ŏđŏŏ editionap.ca Rotary Club: Serving here and around the world
you all work together you do accomplish the impossible and that is just what the Hawkesbury club did.” The registration fee was $2; double room with meals cost $8.50 per person. In 1945, Hawkesbury sponsored a new Rotary club in Brownsburg, which later became the Brownsburg-Lachute club. During that period, the Hawkesbury Ro- tarians organized public speaking contests in association with the Montréal members. For about six decades, the local group has been supporting Camp Amy Molson, a pro- gram for underprivileged inner-city young- sters fromMontréal. Founded as an all-male club, the Rotary has been open to female members since the 1990s. Rotary is branch- ing out. In September, an affiliate of Inter- act, Rotary International’s service club for people aged 14 to 18, was founded at VCI.
A holiday tradition
RICHARD MAHONEY richard.mahoney@eap.on.ca
HAWKESBURY | They have helped handi- capped and “at risk” children, provided relief to disaster-stricken victims in far- off lands, promoted eloquent orators, battled polio and sent comfort to sol- diers overseas. Those are just some of the causes taken up by members of the Hawkesbury Rotary Club since the organization was founded 85 years ago. “Children have been our first and fore- most goal,” points out club president Gerry DeLorme, noting that members continue to support local and interna- tional initiatives. Currently, the club has about 25 members, about the same num- ber the Rotary had back on April 26, 1928, when a meeting was held to begin the establishment of one of the oldest ser- vice organizations in the district. On that date, businessman Jim Holtby assembled 21 business and professional men of Hawkesbury at the curling club to discuss the formation of a new club. In 1910, while Holtby was working at the Ottawa Free Press, he met the owner of the Hawkes- bury Lumber Company. He later worked for the firm and became acquainted with a lumberman’s association manager, who happened to be a Rotarian. One thing led to another. Holtby would become the first president of the Hawkes- bury Rotary Club. “One of the objectives of the new club was to foster the working together of both French and English peo- ple,” according to the history book written to mark the town’s 125 th anniversary in 1984. “Their first projects were to assist in the fight against the then rampant polio epidemic and to supply Christmas baskets to the needy families in town.” While polio is no longer the menace it once was, Rotarians keep helping the less fortunate in many ways. The club’s latest campaign is the Shel- terBox program, supported by Rotarians worldwide. The organization has sent four of the multi-functional portable shelters to earthquake victims in Haiti. Currently, local members are raising money to pro- vide two units to people trying to recover from the typhoon that devastated the Philippines. About 100 people attended a fund-raising breakfast last Saturday at Vankleek Hill Collegiate Institute, helping the Rotary to near its goal of $2,000. “Be- cause the federal government is matching the amount we raise, we will effectively be able to send four shelter boxes to the Phil- ippines,” noted DeLorme. For decades, the Rotary has been associ- ated with Easter Seals, the March of Dimes and organizations advocating for handi- capped children. During the Second World War, the club was active in sending correspondence and parcels to soldiers from Hawkesbury who were serving overseas. In 1944, the 15 Hawkesbury Rotarians and their wives hosted the district confer- ence, at the Seigniory Club in Montebello. District Governor Harry Binks had rave re- views: “Just imagine, the smallest club in the district and for them to pull off a con- ference like that. It goes to show you, no matter how small your club may be, when
A holiday tradition, the Ham-O-Rama sale is once again being promoted.“We are on track to sell 1,200 hams,” related DeLorme. All funds generated by the drive remain in the com- munity. In the past, club dona- tions have gone to a wide range of recipients, in- cluding food banks, the Hawkesbury and District General Hospital, snowsuit funds, school playgrounds, and a handicapped acces- sible play area at Place des Pionniers.
Photo Richard Mahoney
Alexa Barron, Lorie Turpin, Gail Hocquard, Roman Re- menda and Gaytan Turpin prepare to serve up breakfast at the Hawkesbury Rotary Club’s fund-raising event Sat- urday at Vankleek Hill Collegiate Institute.
600, rue Higginson St., Hawkesbury ON K6A 1H1 HAWKESBURY SANTA CLAUS PARADE SATURDAY DECEMBER 7, 2013 at 7:00 p.m. The route will be as follows : - West on Higginson Street to James Street ; - North on James Street to Main Street ; - East on Main Street to Cameron Street. The Hawkesbury volunteer firefighters will be collecting cash donations and non- perishable food items for the Hawkesbury Food Bank all along the parade route. Please be generous, the need this year is great. Service des loisirs et de la culture / Recreation and Culture Services 613 636-2082 / 613 632-0106, ext. 2255
Submitted photo
Roger Barberie, from L’Orignal Pack- ing, gives Inspector Bryan Mackillop his first ham for the launch of the Hawkes- bury Rotary Club’s Ham-O-Rama Sales. To purchase your ham, contact Jim at 613-677-3490 or 819-242-4722.
Venez visiter le Village de Noël / Come and visit the Christmas Village Place des Pionniers – 351 Main, Hawkesbury 613 632-9555
The numbers don’t lie 84 months + 5 year warranty = #1 Selling Tractor
22 H.P.
100 H.P.
0% INTEREST MONTHS O.A.C. 84 FOR ON ALL MODELS FROM 22 H.P. TO 100 H.P. STARTING AS LOW AS $149 PER MONTH
ASK US ABOUT SNOW REMOVAL SPECIAL
1 855 822-7771 www.corbeilequip.com 791 County Road #9, Curran ON
BEFGH179380MB
Made with FlippingBook Ebook Creator