With very little fanfare, the Rotary Club of Prince George is celebrating its 80th year of service to community.
The focus for Rotary is geared toward programs benefiting children and youth and the international focus is on those most vulnerable in the world.
“Ultimately, we’ve done 80 years of community service,” Lorne Calder, past Rotary District Governor, and 30-year member of the Rotary Club of Prince George.
The history of the Rotary Club is a long one in Prince George, some of the highlights include funding the road up to Connaught Hill, and the May Day Parades and all that came with them were hosted by Rotary, Calder added.
“We’ve lost those things,” Calder said.
“Mr. PG was even introduced at an International Rotary event in 1960 and it was interesting to see him introduced at that conference.”
The Rotary Club is geared for service and for every service they provide they must fund raise, he added.
“So we have a track record of fund raising significant dollars over the years and we used to have a remarkable auction that used to raise amazing amounts and that allowed us to be more flexible,” Calder.
Today they have access to gaming funds and are making the best of those dollars while continuing to fund raise as well.
“We are partner-centric with a number of organizations in the Prince George area like St. Vincent de Paul Society, the Salvation Army and Meals on Wheels,” Calder said. “We’ve even started a school breakfast program thanks to a partnership we have with Sinclar Group Forest Products and so we have a history of developing these partnerships and continuing them.”
There’s a long list of successful and impactful programs that have helped local residents, Calder said.
Community projects the Rotary Club of Prince George has contributed to in the past include the Seniors Denture Program through the Prince George Council of Seniors, a new roof for the Hart Community Centre, the 2015 Canada Winter Games, Rotary Disc Golf Course at Rainbow Park, the Central BC Railway Museum for display covers, Kordyban Lodge Wigs program, the Zamboni garage at the Kin Centres, Ness Lake Bible Camp, the Two Rivers Gallery for children and youth programs, the UNBC Pergola, Rotary Skate Park, Lheidli T’enneh Spray Park and Playground, Rotary Soccer Fields, Connaught Hill Park, to name a few.
But Calder’s favourite is the breakfast program that he hopes to see in all the elementary schools in Prince George, not just a few that have been flagged with the most vulnerable children in attendance.
“We are currently in four schools and we would love to expand that to every school in Prince George,” Calder said. “It just comes down to raising the dollars to make it happen.”
It takes about $5,000 to $6,000 a year to provide a breakfast program to each school.
“We’re looking to add on to the school breakfast program,” Calder said.
The Rotary Club of Prince George is looking to provide weekend backpacks filled with food the most vulnerable children can take home to carry the family through the weekend, he added. Food security for those in need is an increasing priority and during these difficult times of increasing grocery prices and shortages and it’s becoming more and more of an issue, he added.
“We don’t like to leave children behind and that’s really been our focus for the many years we’ve been in the community,” Calder said.
For more information about the Rotary Club of Prince George visit https://portal.clubrunner.ca/758/Page/ShowHomePage or check out their Facebook page at
