Stories

Calgary East Rotary Club is 50 years young! 15 club members and 45 guests attended the celebration. The Calgary Plaza Hotel prepared a great meal, we viewed a slide show of pictures from the last 50 years and a video of highlights from some our our past inbound youth exchange students. Past President Brian Carnahan gave a summary of the history of the Calgary East Rotary Club which has raised $1.5 million and provided 27,000 volunteer hours to support communities in East Calgary. We were entertained by Dueling Pianos, live from Las Vegas. They played hits from the 70's, 80's and 90's and some dancing broke out.

 

On Feb 13, 2023, our member Cam Stewart was awarded a Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee Medal for his outstanding contributions to serve Alberta and your community. This is icing on the cake after RI's People of Action - Champions of Inclusion Award. Cam Stewart has been active in diversity, inclusion, and human rights for more than two decades, with a particular focus on Indigenous inclusion. He founded and chairs District 5360’s Indigenous Relations Committee, which is unique within Rotary because its members include Indigenous, non-Rotarian leaders. The committee, which reports to the District Governor, ensures that Indigenous issues and people are a priority. It received a district grant for the Indigenous Community Action Project to address some calls to action from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada. This project creates opportunities for Rotary clubs and Indigenous organizations to identify community issues, brainstorm solutions, develop initiatives, and take action together. Stewart provides resources for clubs to learn about DEI issues related to Indigenous peoples and organizes events where people can meet, learn, celebrate, and build relationships. He also arranges for Elders or other keepers of knowledge to participate in Rotary events. Stewart has been honored with an eagle feather and a pipe from Elder Doreen Spence and was given the Blackfoot name Mikostahpinukum (Red Morning) by Elder Herman Yellow Old Woman.

Comedy Night at Yuk Yuk's. Calgary East Rotary Club held a fundraiser on February 2. The 50 plus people in attendance were treated to some great comedy from Jacob Balshin  (MC), Scott Dumas (Middle) and Dale Ward (Headliner). Humor certainly is the best medicine and we raised some money for Rotary in the process. Look for another chance to enjoy Comedy Night at Yuk Yuk's in the fall!

Three young leaders gave presentations at our club on January 19th. Luke Mendonca and Kaleb Langton attended the Rotary Alberta Youth Entrepreneurship Camp at Eagle's Nest Ranch in the Cypress Hills in August and shared their experiences. They were two of 58 campers supported by 10 leaders and 24 volunteers who learned hands on about entrepreneurship. In teams, they developed business plans, got loans from teams of bankers, and created their products. At the conclusion of the Business Day, when families came to pick up their campers, all the loans were repaid with interest and fees. Each camper went home with $20 to $120 and some teams made donations to charity on top of that. 

 

Eve Pigat attended the Zone Interact Convention sponsored by the Rotary Club of Calgary East in October. The four day convention was attended by over 50 Interact members from Districts across Canada and the United States. Speakers included Rotary leaders like RI Director Drew Kessler and RI Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Vice Chair Brian Rusch. Eve really enjoyed the program and meeting Interactors from across the Zone.

Rotarians from Calgary Easy teamed up with 7 other Calgary area Rotary Clubs to help replace the Community Kitchens delivery truck. The new truck was unveiled on December 19 and Rotarians from the clubs involved were present. Rotarians from all 8 clubs provide volunteers monthly to prepare food boxes for the Good Food Box program. 

Renette Kurz was our guest speaker on Oct 13. Renette teaches at the Morley Community School and leads the Entrepreneurial Academy. Grade 10 and 11 students volunteer in the school's Mini Thni Mini Mart where they sell clothing they helped create through the Iyethka Trading Co. The clothing icludes quality T-shirts and hoodies with unique logos designed by local artist Tyson Crawler. Calgary East Rotary members purchased the orange T-shirts being modelled from the Iyethka Trading Co.

Members from the Calgary East Rotary Club played in the Calgary Rotary Challenger Park golf tournament held at the Bearspaw Golf and Country Club. The annual event raised about $48,000 for the park this year and the total raised in 16 years is about $750,000. Calgary East Rotary is one of many sponsors for the golf tournament.

 

Thanks to the volunteers from the Calgary East Rotary Club who joined volunteers from other Rotary clubs for the Challenger Park fundraiser at Elbow River Casino on August 9 and 10.

 

10 volunteers from the Calgary East Rotary Club cooked and served pancakes and sausages to 275 people at the Forest Lawn 55+ Society Stampede breakfast on July 11. This is an annual event that has been supported by the Calgary East Rotary Club fpr many years. Everyone enjoyed the food and the live music and line dancing.

 

4 volunteers from the Calgary East Rotary Club joined volunteers from the Marlborough Community Association for the annual community clean up. A steady stream of community members dropped off garbage, yard waste, and metal and electronics recycling. This annual event helps keep the community clean.