"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
Barb Young April 28
Konal Dewan April 30
Lindsay Marczak April 30
Gord Graham May 3
Frank Hall May 6
Peter Harrison May 6
Anniversaries
No significant anniversaries this month
Club Lunch Meeting on April 21st
Diane Macdonald
Our front of house volunteers, Trevor Axworthy, Patti Dolan, Rick Castiglione and Barb Young, made sure we all gathered in the Alberta Room for our meeting. William Friedson played the keyboard while we sang “O Canada” and Franco Savoia provided a lovely, meaningful invocation. There were several Happy Bucks moments, many involving grandchildren! Sadly, President Bill made the announcement that Jean Simpson, wife of former Club president, Chuck Simpson, had passed away at the age of 100.
Steacy Pinney told us of a $25,000 grant from our Major Donations Committee to the Werklund School of Education for an initiative to create an interactive web resource for Indigenous literature. The guest speakers from the School told us that this will provide ways to integrate Indigenous stories into classrooms, fostering deeper learning and community connections. It is an online website (Google: Books to Build On) that is available to anyone.
Past President Joe Fras was up next to talk about the Stay in School Golf Tournament which this year is celebrating its 30th Anniversary! In that time, it has raised over $1.5 million to fund the program. 300 students in the program have graduated from high school and 124 have realized their dream of completing a post-secondary education. Watch for the new tournament website, to launch on April 28th, with all the details about this year’s tournament which will be held on August 26th at the Hamptons Golf Course. Peter Harrison gave a brief overview of the Stay in School program and how it works.
Several of the Sponsors of last year’s Golf Tournament were in the audience today. They were called up anda small token of appreciation was presented to each of them.
Three members of the Rotaract Club at U of C were next to speak about their Spring Fling fundraiser which was held just recently. They were excited to announce that they raised $18,600 this year. With our support, they would like to repeat their success next year.
Michael Colborne spoke about the up-coming Big Book Sale – about the opportunities to attend, volunteer, buy books, and donate books. He would very much like to see our Club actively involved in the sale and emphasized that we should be very proud of the fact that we have this opportunity.
Tyson Schmidt introduced our guest speaker Cheryl Bernard, a Silver Medalist in Curling at the 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver and the current President and CEO of the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame. She shared some of her Olympic experience with us, then made several important points:
-The value of sport in teaching resilience, teamwork and leadership
-The importance of failing and learning from failure in sport and life
-How sport can build communities and create opportunities for young people
-The challenges faced by girls in staying in sport and the importance of providing role models
-The Canada Sports Hall of Fame’s National Education Program's (a digital model) aim to inspire youth and provide role models
-The importance of continued investment in sport to build a stronger Canada
The meeting concluded with the 50/50 draw (which was won by Angeline Hayes when she pulled the white marble), the announcement of the next meeting on May 5th with speaker Joanne Pitman, Chief Superintendent of Schools for the Calgary Board of Education, and the group recitation of the Rotary Four Way Test.
Register for a Very Special Meeting - May 12 at Palliser Hotel
DG Manon Mitchell
You are invited to a special District-wide lunch featuring one of the most dynamic and inspiring voices in our global network: Jennifer Jones.
As the first woman to serve as Rotary International President and the incoming Chair of The Rotary Foundation (2026-27), Jennifer brings a unique perspective on leadership, innovation, and the future of our organization. This is a rare opportunity to hear firsthand reflections from her time at the helm and to be inspired by the possibilities of the work we have yet to do.
Event Details
Guest Speaker: Jennifer Jones, RI Past President
Date: Tuesday, May 12th
Time: 11:45 AM - 1:30 PM - (meeting begins at noon)
Location: Rotary Club of Calgary, Palliser Hotel (133 9 Ave SW, Calgary)
Focus: Leadership insights and our global impact
Register Today
Space for this special engagement is limited. Please ensure you register by the deadline on May 7th to secure your seat.
Calgary Reads Big Book Sale COG article – April 2026
Steacy Pinney
Calgary Reads Big Book Sale needs gently used books! Donation days underway
Do you have books at home you’d like to give to a new reader? There’s still time to donate books to Calgary Reads Big Book Sale so our club can be a part of raising funds to get kids reading!
Now until May 3, donations are accepted at the Calgary Curling Club and every book counts as we look to fill more than 200 tables with every imaginable genre.
Books are for reading, sharing and enjoyment. As part of the reading ecosystem in Calgary, they also help us bring books and reading help to children who need it most- which is incredibly important right now.
Where to donate (now until May 3)
Calgary Curling Club 720 3 Street NW
9am-8pm weekdays
9am-5pm weekends
What to donate
We’re happy to accept all kind of books in great shape, and the team especially likes to receive children’s books, new releases and bestsellers. You can find the full list of what not to donate here.
The impact
Rotary Club of Calgary Downtown stewards the sale and the Early Childhood Literacy Committee, along with community partner Kids Literacy Collective, distributes book sale proceeds to evidence-based initiatives that help children become thriving readers by Grade 3.
In 2025, nearly 200,000 donated books made it to the sale’s tables, raising $544,000 for
initiatives that bring books and reading help to children who need it most. Recipients included the
Book Bank, run by University of Calgary Owerko Centre, which gave 36,075 books to children
last year and the Calgary Public Library Foundation, which gave books and more to children via the
Library’s My First Bookshelf, The Story Truck and The Kindergarten Book Bag Program.
Those supports are more important than ever:
25 per cent of kindergarteners in Alberta have minimal to emerging literacy skills
10-15% of toddlers are late talkers
Only a quarter of children are reading at grade level by the end of Grade 3. (Sources here)
Calgary children are facing a reading crisis, but it’s a very solvable problem. Fortunately, we have some amazing partners getting children the books and reading help they need—and an amazing community of supporters donating books to the sale.
Thank you
Thank you for donating books and spreading the word. A big thank you to club members who volunteered at the Stuff-a-Truck events April 25 & 26 across Calgary!
Once you’ve made room on your bookshelf, mark your calendars for dates to shop the sale! Calgary Reads Big Book Sale runs May 8-18 (by appointment May 8, 9, 10) at the Calgary Curling Club.
For everything to know about how to support and help get kids reading, visit www.bigbooksale.ca
News from the Bar-B-Q Committee
Diane Macdonald
Please note some changes:
The previously scheduled BBQ at St. Monica School has been cancelled.
We’re in the process of finalizing a replacement BBQ at Bishop Kidd Junior High School in Forest Lawn on Wednesday, May 27th
West Dover School BBQ on Thursday, June 11th
PowWow BBQ on Sunday, June 21st
Watch for the sign-up sheet for the May 27th event which will be emailed out within the next week or so
Lou MacEachern Bursaries – Supporting Students at Bow Valley College
Al McMillan
This year, 10 students attending the Chiu School of Business at Bow Valley College received Lou MacEachern Bursaries.
The bursaries are funded through the Lou MacEachern Fund which was established by Lou MacEachern in 2006 and generously entrusted to Rotary. For many years, Lou and long time Rotarian Lorne Larson personally administered the Fund on Rotary’s behalf. In 2023, Lou asked Small Donations to take over administration of the Fund with the clear direction that it continue to support the education and development of youth and young adults – helping them succeed in their studies and in life.
Since the Fund’s inception in 2006, a total of 73 students at Bow Valley College have received Lou MacEachern Bursaries.
CLICK HERE to read full Report on the MacEachern Bursaries.
Impact Report from Bow Valley College re: Rotary Club of Calgary Downtown Indigenous Student Bursaries & Scholarships supported by District 5360
Dr. Julia Rucklidge Lunch and Learn April 14, 2026 Nutrition: Foundation of Brain Health and Mental Wellness
Deb Hymers
Rotary Club of Calgary Downtown, in collaboration with Downtown U of C campus and NSTEP, had many Rotary helpers to bring this dream to a reality- a hybrid inperson (31) and online (56) Lunch and Learn with Dr. Julia Rucklidge, University of Canterbury, NZ. This total of 87 participants (from Ontario, Saskatchewan, BC, Ohio and elsewhere) also received Dr. Rucklidge’s slide deck and access to the recording.
Julia spent 50 minutes explaining why nutrition is the foundation of brain health and mental wellness. She reviewed the latest scientific evidence-based research on effects of ultra processed foods on our brain/bodies, the gut microbiome. Defining micronutrients, she indicated their benefits on the brain, eating more whole foods, the research on micronutrients for treating mental illness including ADHD, Bi-polar, and post-partum depression.
Julia focussed on how to build resilience for our brains; nutrition is the starting point. Activity, social connection, being outdoors, meditation, and reduced social media use contribute to building brain resilience.
The work presented by Dr. Julia Rucklidge demonstrates a connection with the Clubs Granting Strategy in two of its Focus Areas – Mental Wellness and Food Security. She highlights several questions that we ask:
“How about we focus on resilience and fostering health rather than treatment of disease and medicalizing distress?”
“When a flower doesn’t bloom, you fix the environment in which it grows, not the flower.” – Alexander den Heijer.
In her “Steps in a new journey to wellness”, she spoke about the relationship between nutrients and mental health and their relationship to wellbeing. This includes asking the question “Is our resilience lower due to our poor nutrient intake?”
For the answers to these questions and others be sure to watch her presentation.
To learn more about NSTEP www.nstep.ca and its work in community.
RCCD Activity Builds on Seeds Sown Over A Quarter of a 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 in Dehradun, India hosted 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. Drs. Doug McMillan and Nalini Singhal from Calgary also were involved in 2000 and again in 2026.
Annie and Laine have prepared a short report of their experiences with a picture in the NICU at SRHU hospital below.
Dear Rotary Club of Calgary Downtown,
Thanks so much for your support of our trip to India.
We hope we made a positive contribution to the nurses in the NICU at The Himalayan Institute of Medical Sciences Hospital.
We were warmly welcomed by the nurses, Doctors and support staff.
On our first day, Dr. Doug McMillan actively participated in morning rounds.
This was an “observation” day for us.
On our second day, together with Dr. Nalini Singhal, we demonstrated The Calgary format for rounds. This involves the Nurse and the Respiratory Therapist presenting the patient. The Medical resident then adds the plan, with the Neonatologist providing guidance and advice.
After this, and in collaboration with the Nurse Manager, a report sheet was made for the nurses for their presentation in rounds. We immediately saw this enthusiastically used by the nurses.
For the next two and a half weeks, we used a Neonatal Resuscitation Doll, in a storage area as our teaching base.
We provided small group ( 2-4 nurses) information, demonstrations and opportunities for return demonstrations on a variety of Respiratory and Nursing care topics.
We found this small group format allowed the nurses to comfortably ask questions and attend the short sessions while working their shift.
We covered seven different topics, and managed to sign off approximately 80% of the nurses on all seven.
We are happy to report that some of the practice changes we introduced were immediately implemented.
Everyday we tried to spend some time in the NICU so we could see how we could better help the babies, families and nurses.
This is the process we used to decide on our teaching topics.
We had some small “scent hearts” made on the campus. These are commonly used in Calgary NICUs for Developmental Care support, family involvement and non pharmaceutical pain management. We were happy to explain the use to a Mommy of a very small baby. She was very excited and happy to have it for her baby.
Before leaving we made some posters to remind staff of key points from some of our teaching sessions.
We were also able to visit some local sights and attend some traditional ceremonies, completing our incredible experience.
Thank You for your support!
Gratefully, Annie Jacob and Laine Gibbie
A Recent Rotary Event
Angeline Hayes
On April 23rd, 2026, an evening of gratitude for Valued Donors and Community Supporters of Wellspring, Alberta, a cancer support center, was hosted by their staff and volunteers. Across the province people affected by cancer participated in more than 40,000 program visits over the past year (2025/2026) with all complimentary at no charge due to the donations and financial gifts from donors like RCCD. Below is a picture of their Board Chair, Bill Gilliland taken at the event. Photo submission is by Angeline Hayes who was in attendance on behalf of our club and the Small Donations committee.
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Club Meeting Dates
President Bill Hamilton and Program Director Terry McMahon
May 5 - Guest Speaker: Jo Pittman, Superintendent Calgary Board of Education
May 12 - Guest Speaker: Jennifer Jones (see article above)
May 19- Evening meeting- President’s dinner
June 2- Panel discussion on the subject of homelessness. The panelists are Patricia Jones, CEO of the Calgary Homeless Foundation; Dr. Ron Kneebone of the U Calgary School of Public Policy and Bo Masterson of the Calgary Homeless Foundation and formerly with our Community Hubs project
June 16- Guest Speaker: Alice de Kooning, Haskayne School of Business on entrepreneurship and innovation
