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Aaron Kontkanen is proud to serve this year as the president of the Rotary Club of Penetanguishene. Soon the leadership of this small but mighty club of 18 members will be passed on to President Elect Glen Holmes. This is also the home club to Past District Governor Sue Cook. A big change for the club this year is that it has gone from a catered meal to a “bring your own lunch” model. Besides lowering the cost of their meetings, there are no longer any complaints about the food!
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Throughout the year, Penetanguishene Rotarians have been volunteering at the Red Cross Blood Donor Clinics where they hand out food and drinks to the participants who have donated blood. They also volunteer at the local bingo hall, providing 12 man-hours per month and raising about $13000 annually. All of this money goes back into the community through various donations and projects.
The Rotary Club of Penetanguishene had a busy winter! They had another successful Festival of Trees this winter. The club sells trees to local businesses which club members then decorate and set up at two locations in the area. The trees are on display for a month and then raffled off at the end of the event. This year they raised over $13,000. The club also helped a local charity called Warm and Cozy which provides snow suits and warm clothing for children in need in the area. The club help outfit 15 kids this past winter. Winterama in Penetanguishene was another great success in February. The North Simcoe Rotaract Club came out and help Rotarians organize and run a parade and annual Polar Plunge. They also ran the bar for the arm wrestling competition and the Rotaract Club organized a cardboard toboggan run.
The club recently changed their Student of the Month program. The local high school, Ecole Secondaire Le Caron, picks a deserving student every month. They select a student who demonstrates such qualities as leadership, school spirit, and good work ethic, just to name a few. A Rotarian from the Club attends the school to hand out a certificate to the student of the month and at the end of the year, the club gives one of the winners a bursary to go towards their post-secondary education.
Some of the other charities and organizations that the club has help this year include: Hospice Huronia, where they have sponsored a room in their new building, and the Georgian Bay Hospital Foundation. They also sent two students to RYLA.
If you happen to be in Penetanguishene at 12:15 PM on a Tuesday, please drop by to do a make-up at the Rotary Club of Penetanguishene. Meetings take place at La Cle d’la Baie en Huronie (aka The French Centre) at 63 Main Street, Penetanguishene. They have regular lunch meetings on the first and third Tuesdays, and have fun Community Service projects and Socials on their off weeks! Check out their website to learn more.
Visit our "Spotlight on Service" Page for more messages about other clubs.