Brian Prentice is proud to be the president of the Rotary Club of Peterborough Kawartha. This club of 41 members has been serving the Peterborough and Kawartha Lakes areas for many years. This is a club that has been very involved in the leadership of District 7010. It is the home club to past District Governors Tom Bennett, Dawn Straka and Don Watkins. It is also the home club to our District Governor Nominee Lynne Chant.
In order to do its great work in the local and international communities, the Rotary Club of Peterborough Kawartha Lakes is involved in several fundraisers. The club’s main fundraising activity is the annual Rotary Ribfest which is held in July each year. Club members invite all District 7010 Rotarians to join them at Ribfest this July 12, 13 and 14th at Millenium Park in Peterborough for a fun-filled weekend of lip smackin’ food, great music and entertainment, and loads of family fun! They raise in excess of $40,000 each year to help fund their various projects.
They also organize an annual on-line Christmas auction through which over $20,000 is raised each year. They are grateful for the generous support of local businesses in helping to make the auction a success. Besides these 2 major money-makers, club members volunteer at the local bingo facility to raise funds. They also raise funds, in partnership with the Peterborough Rotary Club, for Peterborough Musicfest which features free concerts every Wednesday and Saturday evening during the summer. Their club members sell 50/50 draw tickets each night. The two clubs contribute in excess of $20,000 every year to this very popular summer event.
So what does the club do with the funds that they raise? The proceeds from their fundraising have gone into many varied initiatives. The majority of the proceeds from their most recent auction went towards the purchase of a service dog, Isaac, for the K-9 unit of the Peterborough Police Service. If you would like to meet Isaac and his partner, Constable Bob Cowie, please plan to attend the club’s February 14th meeting when Isaac and Constable Cowie are scheduled to present. The club is actively involved in improving the recreational opportunities in the community. In conjunction with the City of Peterborough and the Peterborough Rotary Club, they funded the installation of the Rotary Outdoor Gym at a local park. They have also funded the Rotary Splash Pad at another local park. Another great project initiated by a club member is the "Buddy Bench" which they have now provided to 2 schools. A buddy bench, also known as a friendship
bench, is designed to reduce loneliness and foster friendships on the playground. The club has also provided $100,000 to assist in the construction of a new facility for Hospice Peterborough, which will be opening in the next couple of months. Club members like hands-on projects as well so they provide funding and volunteer time at One Roof Diner and the Warming Room, helping prepare meals for the less fortunate in the Peterborough community.The Peterborough Kawartha club is quite proud of their annual “Adventure in Understanding” canoe trip, spearheaded by Don Watkins, which was recently featured in the December 14th "Spotlight on Service" highlighting district projects with an indigenous focus. The dates for 2019 are August 25th to August 30th. Please contact Don Watkins at dswatkins.home@gmail.com for further information.
The club is also involved in several international initiatives including projects in Haiti, Kyrgyzstan and Jamaica.
If you are ever in the Peterborough area, please consider doing a make-up at the Rotary Club of Peterborough Kawartha. Meetings take place on Thursdays at 7:20am at Peterborough Golf & Country Club at 1030 Armour Road in Peterborough.
Visit our "Spotlight on Service" Page for more messages about other clubs.