Dr Ben Wachire shared his experiences learning about emergency healthcare across NSW, Victoria and the Gold Coast, contrasting this with Kenya’s long-standing lack of ambulances, emergency departments and even a universal emergency number. He outlined the severe consequences of this gap and the work of the Emergency Medicine Kenya Foundation to build systems from the community up. Significant progress has been made, including establishing 10 of 47 public ambulance services, 165 of 265 public emergency departments, training more than 600 providers and developing key national policies—improving care for 4.6 million patients each year, with a goal of reaching half of all public services by 2027. Ben also discussed Rotary’s vital support through grants and infrastructure upgrades.
THIS WEEK'S GUEST SPEAKER
Alexandra Samuels has spent over 17 years in healthcare, with the last 12 years specialising in the cardiology sector having worked in the Cardiology and Coronary Care hospital wards and in the community sector of Cardiac Rehabilitation as a Clinical Nurse Consultant. With a Bachelor of Nursing and a Masters in Critical care, the heart has always been Alexandra’s passion. After having assessed thousands of clients, the common thread from clients was they wished they had learned valuable cardiac knowledge prior to their event so they could have made healthy choices sooner, which could have prevented their coronary event.
The Shaping Tomorrow Together Dinner - Supporting The Rotary Foundation is on this Saturday, December 6th at Sanctuary Cove. Our special guest is Past Rotary International President, Holger Knaack, Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Rotary Foundation. Click here to buy tickets.
Don't forget to register for our Christmas party next Sunday the 7th at Palm Beach. Click here for the registration page and let Jo know what you can bring to share.
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Rotary Burleigh Club Uniforms – Expression of Interest
As we head into the new Rotary year, we’re planning a club uniform order. We will have more information soon and an order form. We are looking at a choice of shirt and a club cap. Costs to be advised.
Please let us know:
If you require a Rotary Burleigh polo or corporate shirt
If you would also like a club cap
Duck Race Wrap-Up
Sales were steady, with the surf club location added this year. Ideas for next year include attending the Gold Coast Show, Swell Festival and Gold Coast 500—though more volunteers are essential. Only 25% of members helped at sales events, but small duck sales grew from 1,200 to 1,800, showing strong income potential. Social media improved through external support, and the club is seeking someone with marketing expertise to lead the team.
Feedback indicated that the setup began too early and had too many people, but not enough at pack-up. Recommendations include starting later in the day, scheduling pack-down crews, and assigning teams to individual marquees. Suggestions such as adding barbecue food options and adjusting race timing are welcome. Early-September race planning remains challenging due to grant and approval timelines. The next available event window is September, but a 3 pm race time is late; early 2027 depends on tide data not yet available.
New games were well-received, with calls for more variety, better visibility and clearer announcements. Water safety remains a priority after a bull shark sighting post-event. Music received excellent feedback, and a sponsored band ($500) is being considered. The roster sign-on needs improved visibility. Merchandise sales reached $1,200, with ideas to expand into shirts and novelty hats. The PA system needs upgrading, as sound coverage was uneven. Ongoing discussion continues around big duck prices. Stronger marketing is needed to boost sales toward the $19,000 target. The event ended too abruptly, signalling room for improvement. Partnerships with the Gold Coast Chamber, PRD and Kokoda Kids remain active, with opportunities to further engage local real estate groups.
Charity Golf Day Wrap-Up
Our 2025 Alexander Carlsson Memorial Golf Day was a fantastic success; bringing together our clients, partners, sponsors and community for a brilliant day on the course.
Thanks to the incredible support and generosity of everyone involved, we are proud to announce that we raised over $12,000 for our charity partners: Movember, Rotary and Rize Up. These funds will directly support mental health programs, crisis assistance and community support services that make a real difference in people’s lives.
Congratulations to our winning team, captained by Tom Beverley, who took out the top spot on the leaderboard.
A special thank you goes to our Platinum, Gold and Corporate Sponsors, whose contributions, prizes and hole activations made the event possible, and we are sincerely grateful for your partnership.
We also extend our thanks to Emerald Lakes Golf Club, Rotary, our volunteers, and the entire Wakefield Pacific team who helped bring the day together.
Thank you to everyone who attended, played, volunteered, donated and supported. We look forward to making next year’s event even bigger!
From Mitch and the Wakefield Pacific Team
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Club runner information
If you do not have your Club Runner login information, you can go to the Club Runner website, scroll down a little and click on “Send me a Magic Link”. Enter the email address you gave to the club, and you will receive an email. Click on the login button and then select the club website. Go to ‘My Clubrunner’ and then ‘My Profile’. The ‘Edit’ button is at the top right and you can add/change any information on your profile. Click ‘Save’ and you’re done!
If you’re really feeling techy, you can download the Club Runner app.
If you would like any help resetting your password, or downloading the app to your phone, please let us know. There are a few members who can assist you.
We are looking to use Club Runner more for information and rosters, so it would be great if everyone is able to log in.
Getting uncomfortable: how we built a bigger, bolder Rotary project in Panama — together with the community
By Alexei Oduber, member of Panama Nordeste Rotary Club, Panama
Since joining the Panamá Nordeste Rotary Club in 1998, I have been involved in numerous projects. But when our club set out to bring clean water to communities in Panama’s Darién province, a region accessible only by canoe and small boat, I realized how much more impact we achieve by truly partnering with communities and embracing big challenges.
Let me show you what that project looked like through Rotary’s “Building Blocks to Impact” framework from the Rotary Impact handbook. It provides a smart way to plan and measure service projects – starting with the inputs we bring to a project and building toward long-term, measurable results. Read more here.
Rotary Down Under
Rotary editors team up with OzHarvest to cook meals for those in need
Katherine Herron, OzHarvest National Program Lead, Cooking for a Cause
Regional Rotary magazine editors from across Asia Pacific and the US have turned their passion for community service into culinary action with OzHarvest Queensland to help tackle food insecurity on the Gold Coast.
The Cooking for a Cause session saw Rotarians working alongside OzHarvest chefs and volunteers to prepare meals that will be distributed to people experiencing hardship in the local area. The collaboration combines Rotary’s commitment to service with OzHarvest’s mission to ‘Nourish our Country’.
Jason Keyser, Managing Editor of Rotary magazine in the US, said the experience was both educational and rewarding.
This article originally appeared in the Arizona Daily Star’s National Opinion Section
I first heard about El Tour de Tucson in the unlikeliest of places: aboard a water taxi in Bangkok in 2012. Several Tucsonans struck up a conversation when they learned I was an avid cyclist. They told me how Rotary clubs in Southern Arizona had begun using Tucson’s annual bike ride to raise money for global polio eradication.
RI General Secretary and CEO John Hewko rides for polio eradication at the El Tour de Tucson.
Their enthusiasm touched me. By the time our short ferry ride was over, I had agreed to join them. Read what happened next.
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Please check the roster for the next few weeks and advise Vicki and David Ungar if you will be away that week. Meeting jobs will be allocated via email before the meeting.
Dr Ben Wachire shared his experiences learning about emergency healthcare across NSW, Victoria and the Gold Coast, contrasting this with Kenya’s long-standing lack of ambulances, emergency departments and even a universal emergency number. He outlined the severe consequences of this gap and the work of the Emergency Medicine Kenya Foundation to build systems from the community up. Significant progress has been made, including establishing 10 of 47 public ambulance services, 165 of 265 public emergency departments, training more than 600 providers and developing key national policies—improving care for 4.6 million patients each year, with a goal of reaching half of all public services by 2027. Ben also discussed Rotary’s vital support through grants and infrastructure upgrades.
