"Together we see a world where people unite and take action to create lasting change - across the globe, in our communities and in ourselves!"
The Rotary Club of Calgary comprises professional and community leaders brought together in fellowship to make a better future.
Rotary International's theme for the 2025-2026 year
Birthdays
John Boyd March 30
Eva Friesen April 6
Ian Diaz April 6
Al Corbett April 8
Anniversaries
Al Corbett 45 year
Sean Baylis 15 year
Club Meeting Recap - March 24th, 2026
Diane Macdonald
The March 24 meeting at the Fairmont Palliser was called to order by President Bill Hamilton, followed by O Canada led by Michael Pierson. An invocation from Franco Savoia, reflected on themes of renewal, hope, and service across Easter, Passover, and Ramadan.
Guests and visitors were warmly welcomed, and appreciation was extended to the front-of-house volunteers, including Anne Haessel, Dave Leslie, Daudi Kawooya, and Peter Harrison, for supporting the meeting’s success.
Club Business & Announcements
The club moved into business with the Happy Bucks moment, followed by birthday recognitions led by Michael Broadhurst.
Doug Webb introduced the incoming 2026–2027 Board of Directors, recognizing both new and returning leaders and encouraging members to get involved in committees as a pathway to future leadership.
President Elect – Sean Baylis
Treasurer – Joel Snodgrass
Secretary – Andrea Serink
Program Chair – Terry McMahon
Membership – Tyson Schmidt
Communication – Julie Visser
Fellowship – Chris Ward
Community Service – Eva Friesen
International Service – Tom Loucks
Youth Services – Peter Harrison
Additional updates included:
A reminder from Bill Hamilton to register for the District Conference by May 1
An announcement from Dennis Tran that the President’s Dinner (May 19) will replace a regular luncheon and feature a "roast and toast" celebration
A fellowship highlight from Sean Baylis and Bill Hamilton, celebrating the Downtown Rotary curling team’s B Finals victory, showcasing strong camaraderie across Calgary clubs
Guest Speaker: Lara Murphy, Calgary Wild FC
Maxine Morrison introduced keynote speaker Lara Murphy, CEO and co-founder of Calgary Wild FC, who delivered an inspiring presentation on leadership, resilience, and building culture through her “go first” philosophy.
Murphy shared her journey from launching Calgary’s first female-owned construction company to building a professional women’s soccer club as part of Canada’s new league. Key highlights included:
The rapid growth of the league, generating $30 million in its first season
A roster of 140 players across six teams, with increasing national visibility
Calgary Wild FC’s strong community impact, engaging thousands of youth and participating in over 50 events
She emphasized that success, whether in sport or business, comes down to building strong culture, teams, and community. She encouraged members to lead boldly, especially in spaces where representation is lacking.
Closing
Following a Q&A session, Maxine Morrison thanked the speaker and led a mini auction featuring a signed Calgary Wild FC jersey and game tickets.
The meeting concluded with the 50/50 draw, led by Bill Hamilton, and a reminder that the next meeting will take place on Thursday, April 9, featuring Premier Smith.
Collaborations in Our Community
Franco Savoia
Calgary Funders and Foundation Round Table and the Association of Grant Makers of Alberta hosted a meet and greet focusing on collaboration Wednesday, March 18, 2026 at the Confluence. RCCD is a member of the Round Table and Patti Dolan and Franco Savoia participated with about 60 other funder representatives at the 3.5 hour gathering. The Calgary Foundation provided support for the complimentary lunch. Four different collaboratives shared their learnings:
The Learning Disabilities and ADHD Network Calgary Region,
Calgary African Community Collective, and
The Tamarack Institute.
Common Themes From the Presentations:
Resolving community issues and challenges cannot be done by any one organization. Collaboratives bring various stakeholders together to work together
Relationship and trust building are critical to the success of collaborations and take time
Funders need to consider different success measurements when investing in collaborations
Collaborations can and do solve challenges at the system level
Collaborations need to be resourced to have impact and funders should support community collaborations
Conclusions:
Funders should consider investing in collaboratives in four areas of focus: early childhood literacy, education, food security, and mental wellness
RCCD will stay involved in the Round Table and its work group
fsavoia@shaw.ca; patttdolan@shaw.ca
Commonwealth Day
Madeleine King
Rotary International is affiliated with The Commonwealth (bringing together over 50 countries) as it collaborates on shared interests like Polio eradication and environmental issues.
The annual Commonwealth Day Service at Westminster Abbey was held this year on March 9th. Bob Taylor, Madeleine King, and William Friedson attended with Calgary friends, Jackie and Ed Engstrom.
We sat with two international Rotaractors studying in London for a Masters degree in global humanitarian work, sponsored by our friend Judith Diment and a London Rotary Club. They were delightful and inspired by their Rotary experience.
A couple days later Judith, who attended our club’s BBQ at Bucars last summer and is vice-chair of Rotary International’s Polio Plus Committee and chair of the Action Group on the Environment, hosted a showing of the film Ocean with David Attenborough.
Rotary International President Francesco Arezzo spoke about Rotary’s focus on environmental issues. He said a growing number of clubs world-wide are increasingly pursuing projects like plastic removal from waterways and keeping oceans healthy.
We told him privately about our upcoming visit to his home of Sicily. He gave us a Rotary contact, his District Governor. The pictures below show us meeting with the DG in Palermo and with the head of Rotary International’s Youth Exchange Program in Syracuse. Their warm Rotary hospitality made our Sicily trip especially memorable!
RCCD Activity Builds on Seeds Sown Over a Quarter Century Ago
Doug McMillan
In 2000, Calgary Rotary facilitated a Rotary Group Study Exchange focussing on newborn care with Rotary Delhi in India. Three Calgary Nurses and a Respiratory Therapist visited the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) in Delhi, and four nurses from AIIMS spent time in Calgary NICUs.
Enhanced newborn care was associated with ongoing collaboration amongst nurses and physicians. This March, the Swami Rama Himalayan University (SRHU) in Dehradun, India is hosting a Calgary nurse who participated in the original exchange, Laine Gibbie, and Respiratory Therapist, Annie Jacob. The RCCD funded international travel while the SRHU looked after local accommodation and meals. Dr. Ashok Deorari, now Pro Vice Chancellor at the SRHU, was the principal physician involved when AIIMS hosted the Calgary group in 2000 and was the inspiration for this opportunity to teach and learn better newborn care. Doctors Doug McMillan and Nalini Singhal from Calgary also were involved in 2000 and again in 2026.
When their time in Dehradun, India is complete in April, Laine and Annie will be preparing a short report of there experiences which will come to you through COG. A picture of them in the NICU at SRHU hospital is below.
Supporting Indigenous Student Success at Bow Valley College
Heidi Lacey
The Rotary Club of Calgary Downtown continues to make a meaningful impact through its support of Indigenous student bursaries at Bow Valley College, helping remove financial barriers and open pathways to education and careers.
Since 2023, the Indigenous Student Bursary has supported students across programs including Business, Practical Nursing, Social Work, and Foundational Learning. In 2025, this impact expanded with a new bursary supporting Indigenous students completing high school and transitioning into post-secondary education.
Impact at a Glance
6 students supported
$4,000 awarded
5 recipients identify as female
1 graduate to date
Beyond the numbers, the impact is deeply personal.
“This financial support plays a crucial role in enabling me to continue my education… it alleviates a substantial part of this burden.” – Jenna Enright
“It inspires me to keep going and give back to my community.” – Todd Bearspaw
Since 2000, the Club has supported more than 690 students through bursaries and awards at Bow Valley College building a lasting legacy of opportunity, education, and community impact.
