GORE BAY—While the Rotary Club of Gore Bay has had a fantastic year supporting the community and many causes, the club, at its annual dinner held last week at Waters Edge Restaurant in Gore Bay, recognized two of its members and four other members of the community for their efforts with the prestigious Paul Harris Award, including The Expositor’s own Tom Sasvari.
“The Paul Harris Award is the highest honour a Rotary Club can bestow on an individual,” said Rotarian Marlene Bowers. “Tonight, we are here to recognize the significant contribution’s tonight’s recipients have made in our community.”
“Many of you must be wondering who Paul Harris was and why we give an award in his name,” said Ms. Bowers. “The short answer is Paul Harris was a Chicago lawyer who founded the Rotary with three of his friends. The Paul Harris Fellow Program was established by Rotary International in 1957.”
“The symbolism in this award recognition is to say thank you for making a difference in your community and in the lives of less fortunate people in the world,” continued Ms. Bowers. “By accepting this pin, you will join a family of well over 950,000 Paul Harris Fellows worldwide. Besides members of your club, you stand with notables such as Mother Theresa, Nelson Mandela, Kofi Anaan, Prince Charles, Indira Ghandi, Luciano Pavarotti, King Hussein of Jordan and Pope John Paul II.”
“The Paul Harris recipient goes above and beyond in serving our community through promoting change and understanding,” continued Ms. Bowers. “No act of goodwill is too little.”
“Our first recipient tonight is (Rotarian) Peter Carter,” said Rotary president Keith McKeen. “Peter has been in the Rotary Club for five years. He is a big part of the club now and it was Peter who started the (Bay to Bay Bicycle Century Bike Ride) which raises thousands of dollars every year for good causes. The Ride is probably our biggest fundraiser every year with funds going towards food insecurity on the island to Manitoulin Family Resources food bank and the Lyons Memorial United Church for its food cupboard, and Gwekwaadziwin Miikan the year before.”
“We provided $14,000 to the food banks last summer through funds raised in the bicycle rally,” said Mr. McKeen.
Gore Bay Rotary member, “Dave Rogalsky has been with the club for four years,” said Mr. McKeen. “Dave is one guy you will see a lot in the community, he is a Gore Bay firefighter and a Rotarian. He does a lot of community work and is a very good Rotarian and also very deserving of this award.”
Paul Harris Fellow Award recipient, “Mona Lewis is a very big supporter of the Rotary Club,” said Mr. McKeen. “She helps out a lot by providing plates of cookies and many vegetables for our annual fall produce auction and other events.”
“Everyone knows our next award recipient, Tom Sasvari,” stated Mr. McKeen. “Tom is the kind of guy you want at all your functions. Tom is also a buddy of mine; he was one of the first people I met when we moved to the Island. We worked together at the Manitoulin Recorder in those days and now he is the editor-in-chief at The Manitoulin Expositor.
“Tom is very helpful to the Rotary Club and actually all service clubs on the Island by covering so many of our events,” said Mr. McKeen. “Tom is also a member of the Gore Bay-Western Manitoulin Lions Club. He helps the Rotary Club so much, covering and promoting our functions and events, before and after.”
Mr. McKeen noted that two other members of the community who were unable to be in attendance will also receive the Paul Harris Fellow awards, Dean Moss and Robbie White. “Dean, who owns Dean’s Valu-Mart in Gore Bay, is one of those behind-the-scenes people that has been so supportive of the Rotary Club over the years,” said Mr. McKeen. “Dean helps us with our food supplies at our various fundraisers.”
“Robbie White is our auctioneer,” said Mr. McKeen. “He helps us immensely at our annual Harvest Fall Produce Auction.”
Mr. McKeen provided a year in review for the Rotary Club, noting the club continues and always has supported the Polio Plus program to help people around the world that are less fortunate. He also noted the Bay-to-Bay Bicycle Rally, the annual Rotary Fish Dinner, the support the club provides by working the bar and donating proceeds raised toward the annual Frosty Cup fundraising hockey tournament and the fall produce auction. The club also donates towards Christmas gifts for residents of the Manitoulin Lodge Nursing Home in Gore Bay, provides a student bursary to Manitoulin Secondary School students who continue their post-secondary education, the Rotary Youth Leadership training program award it sponsors, Manitoulin Family Resources Christmas hampers, Manitoulin Special Olympics, the Angel Bus, and new this year a donation to the Misko-Aki Discovery Centre in Gravenhurst.
As part of the annual dinner meeting Mr. McKeen officially handed over the club president gavel to Jack Clark (who will serve as club president for the fifth time this year). “I was happy to take over for Marlene (Bowers) who did such a great job as president. And with Jack taking over this year we will have another great year.”
Mr. Clark presented the Lions past presidents’ pin to Mr. McKeen. “On behalf of the Rotary Club I would like to thank Keith for stepping up as president and doing an amazing job,” said Mr. Clark.
“I’m sure we are going to have an incredible year,” said Mr. Clark. “I would like to pay it forward and say now, thank you to all the club members for all your hard work, patience and understanding. We all look forward to an incredible year.”
