Welcome to Rotary District 5550

Rotary Club of Selkirk Lobsterfest is a Success!
The Rotary Club of Selkirk celebrated our first in-person Lobsterfest Fundraising Dinner since 2019 and what a huge success it was!!! 436 dinners were served in just 57 minutes. Singing, dancing and a lot of great fellowship was back at the Selkirk Recreation Complex. We announced a donation of $100,000.00 to the Gaynor Family Regional Library over the next two years. Saturday night, a cheque for $50,000.00 was presented to Library Manager Ken Kuryliw. Literacy and Youth are extremely important to the Rotary Club and this donation towards the new 6000 sq. ft Rotary Children’s Hideaway will allow our Library to remain one of the best libraries in Manitoba serving the Tri-S community! A huge thank you to all who attended and volunteered at this year’s event!
 
  
 
 
 
 
Rotary Club of Kenora Peace Park
Work started on the Rotary Peace Park with Rotarians and Friends of Rotary coming out to do a hands on project.The location of the peace park in Kenora is in an area beside the lake that is really not being well used. There was a brick pathway that needed to have all the bricks removed so local contractor can start on our big project
The removal of these bricks saved $4000 off the budget. Bricks were taken away by different people for their own projects. No charges for the bricks but a donation to the Rotary Peace Park was encouraged. 
 
   
The Ripple Effect Program is ramping up construction at schools in Guatemala
after the Covid -19 pandemic. We could use your support in provide funding for three projects, just follow the link to the Ripple Effect Program page.
The REP is committed to reducing poverty and building peace in the communities we support by building sustainable schools in the hope for a brighter future for children living in challenging environments.
ROTARIANS DAVID & JEAN
RECEIVE QUEEN ELIZABETH II PLATINUM JUBILEE MEDALS
We are thrilled to announce that two of our members have been honoured with Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee medals by Manitoba. These medals celebrate the 70th anniversary of Her Majesty's accession to the throne and recognize outstanding individuals who have made a positive impact on their communities. Congratulations to our medal recipients, Rotarians David Thorne and Jean Oliver, for this prestigious achievement!
The Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal (Manitoba) celebrates the 70th anniversary year of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II's accession to the Throne, which began on February 6, 2022.

The medal is a tangible way for the province of Manitoba to honour Her Majesty for her service to Canada. A total of 1,000 medals will be awarded at ceremonies held throughout the province during the Platinum Jubilee year. The medal program will be the focus of the Government of Manitoba's Jubilee year commemorations. Permission has been sought from the Office of the Governor General of Canada to have this medal included in the Order of Precedence with the other commemorative medals of the Canadian Honours System
George Horton Singing Praises
One of the ways that the Brandon Sunset Rotary Club raises money to support our local causes is to deliver flowers for The Bloombox, a local florist. My wife and I were doing just that the other day, when we had an opportunity to pause for a coffee at the small shop at the gardening centre where the florist is located. It was later in the afternoon, and the shop was not busy. We told the young barista that we were delivering flowers to raise money for our Brandon Sunset Rotary Club. “Thanks to you, I was on stage at Carnegie Hall a couple of weeks ago!!” She blurted. Angela was from Kenora, and had gone to the RYLA camp at Clear Lake a few years ago. One of the speakers at that camp had encouraged her to continue with her musical career, and she had a dream of singing at Carnegie Hall in New York City. After High School, she went on to get her degree in music at Brandon University, and she had just finished her degree. A musical group that she was with had been touring the US, and one of the stops was in New York City…Carnegie Hall. Although the group was not singing there, they did have a tour of the Hall. She, alone, was allowed to go up to centre stage and enjoy the ambience! This young woman is furthering her career by doing post grad work at University of Western Ontario. She credits going to RYLA for sending her on her career. It was not an ordinary cup of coffee!
DG Nominee Peter Tonge Accessing The Arts
When Peter Tonge is assessing the accessibility of a space, he likes to go in cold. He refrains from looking up available accommodations and avoids Googling the layout. By arriving without preconceptions, he can experience all the potential barriers first-hand.
 
Lessons From The Pandemic
The Satellite Rotary Club of Winnipeg-Charleswood Virtual explores online connection to engage people in a new way
 
April 2023 – Exploring issues of accessibility and charity works, a new virtual online Rotary Club seeks to engage new folks and younger people.  The pandemic forced all of us to use technology to work and visit with family and friends from almost anywhere.  It can also be a highly effective tool of engagement within charitable life.
 
Current chairperson, Nancy Hansen, emphasizes,
 
“We are striving to create an environment that allows people who may not have the time, means, or ability to go out to do charity work.  We have created a space where anyone can contribute and be engaged from their own home.”
 
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