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More Than 80 Years of Rotary Sarnia Service
City Hall in Sarnia, Ontario, Canada, was the place. The date was February 24, 1928 – more than 80 years ago. Sixteen community-minded business people met with city officials to receive the charter of the Rotary Club of Sarnia and become part of an international service organization whose humanitarian contributions continue to be felt around the world.
Today, the Rotary Club of Sarnia is supported by the activities of more than 90 members, representing local business leaders from a wide range of professions. Continuing to live their motto, "Service Above Self," local Rotarians maintain an ongoing program focussing on youth, community and vocation, special needs children and international aid. And the club’s fundraising projects, including the annual Mackinac Breakfast (July) and the Rotary TV Auction (November), contribute greatly to the diversity of popular events and the high-quality lifestyle that Sarnia residents and visitors enjoy.
As the Rotary International Foundation was expanding to become the world's largest charitable organization, the Rotary Club of Sarnia was building its own locally based fundraising body, the Rotary Club of Sarnia Charitable Foundation, with a powerful presence in the community. Through donations and bequests to its foundation, the Rotary Club of Sarnia has raised more than $2 million for worthy causes locally. Among the donations are $300,000 for the construction of the new YMCA Rotary Aquatics Centre and pledged leadership gifts totalling $1.125 million towards new Bluewater Health and Lambton College facilities. In addition, the club has contributed nearly $1 million towards the development and operation of the Pathways Health Center for Children (formerly the Sarnia & District Children's Treatment Center and commonly referred to as the Rotary Children’s Place). While the club’s main interests centre around helping children with special needs and the education and well-being of young people, many other groups have benefitted over the years from the hard work of Rotarians and the generosity of their supporters in Sarnia.
Of course, fundraising is only a part of the spirit of goodwill maintained by the club’s members. The fun and fellowship of regular weekly meetings at the Best Western Guildwood Inn and numerous community-centred events also serve to keep the membership active.
Consistent with its parent organization, the Rotary Club of Sarnia maintains a strong interest in international projects. Annually sponsoring youth exchange program students from around the world, welcoming short-term group study teams from other countries, sponsoring youth hostels and water well construction initiatives and funding international scholarships are just a few of the ways the members help to make a difference in other parts of the world. As well, three members of the club recently travelled to India, participating in Rotary International’s Polio Eradication Project.
A highlight of the club’s 75th anniversary celebrations in 2003 was a May evening program, enjoyed in the company of fellow Rotarians, family and friends. Rotary’s past successes and future challenges were effectively captured by the comments of the program’s guest speakers, including Stephen Lewis, then the United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Envoy on HIV/AIDS in Africa and former Canadian Ambassador to the United Nations.
Equipped with the knowledge that their efforts can improve the quality of life for others, members maintain that their club’s first 80 years are only the beginning. The club continues to grow and generate lots of new ideas and projects for the good of Rotary and for the service of those in need, both in Sarnia-Lambton or across the globe.
If you'd like to make Service above Self a part of your life, why not look into being a member of the Rotary Club of Sarnia?
For further information, please contact:
Rotary Club of Sarnia
P.O. Box 22014
Twin Lakes Postal Outlet
Sarnia, ON N7S 6J4
519-490-1066
or email our Rotary office
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