their culture and language.

A class action lawsuit was started by native people after the passing of the 1996 Royal Commission relating to the abuse experienced at residential schools. The government responded with an apology, a cash settlement and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission that spent four and a half years crossing the country talking to RCMP, educators from the schools and attendees

Langley Youth Hub

Posted by Jason Suttie on Mar 30, 2016

A group formed to examine Child Youth Mental Health in Langley. The original plans changed once the group actually met with the youth needing the services. It was clear the various agencies providing services to youth in the mental health field in Langley did not share information with each other, and it was sometimes difficult for the youth in need to access information.
A website was developed with information on how to access the various services available for youth mental health. In addition, a wallet card was created since many of the youth having issues were not able to access the internet. Doctors and school councilors were contacted to educate them as to where to refer youth to.
The Langley School District has five councilors to help students with mental health issues, which occur as early as kindergarten. The councilors are overwhelmed and look to
outside agencies for assistance. It takes an average of six months for a your diagnosed with mild to moderate mental health issues to get looked at.
Posters have been created to place around the community to help educate the public and hopefully catch the eye of kids.

Starfish Program at Wix-Brown Elementary School

Posted by Jason Suttie on Feb 02, 2016

Scott Johnson spoke to the Club about the Starfish program at Wix-Brown School. Wix-Brown is an elementary school located in the rural southeast area of Langley. The school has a large catchment area with a wide range of socio-economic households. The school has 170 students.

Starfish is a program to help hungry kids have food to carry them through the weekend. Students may have programs through the school to give them breakfast or lunch on school days, but they have no access to this during weekends, so they come to school hungry on Mondays. Starfish gives each needy student a backpack of food to take home with them on Fridays so they have meals through the weekend. The backpacks are returned on Monday to be refilled for the following weekend.

The backpacks of food reduce the stress on the families, since they know at least the basic need of food for their child will be met. The program also has the benefit of helping some families who are isolated from the community to have the chance to socialize with the school staff.

The Starfish program is supported by the food bank, United Churches of Langley, Save On Foods, The School District Foundation and our Rotary Club. Brookswood Secondary students pack the backpacks with food.

Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) 2016 Registration Now Open

Posted by Jason Suttie

Please register those well deserving Youths (18-30) here: http://WWW.RYLA5050.ORG

Lluvia Meneses - Latin Runners

Posted by Jason Suttie on Jan 12, 2016

The Latin Runners is a running club that Lluvia Meneses started as a way to get Canadian women with a Latino heritage out of isolation in their own homes and out into the community by learning together how to run for leisure and pleasure. Lluvia was at home with her crying baby, feeling trapped in her own house, when she noticed all the people regularly running past her house in the rain. She went to the local community center and took a 13 week course to prepare her for the Sun Run. From this, she went on to start the Latin Runners.

Lluvia started with a group of nine women, teaching them the basics of running and encouraging them to get together regularly to socialize as they ran. From here the word spread through metro Vancouver and she was asked by other Latino communities to help them organize a group in their area.

The expanded reach of the idea came with its costs. Lluvia checked Google and found a grant application from B.C. Athletics. With the $1.000 grant as a start, her organization has continued to grow and she has had over 300 women pass the finish line in 5k and 10k events. The fact they can complete the race gives them confidence they can do other things inn their lives, and the group is very supportive and encouraging to each other. Lluvia plans to expand to include women from other ethnic groups

SASSY Awards Gaining Traction!

The Rotary Clubs of Langley are going "all in" on the SASSY Award celebrating the Youth of Langley for all the great things they do. Recently Roxanne Hooper of the Langley Advance chatted with our very Rod Wainwright and Dan Bennett to chat about our great project.

http://www.langleyadvance.com/community/364441501.html

Bob Kissner - Focus Foundation

Posted by Jason Suttie on Jan 05, 2016

The Focus Foundation was established in 1975 as a nonprofit charitable organization to work with vulnerable at risk adolescents and their families. The Foundation seeks to inspire, motivate, engage, enrich and equip vulnerable at risk kids and young adults whose life would otherwise languish.

The Focus Foundation uses education as a natural platform for cultivating children's growth and change. 100 % of kids in the program are special needs. 42 % have first nations background. Referrals occur through school councilors, mental health therapists, social workers, parents, probation officers and self referral.

Youth who go through the Focus Foundation school program achieve 95 % graduation and 89 % attendance. Their school is accredited by the Province of B.C. as an education program equivalent to the public education system as far as scholastic curriculum.

Optimism and positive thinking are important for everyone. Take 6 minutes to lay on your back, a hand on your diaphragm and breath in for 6 seconds, out for 4 seconds, 10 breaths a minute for 6 minutes.. Spend 5 minutes a day thinking of something you are grateful for.

Mayor of Langley - Ted Schaffer

Posted by Jason Suttie on Dec 15, 2015

Ted Schaffer has been in local politics for over 22 years and is serving his first term as Mayor of Langley City. Projects underway currently include work on 200th Street for upgrade of a sewer line and the construction of the new Timms recreation centre that will be a completely new building that includes a track running around the inside perimeter of the building so people can walk indoors during inclement weather. Linwood Park has a new dog off leash area and 26 community garden plots.
Homeless people are an issue in Langley City as in most other areas. A Homeless Task Force has been looking into the problem and has just merged with the Crime Prevention Task Force under the new heading of the Public Safety Task Force.
Upcoming projects include a clock to be erected a 204 Street and Fraser Highway in memory of Reg Easingwood, to be funded by Rotary.

A visit from District Governor Bill Robson

Posted by Jason Suttie on Nov 24, 2015

District Governor Bill Robson was raised in the Northeast of England and came to Canada in 1974. He was the charter president of the Cloverdale Club in 1994 and joined the Langley Central Club in 2003.

The District Governor is an officer of Rotary International and his responsibility is to be a liaison between R.I. and the District Clubs. Bill has the contacts and connections with the hierarchy of the R.I organization to know where to call to get the appropriate response to issues that Clubs may have problems with.

Bill updated us on the progress of the fight to eradicate polio. The continent of Africa has been polio free since the last case in Nigeria was past the incubation date for the polio virus.

Membership is a priority for the DG's as it is for all of Rotary. We need to think about why we joined Rotary and why we stay, and share that message with our friends, neighbours and co-workers. Tell them what you love about Rotary.

The District Conference will be held in Semiahmoo from April 28 - May 1, 2016

Rotary At Work

Posted by Jason Suttie on Sep 22, 2015

Dave Stark is managing the Rotary at Work program for the Canadian side of District 5050. This is an 3education and awareness program to facilitate employment for persons

with disabilities. With Rotary's emphasis on vocational service, it was a natural fit for Rotary to act as a facilitator to help persons with disabilities find meaningful work.

A business case can be made for the advantages to a business in hiring the disabled. Contrary to what many still believe, disabled people have a lower absentee rate, a lower accident rate and lower turnover.

In Langley, the Langley Association for Community Living is partners with Rotary at Work. They will match the business with a suitable employee, help them learn the necessary skills to carry out the job and provide on going support.

Statistics show there are 1.3 billion people world wide with disabilities and, including their family, there are 3,5 billion people impacted. Businesses that hire the disabled are supported by 87% of the general population. There will be an awareness day here in Langley on October 15 where we can help, see Dave for details. http://rotaryatwork.com

Terry Fox Run 2015

Posted by Jason Suttie on Sep 19, 2015

The Rotary Club of Langley Sunrise hosted in partnership with the Township of Langley the 35th Anniversary Terry Fox Run on Sunday September 20. We had over 150 participants for run which started at the Walnut Grove Community Centre. Both volunteers and runners alike endured the rain and the wind. A total of over 10,900 dollars were raised. We appreciate everyone who participated to make this year a special success. There were 9000 different locations for the Terry Fox Run this year to raise money for Cancer research in Terry's name.

Dictionary Day for Langley Grade 4's

Posted by Jason Suttie on Sep 16, 2015

In this age of Google you might think that a dictionary is an old fashioned out of date object. Big and clunky it is not modern. So why would the rotary club of Langley sunrise give away 26000 dictionaries since 1999? The whole logistics of getting 1600 to 1800 dictionaries to 33 schools on the same day in September year and personally handing them to students and teachers is daunting.

The reason is that before we can walk we must crawl. Before we can use Google and really use Google well we must learn to search with trial and error and we must learn the alphabet and language in a way that helps us understand and view the world of information around us in a special way. That is really what the value of dictionary is. If you can learn to spell well enough to find it in a dictionary and if you can learn that Too, Two and To are all in the dictionary but with different meanings you can take that knowledge and really use Google well. Try this for example: If you type “Too many twos to” you get a much different result than “two many to too” or “too many tutus”. The difference in the results from Google is a result of where your spelling lead Google to look. If you learn to spell and how to use a dictionary you become a much better user of the “modern” tools we have today.

So who gets the dictionaries? Grade four students get them because grade 4 is the year that the dictionary is in the curriculum.

If you stop and think about it if we have given away 1600 dictionaries each year to grade 4 students we have reached about 25% of the population of Langley! That is a lot of people who have been impacted by Rotary. A lot of people who have the rotary message.

Source Food Bank - Langley

Posted by Jason Suttie on Sep 14, 2015

South Surrey White Rock Sources Community Resources has been in existence for 35 years. They were formed when Gateway , an autism support group, Newton Advocacy and South Fraser Women's group merged. Sources proves support, as they like to say, from the cradle to the grave, from infants to seniors. They were operating a food bank in South Surrey and stepped in to help out with a food bank in Langley when the existing food bank here lost its certification with Food Banks B.C.

Langley Food Bank leased space from the United Church, hired a coordinator and signed up volunteers to operate a facility in Langley. They provide a minimum of 2 days food per person per week and are organized to provide a shopping type experience for their clients, who are able to select from the available food tomeet their personal tastes. They are open on Wednesdays only and have 35 volunteers who help them out.

Food is provided from donations from grocery stores and through money donated. Every dollar donated can buy three dollars of food due to buying power of the food banks.

BLT Youth Program

Posted by Jason Suttie on Aug 11, 2015

BLT stands for Basic Life skills Training. It is a program that has high risk kids referred to it from the Ministry of Children and Family Development. The people in the program coach and guide the kids into developing skills to cope with life. The program is activity based along with counseling. It is often the first chance many of the youth involved have ever had to develop friendships and self confidence in a non

threatening situation. Rather than dwell on the past, the staff concentrate on what's happening at present and how to deal

with it.

One of the ways the program connects with the youth is through music. They have a rock music program where the youth can perform and even create their own music.The setting for the program itself is different. The walls are murals and designs that are totally nontraditional. This creates a setting completely different from the usual bland counseling offices, letting the youth know this will be a different experience.

http://www.yrc.ca/services/basic-lifeskills-training-blt/

Our visitor: Pat Grant of Avid Auction

Posted by Jason Suttie on Aug 04, 2015

Pat Grant was a chaplain. He watched the movie " Taken "and was upset at the exploitation of children depicted in the movie. He decided if the opportunity came to do something ab

out it, he would. Shortly after making the decision, a member of his congregation asked him to be the auctioneer at a charity fund raising auction. He refused until he learned the proceeds were earmarked to help fund a justice project for law enforcement in third world countries to prevent child trafficking. Pat found his passion for auctioneering .

To learn to be an auctioneer, Pat went to The Western College of Auctioneers in Billings, Montana to learn the craft. After mastering saying tongue twisters in the proper cadence and all the other requirements, Pat graduated. He spent over a year doing estate actions and acting as "ringman", the auctioneers assistant before getting into main stream auctions.

Pat works with six Rotary Clubs for annual fund raising auctions and assists other charitable organizations such as "Habitat for Humanity", hospices and hospitals with auction fund raisers. He did an impromptu auction of donated appetizers, beverages and services that raised $250 to support the Starfish program, funding the purchase of backpacks for the kids.

Community Policing with Cst. Vonda Fitzgerald

Posted by Jason Suttie on Jul 21, 2015

Cst. Fitzgerald has been in policing for 28 years and in Langley for 11 or 12 years. She is one of four community police members in Langley and works out of Walnut Grove. The Community Police office is open Monday to Friday from 8:30 to 4:30 and is there to deal with criminal records checks and other services to the community without the need to go to the main office.

The main concern for police in Walnut Grove is break-ins, particularly vehicles, and mail theft. It is important for the public to report any incidents, as the response from the police is based on where they receive the complaints from. Traffic issues are a concern in Walnut Grove, as in most other areas. Parts of 88th Avenue are a veritable speedway, but there needs to be a safe place to set up radar before that method of traffic speed enforcement can be utilized. Distracted driving is another issue with drivers and is regularly enforced.

A recent mini-depot camp was put on in Walnut Grove to give youth aged 10 - 12 a chance to have a 3 day training session that introduced them to policing.

Ishtar Transition House

Posted by Jason Suttie on Jul 14, 2015

Ishtar Transition House has been operating in Langley since 1973 and is the longest running transition house in North America. It provides safe, temporary emergency housing for women and their children leaving an abusive relationship. They also provide therapeutic counseling for women and for children.

Incidents of abuse appear to follow a definite pattern. First there is a tension building phase where anger and frustration grow. Next, tensions explode and the assault occurs. The abuser feels remorse and promises not to repeat the abusive actions. Unfortunately, this never lasts and the cycle repeats, often increasing in frequency and/or severity. Ishtar provides a way to break the cycle by providing a safe place to escape to.

Children in homes where abuse occur suffer emotional abuse as a direct consequence of witnessing the violent behavior of their father or their mother's partner. Studies show 1/3 of cases involve significant alcohol or drug use, 1/3 involve some substance abuse and 1/3 have no alcohol or drugs as a factor. Abuse is seen across all socio-economic factors.

Tip N' Taste 2015 - A success!!!!

Posted by Jason Suttie on Jul 12, 2015

Another Tip N' Taste has come and gone and what a great success!!! In total we had 29 beverage vendors and 8 food vendors. We saw 559 tickets sold which is a 6 year record!!!! The atmosphere was great and up beat. The part of it all, we raised $16,000 for out Rotary Clubs!!

A message from our New President - Tom Louie

Posted by Jason Suttie on Jul 08, 2015

Paul Harris started with a simple goal; create a club of professionals and business men for friendship and fellowship and later realized that Rotary needed a greater purpose that of ‘public service’. Over time Rotarian ideals have expanded to include vocational ethics and international understanding. For me, this was truly demonstrated in 2007 when I attended the Rotary International Convention in Salt Lake City, Utah. I saw the world Paul Harris imagined it; a world where men and women from every corner of the globe come together, to build peace, to serve others, and simply to enjoy one another’s company. Difference of back ground, politics, culture and religion woven together in one bright tapestry.

What is Rotary? Rotary is an organization of business and professional leaders who provide humanitarian service, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations and help build good will and peace in the world.

Why join Rotary? Rotary will help you become a good citizen in your community and in the world. It will help in your business and personal development, in leadership and public speaking skills. Rotary emphasizes ethics in business and will hone your sense of ethics. You will find long standing friendships.

What Rotary needs? We are looking for people like you. People who want to connect with other leaders in the community to use their expertise for good, people whose sense of responsibility inspires them to give back to the community, to change the world.

Goals for this year:

Increase membership to 24 members
We want every members to contribute to the Rotary Foundation
Support fundraising events such as Tip ’N’ Taste, Taste of Langley City, Cruise-In, Strawberry Sale and Rams Football Beer Sale
Participate in Community Service projects and have FUN doing them
Support Polio eradication

What is expected from member? Although we want you to participate fully in our Club you don’t have to come every week. There are many different types of members. Some members come every week and others volunteer their help where it is needed. It is also good if you just support our projects when you are able. Some support us financially but cannot be deeply involved. Some members have young families. They help when they can. Membership is about commitment to get engaged in a vibrant club. As a member you do not have to feel guilty for not participating in Club events.

Richard King said at our President-elect training conference in March 2015, “Government can’t do what we Rotarians do when we get together and volunteer. Government can be like a machine stifled by bureaucracy – where the answer is “no”. We Rotarians can say yes and get it done, at much less cost than Government in many cases because we are volunteers.”

Be a Gift to the World: I had the pleasure of meeting Rotary International President, KR “Ravi” Ravindran at our President-elect training in March 2015. He talked about each of us have been blessed with many gifts and talents ; we now have an opportunity to take our gifts, talents and everything that we are and can become – and Be a Gift to the World. In Rotary we can make a difference to those who are without. We are volunteers who encompass 187 countries.

Tom Louie

President 2015-16

Our New Friend - Andria McAulay

Posted by Jason Suttie on Jun 16, 2015

We are really excited about our newest member Andria McAulay. Raised in Chilliwack, Andria completed her schooling there then escaped to Vancouver in search of the bright lights of the city. While in school she competed in track and field, race walking and both studied and taught Scottish Highland dancing.

Andria had worked for an independent insurance broker in Chilliwack and ended up working, almost by accident, with the Inverters Group in Vancouver. She took advantage of the opportunity to ask lots of questions as to the what's, why's and how's of the financial business and learned enough to work with a partner now in Langley as a financial advisor.

One of the crucial pieces of information in preparing a financial plan for people is what they were taught, or not taught, by their parents about saving and finances. Each plan is tailored to the individual based on their goals, needs and particular situation.

Andria is a fan of body art, having upwards of 25 tattoos with plans for more to come. Each one tells a story. She spends her free time working out, being a fitness fanatic, online gaming or watching Netfllix. Andria sought out Rotary as an opportunity to be give to the community and enjoy Fellowship.

Another successful Strawberry Sale

Posted by Jason Suttie on Jun 12, 2015

As we have in the past, this year we partnered with the Abbotsford-Sumas Rotary Club to sell pails of freshly picked Fraser Valley strawberries. They were pre-sliced and ready for the freezer to provide you with your margarita needs and your dessert treats. This year we raised $1,750 for our club which we'll use for our youth programs YAIL and RYLA.

A heartfelt presentation about the Starfish Pack Program

Posted by Jason Suttie on Jun 02, 2015

The Abbotsford Rotary Club is the first Rotary Club alphabetically in Canada. They are also a leader in fighting child hunger in their community. The idea of child hunger creates images in most of us ofthird world countries, drought, famine, political instability. Unfortunately, there are many examples of child hunger in our communities.

School Districts provide school meals, breakfasts of lunches, that may be the only meal a child gets in a day. The issue of what happens on weekends has been largely unaddressed. Bruce spoke to two specific instances of families in Abbotsford where children, through various unfortunate circumstances, had no food on weekends.

The Abbotsford Club looked at the problem and created the Starfish pack program where needy children get a backpack of nutritious food to take home to keep them fed over the weekend. Their first attempt to help was to provide 50 packs each week end. The schools they were dealing with said they needed 60. With a cost of $525 per pack per year, the Club was not able to fund more. Instead, they worked with the local newspaper to bring the need to the attention of the community. As a result, donations flowed in from the community and the program could expand to meet the demand. They developed 36 partners and over 100 volunteers in the first 8 months and raised over $100,000 from community donations.

Blair Whitmarsh - Township Councillor

Posted on Jun 02, 2015

Blair grew up on Vancouver Island and first came to Langley at the age of 18 to attend Trinity University. He started as a professor at Trinity in 1996.

Blair was elected to the Township Council last election and was appointed to the Transportation and Safety Committee. Personal safety is a vital component of a livable community. In his travels through Europe, Asia and Africa Blair observed how areas perceived as unsafe impact on people.

Fire services, police and emergency services are the most visible components of public safety. Property crime has held constant over the last 5 years even with an increase in population. Violent crime has decreased by 5% over the last 5 years.

Things like lighting in parks and proper crosswalks are equally important to a safe community. Traffic congestion at schools as parents drop their kids off creates a hazardous condition. This is a North American wide problem and the Township is working with universities to come up with some positive strategies to deal with the issue.

Other areas the Township is addressing are pedestrian and bicycle friendly roads, active Block Watch organizations and age friendly strategies.

Taste of Langley once again raises money for great causes!

Posted by Jason Suttie on May 18, 2015

Taste of Langley City is a progressive dinner which allows participating restaurants to showcase their most appetizing dishes. The event typically sells out with returning guests pleased about the quality of the menu items. The only complaint we have had to manage is that diners are stuffed too eat everything on their plate!

The atmosphere during the evening is sociable and festive. Regardless of whether mother nature cooperates, the walk between restaurants is a pleasant experience.

This great event not only features our local restaurants, but raises money for great causes. This year we are super excited that we raised $8,100 for RYLA, YAIL and Langley Lodge

Langley Interact Club

Posted by Jason Suttie on May 12, 2015

The Langley Interact Club is centered in Brookswood Secondary School and is sponsored by the Rotary Club of Langley ( OPC ). They have 12 members currently and are hoping to increase to 15 members. The Club first met in the home of one of the members but are now supported by the school and meet in a room at the school every second week immediately after school. The Club has supported Critter Care, picked up litter in local parks and supported disaster relief in Nepal. They are planning for a car wash soon to fundraise to support their projects.

The recent District Training seminar was attended by 4 of our members. Tony learned to start a speech with a personal story to connect with the audience. May attended a session on the value of the internet in third world countries to help in knowledge and development of individuals. Dan heard about the need for a business plan in attracting and retaining new members. Members will only be able to buy in to what the Club does if they see value in it. President Elect Tom worked with the District Governor Elect to develop a district budget. By attending the session Tom enabled our Club to apply for Rotary Foundation Grants.

Our community: Walnut Grove Secondary

Posted by Jason Suttie on Apr 22, 2015

George Kozlovic is the Principal of Walnut Grove Secondary School and has been in education for 20 years, although he looks young enough that that time could include his time in college. Walnut Grove Secondary School has 1830 students and 140 staff, making it by far the largest school in Langley. This has both advantages and disadvantages; it allows the school to offer a wide range of programs and courses, but it makes it hard to get to know all the students.

The staff includes 2 youth workers who help some of the disadvantaged kids attending WGSS. Each year there seem to be more financially challenged families in the community.

The last 15 years has seen the rise of technology, with most kids having a mobile phone and instant access to the internet. The obsession with technology often means less involvement

with school offered programs. The interactions between students are via connections rather than personally.

The school encourages community involvement, with clubs such as the Humanitarian Club having 75 - 100 members. The members do work in the community, country wide and internationally.

The school is always looking for funding for scholarships to assist graduates in continuing their education post secondary. The scholarships have different criteria and can be directed in to specific areas.

A visit from Canuck Place Children's Hospice

Posted by Jason Suttie on Apr 07, 2015

Canuck Place Children's Hospice is a pediatric palliative care facility that looks after children under 18 who will not live past 18. They provide support to provide the best life possible for them and for their family.

Only 21% of kids who need this type of support are able to be helped. A second Canuck Place, Dave Lede House in Abbotsford, was added to provide a facility outside Vancouver. The two Canuck Place facilities serve the entire Province of B.C.

There are 1400 children in BC with life limiting illnesses. There have been 167 different diseases and conditions cared for at Canuck Place. There have been over 560 children helped by Canuck Place, along with family members averaging 8 per child.

Dave Lede House has been built and is ramping up to begin taking in patients. Activities at Canuck Place is about providing positive memories. After the death of the child, Canuck Place provides bereavement support to the family that often extends for 3 years. There are separate counseling groups for parents, older children and younger children. They have added a moms and tots program as well and provide in home support.for grieving families.

Funding is 7% from the Canucks, 35 % from the government and the remainder from donations.

Taste of Langley 2015

Posted by Jason Suttie on Apr 06, 2015

We partner with local Langley City restaurants to support the mission of Langley Lodge which is to provide exemplary care for the aging population in our community.

The atmosphere during the evening is sociable and festive. Regardless of whether mother nature cooperates, the walk between restaurants is a pleasant experience.

Join us on May 19 at 6pm for the next Taste of Langley City.

Tickets are available from members of the Rotary Club of Langley Sunrise or from the Langley Lodge: http://langleylodge.org/fundraising/events/

Institute of Canadian Citizenship

Posted by Jason Suttie on Feb 04, 2015

Adrienne Clarkson, when she was Governor General of Canada, wanted to create an opportunity for newcomers to Canada to feel how special it is when they received their Citizenship to Canada, and to share their stories. The Institute of Canadian Citizenship was created to help this happen.

The Institute of Canadian Citizenship is a non profit, charitable organization that holds a ceremony for the presentation of Canadian citizenship to newcomers to the country who have met all the qualifications. A round table format is used to have all the new citizens discuss their background, personal history and their life journey. They can share why they chose to come to Canada and what their goals and vision of the future is for them and their family.

The ceremony takes place with RCMP members in dress uniform and dignitaries to take their oath and welcome them as citizens of Canada. The process of meeting the requirements for citizenship is handled by the federal government, the Institute only looks after the ceremony.

The local committee needs a Langley representative on the committee. The program requires a moderator at each table to lead the discussions, and a scribe to record the stories then share them at the conclusion with the other tables. It is an opportunity to give back to new immigrants to Canada as well as inspire yourself on the value of life here in Canada.

A visit from Kiva

Posted by Jason Suttie on Feb 03, 2015

KIVA is an organization that connects potential lenders with people around the world needing small personal loans to help alleviate poverty. Using an internet based platform, KIVA is able to provide a profile and explanation of the person seeking the loan. People from around the world can see the posting and provide the funding needed. A $400 loan may have 16 different people provide $25 each.

A potential borrower meets with a KIVA partner to request the loan. The partner will upload the request to KIVA, which publishes it on their website. KIVA lenders then fund the request and the funds are forwarded by the partner to the borrower. The borrower pays the loan back, usually over a six to nine month period and the funds are returned to the lender. The lender may then take their money back, donate it or lend it to another requested borrower. The KIVA loans are paid back in 99% of cases.

Poverty is a lack of opportunity. An example was given of a butcher shop in a small village that was located in a back street location. The KIVA loan allowed the butcher to move her business to a visible location and the increase in business not only allowed her to repay the loan, she was able to hire an

employee, adding to the local economy.

Everyone was challenged to reach out and create an opportunity for someone wishing to help themselves.

Our friend's at Sali's Farm

Posted by Jason Suttie on Jan 14, 2015

Sali is a non profit society started in 2008. They became a registered charity in 2009, with a volunteer board of directors. The purpose of Sali's is to connect children who have experienced violence with nature and animals.

In 2011 Sali was offered the use of a farm in northern Langley. Children aged 3-12 who's mothers were fleeing violence were given a chance to help look after rescued animals who needed care and nurturing. The kinds could make a connection with the animals and see them recover and return to health.

Many of the kids have never been close to farm animals, being raised in an urban environment. Sali has volunteers that work with the kids on a one to one ratio. The program runs for 8 weeks, with the kids working with animals the first 4 weeks then working on a project such as gardening the second half of the program. The kids are provided with boots and coats so they can interact with the animals.

Sali has rented a farm in South Surry, which is easier access for most of their volunteers. They are raising funds for the eventual purchase of a permanent location. The plan to increase service levels to help more kids, which requires additional volunteers. All volunteers are required to undergo a criminal record check prior to joining.

Crime Reduction - Daryl Plecas

Posted by Jason Suttie on Dec 16, 2014

Over the last decade, British Columbia has reduced crime more than any other jurisdiction in either Canada or the U.S. The first step in crime reduction was identifying the people involved in crime. This was done through the creation of an extensive, comprehensive data base. The second step was developing information on how the different crime groups are related to each other in their criminal activities. The third step is to target the most prolific criminals and go after them.

The use of databases and intelligent surveillance is the reason recent terrorist activities are carried out by individuals. Organized terrorist groups are identified, watched and prevented from carrying out their plans. Prevention measures include being problem oriented. Crimes occur at 2 % of addresses. By concentrating resources in these areas, a significant reduction in crime occurs.

Most people in conflict with the law have social issues over and above their criminal activities. Drug and mental health problems are not something law enforcement officials are set up to deal with, they do end up dealing with the consequences. Partnering with community and public health agencies reduces antisocial activities and helps avoid violence.

If you would like to get involved and help with crime prevention please contact the RCMP.

Human Rights International - Jeff Christian

Posted by Jason Suttie on Dec 09, 2014

Last meeting we were fortunate to have Jeff Christan of Human Rights International visit us. Human Rights International celebrated the 66th anniversary of the Declaration of Human Rights. The Raoul Wallenberg Institute of Human Rights and Humanitarian Law is headquartered in Lund, Sweden. They assist worldwide in developing university curriculum in the area of human rights. They also help countries worldwide in following the international standards for the treatment of prisoners.

Most people need something " in it for me " to buy in to programs affecting them. Jeff helps show prison staff how following international standards on the treatment of prisoners makes their lives safer. Pilot programs are done in specific prisons to let the staff measure their own performance and to train trainers. It allows them to celebrate successes and to develop specific legislation in individual countries based on the international standards.

From a human rights perspective, prison safety can be measured in different ways: Static security is locks, keys and guns; dynamic security is a deliberate interaction between staff and inmates. It may not be seen as the most efficient way to move a prisoner, having a guard escort them across the prison, but it creates an opportunity for interaction and humanization.

Daily standard routine is very important for inmates. They don't control when they eat, when they exercise, when they work, so its important that routines are not randomly changed, as this causes anxiety.

Miracle Maya

Posted by Jason Suttie on Oct 28, 2014

Certain things jump out at first glance when looking at our daughter Maya. There is the ever-present smile on her face and the gleam in her eyes, to name a couple. But things have not always been so cheerful.

Months before Maya was born, an ultrasound revealed she had a congenital heart defect, called Tetralogy of Fallot. This meant constant appointments at B.C. Women’s Hospital and once she was born, spending the first few days of her life in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at B.C. Children’s Hospital.

“Every mother looks forward to the end of the journey of labour and that moment they get to hold their baby in their arms,” says Karm. “I had 30 seconds and then she was whisked away from me. I didn’t hold her again for 10 hours. Even then, it wasn’t the same feeling as we were in the NICU, with little to no privacy.”

Maya underwent open-heart surgery in October 2010 to treat her heart defect – she was only four months old. Shortly after the operation, with her parents at her bedside, Maya suddenly flat-lined and showed no sign of a pulse on the heart monitor. The intensive care doctors and nurses took action immediately. “Watching doctors save a life may be exciting on TV or in the movies, but as a parent, it is unbearable,” says Gary.

Maya’s heart had stopped beating for 22 minutes. Thanks to the expertise of the caregiving team at BC Children’s, Maya’s life was saved. To aid in her recovery, Maya was hooked up to ECMO, a heart and lung machine. After six weeks at BC Children’s, Maya was finally able to return home.

At last count, Maya has had six operations and procedures, with another heart surgery needed in a few years time to close a second hole which was discovered during her first open-heart surgery. The operation will fix the blood flow between her left and right atria.

Despite these challenges Gary and Karm say words can’t describe the gratitude they have for the hospital’s doctors and nurses. The couple is also thankful for the support of family and friends for giving them a shoulder to cry on, and a much-needed distraction from the hard reality that their daughter was so terribly sick. The Ahuja family is comforted in knowing that whatever medical challenges lay ahead for Maya, they will not have to face them alone. With the support of family, friends and the outstanding caregivers at B.C. Children’s Hospital, Maya will be given the best chance of a bright future. And that is why the Ahuja family has pledged to raise $100,000 for B.C. Children’s Hospital, as a way for giving thanks.

On Wednesday I was given the opportunity to speak about a charity close to my heart, the Children's Hospital, specifically a special girl, Maya Ahuja.

http://www.teammiraclemaya.com

Our Members Rod Waniwright and Deanna Whissell receive Awards of Excellence

Posted by Jason Suttie on Oct 21, 2014

We are all so very proud of our own Rod Wainwright of Lantrax Logistics and Deanna Whissell of Vanilla Clothing. At the Greater Langley Chamber of Commerce Business Excellence Awards our past president Rod was recognized as the George Preston Business Person of the Year and Deanna was recognized as the Entrepreneur of the Year.

This is really awesome guys, well done!

You can read more about it here: http://www.langleytimes.com/business/280204002.html#.VEqZilrBe3l.mailto

A visit from Bill Brooks to talk about the SASSY Awards

Posted by Jason Suttie on Oct 14, 2014

Bill Brooks explained the SASSY ( Service Above Self Surrey Youth) awards. The program is in its 5th year and recognize youth aged 15-21 who show the spirit of Service Above Self in the community. There are seven awards presented: Community Service; Environmental Leadership; International Service; Overcoming Adversity; Performing and Visual Arts; Sportsmanship and Youth Leadership.

Each winner receives a $1,000 bursary and a donation of $500 to the registered charity of their choice. The presentations are made at a ceremony that is a celebration of youth achievement, with youth MCs and entertainment.

The seven awards are sponsored by Surrey Rotary Clubs and community organizations or businesses. All sponsors and finalists for the awards are invited to the presentation ceremony.

The event had to be subsidized the first year, but now makes approximately $10,000 that is used in the community for city wide youth initiatives. Each award sponsor contributes $2,500. The City of Surrey is a partner and provided the facility for the awards ceremony as well as staff to participate in the committees required to plan the event and select the recipients.

Internet Marketing with Christian Thomson of Marwick Marketing

Posted by Jason Suttie on Oct 13, 2014

Christian presented a brief overview of a comprehensive presentation on internet marketing. The change from people using internet rather than yellow pages to find businesses is continuing, with phones and iPads soon to outnumber desktops as the devices used to search.

The core of your internet presence is your website. It should be a mobile responsive website that will appear appropriately for the device used to view it. Websites need to be dynamic and be kept up to date. Websites need traffic and be optimized to appear on search engines. You have 5 seconds to capture the attention of someone landing on your website, so keep it simple.

Re-marketing keeps track of visitors to your website and can have a banner ad appear when they visit site such as Langley Times online. There are a number of competitive tracking systems that tell you how effective your website is. You can use key work ranking to see how far up the search list you are.

Optimization helps tell you how effective you are and where to make changes.

Internet marketing needs to be dynamic and current to be effective.

Rotary Club of Langley Sunrise gives out 1450 Dictionaries.

Posted by Jason Suttie on Oct 01, 2014

On Thursday, October 2nd the Rotary Club of Langley Sunrise continued an annual tradition and gave out 1450 dictionaries to the Grade 4 students in Langley City and the Township of Langley. As always this was organized by Grant Gilmour. He and has team arrange the acquisition and distribution of all the dictionaries and did a great job!

The goal of this program is to assist students in becoming good writers, active readers, creative thinkers, and resourceful learners by providing them with their own personal dictionary. The dictionaries are a gift to each student to use at school and at home for years to come. In our school district, Grade 4 is where dictionaries are first put on the school supply list, giving Rotary a perfect opportunity to help our kids.

Paul's Presentation on the Rotary Foundation

Posted on Sep 30, 2014

The Rotary Foundation was born as an endowment fund in 1917, the brainchild of RI President Arch C. Klumph. It was reborn 12 years later in the form we know today, The Rotary Foundation of Rotary International. However, it wouldn’t be until after the passing of Paul P. Harris in 1947 that TRF would reach the financial health and world importance that it enjoys today.

The Rotary Foundation transforms gifts into projects that change lives both close to home and around the world. As the charitable arm of Rotary, we tap into a global network of Rotarians who invest their time, money, and expertise into priorities such as eradicating polio and promoting peace. Foundation grants empower Rotarians to approach challenges such as poverty, illiteracy, and malnutrition with sustainable solutions that leave a lasting impact.

DISTRICT GRANTS: District grants fund smaller, short-term activities that address needs in your community and communities worldwide. Each Rotary district gets to choose which projects it will fund with these grants..

GLOBAL GRANTS Global grants support large international activities that have sustainable, measurable outcomes in one or more of our areas of focus. Rotarians create their own projects and carry them out. We accept and review applications as they arrive.

Thanks Paul for enlightening about the Rotary Foundation.

Elizabeth's Trip to Rawanda!

Posted on Sep 19, 2014

Our very own Elizabth made a journey back to Rawanda and got back on Friday, Sept 20th.back She took part in the celebrations of the International Literacy Day and it went very well! Some of the Rotary dictionaries shipped in February were used to award children and youth who won the national competitions: writing short stories, poems, plays gearing reading, etc,... Over 100 dictionaries were awarded to children along with school suppliers, reading books,... and Rwanda officials, partners, and beneficiaries have appreciated your support! We are leaving a literacy legacy to generations to come. We will continue to support as a reading culture gets introduced to a nation: Rwandans!

Every Library we opened holds a plaque of recognition, see picture attached. The Minister of Sport and Culture (Rwanda Library Services are under his portfolio) and Minister of Education (see rural school tote box sample we are using for rural classroom in Muhanga and they are loaded with reading books and dictionaries), both officials appreciated Rotary contributions and requested more dictionaries.....see picture attached, and more will be on our website.

We are so proud of Elizabeth and all her work in Rawanda!

Terry Fox Run a Success!

Once again the Rotary Club of Langley Sunrise and the Township of Langley came together to host the Terry Fox run in Walnut Grove. There were 145 participants and over $5200 were raised for this great cause.

Langley Cruise-In 2014

Posted by Jason Suttie on Sep 05, 2014

Langley Sunrise Rotarians, spouses and friends of Rotary held a successful hot dog / smoky BBQ at the 2014 Langley Cruise-In.

It was hot and sunny!

Tony, Patrick, Tom & Jeff were there at 6:00 AM to start the set-up at our ‘new’ location at Innes Square. The rest of the set-up crew arrived to prep the food and BBQ set-up and smell of onions cooking started around 9:30 followed by the smell of BBQ smokies & hot dogs.

Our new location and sale was a re-sounding success! We were sold out of hot dogs around 2:30 and out of smokies around 3:00. We sold 500 smokies & 400 hot dogs.

The afternoon crew arrived to relieve the morning shift and helped with the clean-up.

Along with the sellout of smokies & hot dogs we sold 17 cases of water and 20 cases of pop/iced tea. We had customers who came back for seconds and received many positive comments about the quality of the smokies & hot dogs.

Topham Community Garden - The NEW patio!

Posted on Aug 29, 2014

The Rotary Club of Langley Sunrise continued our ongoing commitment to the Topham Community Garden with the construction of a concrete paver patio in the center of the garden. The patio is octagonal shaped and is approximately 1,000 square feet in area. The Club built the patio over 3 weekends, excavating the area, framing it in and installing the pavers. The Township of Langley assisted by providing the materials and an expert supervisor for the paver installation.

The patio is the latest step in turning what was a blackberry infested field into a well used community garden that allows area residents to have their own garden plots and an area to meet and socialize.

The Garden is located at the 9200 block of 216 Street, north of Topham Elementary School.

Tony Malyk - Business Marketing

Posted on Aug 19, 2014

Our very own Tony Malyk, Business Coach, gave us some great insight about advertising. Successful advertising campaigns know their target market and are geared towards them. Some ads you pay attention to, some you ignore. Its whether or not you are the target for the ads. Generic ads have proven to be ineffective. Most successful ads are aimed at only 5 to 10 percent of the viewing audience. People respond to ads that " speak " to them.

Many companies present series of ads that attempt to create a " brand " you associate with the company. WestJet tries to brand themselves as friendly, down home people, the anti big indifferent airline. Wendy's has 2 different types of ads, the one with the original Wendy and the newer ones with the younger red haired woman. These ads appeal to different demographics.

For a marketing program to be successful, it needs to show an overt benefit from using the product/service. The ads should maximize the positive outcome from the product use. The ads need an emotional hook, a reason to believe the message is real, that there is a logical back up to the claims made for the product/service. Finally, there needs to be something unique offered. Why should you use this product /service rather than the competitor's? The ad has to have some reason why this product is different and better.

District Governor's Visit - Lyle Ryan

Posted on Aug 12, 2014

Lyle Ryan is District Governor for District 5050 for the year of 2014/2015. We are an international district, with approximately half the clubs in Canada and the other half

in the U.S.A. Rotary is presently in over 180 countries world wide.

Lyle emphasized the importance of bringing in the next generation of Rotarians. We discussed that although as Rotarians are unbelievable at supporting our communities we must not forget to support our member businesses as well.

Show the Warmth

Posted on Nov 19, 2013

Clean, gently used coats are being collected for those in need by Vanilla Clothing.

Please be kind.

8880-202 Street Langley

604-371-0071

YAIL Alert!

Posted on Oct 27, 2013

YAIL is approaching and the Rotary Club of Langley Sunrise wants to send at least two youth to this weekend leadership camp. We are looking for youth ages 15-17 that would benefit from this amazing weekend. It takes place Jan 17 - 19.

More information can be found at YAIL.

Deadline is for applications is Nov 20.

For further info contact Midori Turner at 604-323-6650 or langley@pakmailcanada.com .

District 5050 Youth Service

Posted on Sep 09, 2013

September is the month in which Rotarians promote and celebrate our many youth programs. Three programs - YES, Youth Exchange & YAIL - have some quickly approaching deadlines. Keep reading...

Rotary District 5050 Governor Official Visit

Posted on Jul 19, 2013

District Governor Denis Boyd will be conducting a joint visit of the four Langley Rotary Clubs on October 3, 2013.

The official visit will be held at Cascades Casino Resort with the meeting called to order at 6:25 pm.

Guests are welcome.

New Inductees

Posted on Mar 11, 2013

Deanna Whissell and Berenka Straveczek are the newest Rotary Club of Langley Sunrise.

Honey for Haiti

Posted on Mar 08, 2013

Rotary Club of Langley Sunrise awarded a $4,500 financial grant to the Help for Haiti Society.

The grant has been designated for a sustainable Honey-bee project.

Background:

In year 2011, Rotary International Help for Haiti Society approached management of the NGO Haitian Health Foundation (HHF)

and asked if they would be interested in a beekeeping project in the area around the city of Jeremie, Haiti. The Help for Haiti Society, formerly the Help for Haiti Consortium, has had a relationship with the HHF since 2004 primarily supplying flour mills to make Akamil, a source of protein and carbohydrates.

In recent years, beekeepers in Haiti have been slowly making the transition to modern beekeeping equipment by building wooden boxes and frames themselves. Unfortunately, due to lack of knowledge and no tools other than a hand saw and hand planar, they do not have the correct bee spaces inside, nor do they have uniform foundation, resulting in a disorganized brood nest that is difficult to manage.

We Did This!

Posted on Feb 06, 2013

Great news for the start of the New Year: there were NO cases of polio ANYWHERE in the world for the month of January 2013!

One day soon, we will be able to say this about every month of every year.

We are making great progress - with only 222 cases of polio last year compared to 716 cases in 2011 and compared to around half a million children every year when we started.

We're this close.... Click here to help.

Hurricane Sandy Relief

Posted on Dec 17, 2012

There are thousands of people still homeless in New York and New Jersey following the destructive hurricane.

Share the spirit of the season by making a donation to help those in need. On the Rotary District website we have links for you to help the victims of Hurricane Sandy through the New York / New Jersey Rotary clubs.

Click here for more information and to help victims of Hurricane Sandy

DD-Day As In Dictionary Delivery Day

Posted on Oct 16, 2012

The Dictionary Delivery Day was a success!

The Rotary Club of Langley Sunrise delivered approx. 1300 dictionaries to local schools.

Since the inception of the project, we have now surpassed fifteen thousand dictionaries delivered to Langley students.

Sunrise Rotarians May Barnard and Grant Gilmour were part of the delivery team and decided they wanted dictionaries too.

Please select headline for photo.

2012 Terry Fox Run a Success in Walnut Grove

Posted on Sep 22, 2012

Sunrise Rotarians were pleased with the excellent turnout for the event.

Installation 2012

Posted on Jul 31, 2012

Rotary Club of Langley Sunrise President Jeff Morfitt completed his term on June 30, 2012. The club elected Rod Wainwright for the upcoming year. President Rod exclaimed, "I am proud to have the opportunity to lead this great group of people and do the important things that Rotarians do for the world".

Get yer Garlic

Posted on Jul 28, 2012

The Rotary Club of Langley has fresh locally grown garlic for sale.

Proceeds will support the International Children’s Fund: Africa Zimbabwe Howard Mission Hospital project which Langley Sunrise also supports.

For more info contact Cindy: 604-626-0848 or 604-534-1424 or 604-531-6040.

March is Literacy Month

Posted by Patrick Matiowski on Mar 19, 2012

	Knowing how to read and write can transform a person’s life. These basic skills, which so many of us take for granted, can mean a job, an income, and hope for a better future for those who are struggling to break the cycle of poverty.
That’s why Rotary has focused on promoting literacy for more than two decades, and why The Rotary Foundation has provided millions of dollars to support literacy projects.

Windows Will End Polio

Posted by Patrick Matiowski on Feb 12, 2012

The Gates Foundation made a presentation at the International Assembly to announce a further $50 million donation to Rotary for polio eradication!

These new funds will not be challenge funds, but a straight and immediate donation to support Rotary in finishing the job of defeating polio, and brings their total donations to Rotary's PolioPlus campaign to $405 million dolllars!

Taj Hosting & Fellowship Society

Posted by Patrick Matiowski on Feb 10, 2012

In 2000, Rotarians of Agra created the Taj Hosting & Fellowship Society to host International Rotarians in AGRA “ The Historical City of the 1st Wonder of the World “ Tajmahal “ ( to promote International Friendship amongst Rotarians, a goal set by Rotary International.

Taj Hosting & Fellowship Society

Over the years the Society has hosted International Rotarians from District 5050 -- visiting as a GSE Team , a Polio Eradication Team , an International Partner and working on a Matching Grant Project. So far more than 1000 Rotarians have been hosted in the homes of Agra Rotarians.

There is a standing invitation to Promote Friendship & visit Agra. The Rotarians of Agra would be happy to home host International Rotarians for 2-3 days in our homes & show them “Tajmahal “ in the Historical City of Agra ( 1st WONDER OF THE WORLD " TAJMAHAL" ) along with other monuments of Agra , with nearby cities , if incoming Rotarian’s time schedules permit.

Happy to Help Seniors

Posted by Patrick Matiowski on Feb 10, 2012

Langley Care Foundation was delighted to receive a $5,000 donation from Rotary Club of Langley Sunrise. The club voted unanimously to support the charity.

Langley Care Foundation raises funds for the mission of Langley Lodge which is to improve and enhance quality of life of the elderly and people with disabilities.

“As we reviewed the information from Langley Care Foundation, it was clear to us that the funds would be put to good use for the benefit of the community,” explained Jeff Morfitt, President of Rotary Club of Langley Sunrise. “Langley Lodge has provided excellent care for many years and we are glad to help this wonderful not-for-profit organization.”

Terry Metcalfe, Langley Care Foundation President was ecstatic with the generosity of the service club. “Rotary Club of Langley Sunrise has become a good friend to Langley Lodge. This relationship has benefitted residents and is appreciated.”

Kayonza Youth Center Library

Posted by Patrick Matiowski

Rotary Club of Langley Sunrise member Elizabeth Johnson was pleased to celebrate the opening of Kayonza Youth Center with local students.

The club supported the project which brought over 2,000 books, dictionaries, 4 laptops, 10 e-readers, and various educative posters to the library.

The library will serve between 50-100 children and youth on a daily basis. (Building photo on next page)

Rotary at Work

Posted by Patrick Matiowski

Ajay Caleb described the Rotary at Work program which helps people with disabilities find employment. Disabilities covers a wide range of people and the barriers they face are quite diverse.

Jason Suttie is Welcomed to Rotary Club of Langley Sunrise

Posted by Patrick Matiowski

Big Brothers, Big Sisters - Big Cheque

Posted by Patrick Matiowski

Rod Wainwright, President Rotary Club of Langley Sunrise and Terry Smith, President Rotary Club of Langley Central were happy to present Mary Reeves, Executive Director of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Langley with the proceeds of the 2013 Tip N'Taste.

Langley Cruise in 2013

Posted by Patrick Matiowski

We were busy!

Installation Night 2013

Posted by Patrick Matiowski

Sunrisers enjoyed a night of fellowship during the installation of new officers for 2013/2014 year. President Rod is coronated for his second term.

Rotary Club of Kigali, Rwanda Welcomes Rotary Club of Langley Sunrise Support

Posted by Patrick Matiowski

Sunrisers Elizabeth & Paul Johnson attended a Rotary Club of Kigali meeting as a make-up meeting.

Get yer' 50/50 here!

Posted by Patrick Matiowski

Walnut Grove Family Fun Day was fun for the big kids too!

Rotary Club of Langley Sunrise on Tour

Posted by Patrick Matiowski

Sunriser Grant Gilmour hasn't been missing meetings. He's just been attending on other continents. In this example, Grant meets Rotarians in Bristol, UK.

We Did it Again!

Posted by Patrick Matiowski

Rotary Club of Langley Sunrise was pleased to issue 2013 community grants to Langley Pos-Abilities Society and Langley Care Foundation.

Can Pond Scum Save the World?

Posted by Patrick Matiowski

Dr. David Clements of Trinity Western University discussed the "Iron Hypothesis" with the club.

Top Teacher

Posted by Patrick Matiowski

Langley School District #35 Superintendent Suzanne Hoffman addressed the club on March 13.

Build It And They Will Come

Posted by Patrick Matiowski

Bob de Wit, CEO of the Greater Vancouver Home Builders Association presented to the Rotary Club of Langley Sunrise.

The Association represents 750 building, renovation and supply companies in the Lower Mainland. Global uncertainty is affecting the market but sales are increasing once again.

Ther club learned that renovation projects are more significant to the economy than new home construction. The industry has been measured as $7.7 billion. 1/2 of this total is through do-it yourselfers.

Swim for it!

Posted by Patrick Matiowski

Olympian Scott Dickens addressed the Sunrisers and inspired with his story of goal accomplishment.

Where We Are Going

Posted by Patrick Matiowski

Rotary Club of Langley Sunrise held a visioning session that helped to corral the passion of these mustangs!

Bronze in 2012

Posted by Patrick Matiowski

Our special guest Christine Girard passed around her Olympic bronze medal for the crowd on January 23.

President Rod is seen here admiring the achievement of an inspiring Canadian.

Mayor Jack Froese Updates Sunrisers on Township Affairs

Posted by Patrick Matiowski

From Langley to Madrid

Posted by Patrick Matiowski

Sunrise Rotarians get around.

Grant Gilmour is away for three weeks. His travel plans include Rotary make-up meetings.

Grant is seen in the photo with Madrid castellana in Madrid Spain.

He wrote to us saying that communication was very challenging as he speaks almost no Spanish and members of the Madrid Club speaks almost no English. He reported that the club is young (three years) and have mostly done exchange students as a project.

The Things That We Do

Posted by Patrick Matiowski

Rotary Dictionaries Received in Rwanda

Posted by Patrick Matiowski

220 Rotary dictionaries plus 1,700 reading books were donated by Langley elementary and high schools to six locations in the Eastern and Northern Province in Rwanda.
The donations represented the first libraries for public schools in the province which do not have any reading materials available for children.

In the photograph, Sunrise Rotarians Paul and Elizabeth Johnson are pleased to see the dictionaries arrived safely at their destination.

Rotary Club of Langley Sunrise to Participate in International Health Project

Posted by Patrick Matiowski

The Four Rotary Clubs in the Langley area have formed a group called INTERNATIONAL HEALTH LANGLEY with a purpose to advance healthcare in resource poor countries, one community at a time.

The group is pleased to announce that Howard Mission Hospital in rural Zimbabwe is the focus of of the collaboration for 2012.

The hospital serves more than 270,000 people, mostly subsistenance farmers, many of whom undergo treatment for TB and HIV. The Mother to Child Transmission program saves many young lives, orphaned and vulnerabel children are supported and clinical and community services help thousands of patients.

INTERNATIONAL HEALTH LANGLEY will provide medical equipment for:

Rapid diagnosis of TB; GeneXpert MTB/RIF provides results in 90 minutes rather than 6 weeks
X-Ray machine for TB screening.
Colposcopy and cryotherapy to prevent cancer of the cervix.
Other supplies for women's health.
2 External fetal monitoring.
Infant resucitation station.
4 Neonatal incubators.
4 oxygen concentrators.
Medicines to treat opportunistic infections.

Rotary World Help Network Impact Story

Posted by Patrick Matiowski

The following is a message from a Rotarian involved in Rotary World Help Network.

I just had to tell you these stories- yes, RWHN changes lives. Yesterday I spent the day with Tom

Musili, the head of Computers for Schools Kenya, who is also a Rotarian. He wanted to take me

way out of Nairobi into the country and our destination was on the plateau well beyond Thika,

down African roads that make you eat dust and diesel. We delivered one of RWHN's wheelchairs

to an old lady who had fallen and broken her hip. The hip has been repaired, but she is so elderly

and fragile she can only sit on a hard, homemade wooden chair all day - so uncomfortable - and

is unable to move without support on both sides. We unloaded the chair on the tiny, dusty

shamba and showed her and her family how to use it: how to put on the brakes and install the

pedals. etc. Her smile was worth the trip. She now sits on a thick, foam cushion and has mobility.

Her little grandchildren were pushing, her around and this made such a difference.