From Rotary Hospice House and the Kordyban Cancer Lodge Wig Room to men's health and Rotary Skateboard Park, Prince George Rotarians have helped create lasting change in the community.
This week, members from the three Prince George Rotary Clubs are celebrating more than 70 years of volunteer work and community service in Prince George as part of Rotary Week.
Today at city hall, (10:30 a.m.) Prince George Mayor Lyn Hall (himself a member of the Rotary Club of Prince George Nechako) will raise a Rotary flag commemorating the week.
The Prince George Cougars are also raising awareness at Rotary night tonight when the Cougars take on the Lethbridge Hurricanes at 7 p.m. at CN Centre.
Rotary, a global network of community volunteers, is one of the largest and most influential international humanitarian service organizations worldwide.
Founded in 1905, today more than 1.2 million members belong to 34,000 Rotary Clubs in more than 200 countries and geographical areas worldwide.
There are about 150 people who belong to one of three Rotary clubs in the city. They include the Rotary Club of Prince George, the Rotary Club of Prince George Nechako and the Rotary Club of Prince George Yellowhead. They strive to connect leaders with diverse perspectives to exchange ideas and take action in creating lasting change in Prince George and communities around the globe.
In a volunteer capacity, Rotarians at the local level have completed projects in the areas of community health and recreation (Rotary Hospice House, Kordyban Cancer Lodge Wig Room, men's health initiative, Rotary Soccer Fields and Rotary Skateboard Park).
Literacy and education projects include elementary school dictionary and reading delivery, scholarship programs, Kelly Road secondary mock interviews); hunger and poverty and international programs (providing clean water and medical equipment, building schools) and encourages high ethical and professional standards in all vocations.
Rotarians also help encourage and create future leaders through year-long youth exchange programs for high school students. Other youth leadership programs include Interact, Rotary Youth Leadership Awards and Rotaract for young professionals and post-secondary students.
One of the main international initiatives is the End Polio Now campaign as Rotarians strive to eradicate polio in Afghanistan and Pakistan, the only two countries that remain on the endemic list.
To learn more about Rotary in Prince George and around the world, the public is invited to attend a meeting anytime this week at one of the three clubs.
The Rotary Club of Prince George meets Tuesday for lunch (noon) at the Coast Inn of the North; the Rotary Club of Prince George Nechako meets Wednesday for breakfast (7 a.m.) at the Coast Inn of the North, while the Rotary Club of Prince George Yellowhead meets Thursday for lunch (noon) at Esther's Inn.
