COMMUNITY SERVICE REPORT
Director 2023 – 2024 Ian Gibb
Thank you to the Community Service Committee (John Allcock, Tom Farrell, Noel McIlwraith, Geoff Proctor, Graeme Bylund, Anne Burns and Ros Humphries) and all the other members who have contributed to a very busy and successful year.
The Community Service portfolio includes a number of club activities that have their own budgets and their own ‘champions’.
As well as Rotary Alexandra activities like the Art Show, Music in the Park and Community Firewood, we also contribute to the activities of other community groups, including Cycle Dindi (where Yea Rotary does the bulk of the work) and provide labour and assistance for a host of other events like the Alex Show, the Rodeo and Cathedral Invitational.
Activities for the 2023/24 year have included:
- Health and wellbeing:
- Lift the Lid/Hat Day – we distributed collection tins to shops in Alex for this Rotary project, wore silly hats on Hat Day and added $500 to the money collected from the CS budget.
- MDCancer Foundation (Kazza) – we donated $1,000 from the CS budget.
- We supported Indigenous Health Scholarships again, donating $500 through Aust Rotary Health.
- Music in the Park – once again Noel McIlwraith and her helpers made Music in the Park a success at Rotary Park in March. Music in the Park has become a showcase for local talent. It is well supported by the community.
- Cycle Dindi – took place in March. We helped to provide a gala day out for 150 cyclists. As well as great catering from RC Yea, Melinda provided her ever-popular damper.
- Easter Art Show – the Art Show was bigger and better than ever thanks to John Allcock and his hard working team.
- Australia Day – went ahead at Rotary Park on 26th January, thanks to the initiative of Graeme and Jane Bylund and Maria and Malcolm Price.
- Carols – we helped Alex Events with Christmas Carols on 22nd December.
- Playground dismantling – we helped dismantle a complete playground in Eildon.
The equipment has been shipped overseas to disadvantaged children under the Rotary Overseas Playgrounds (RORP) program. - Playground dismantling – we helped dismantle a complete playground in Eildon. The equipment has been shipped overseas to disadvantaged children under the Rotary Overseas Playgrounds (RORP) program.
- Sensory Garden (Alex Primary) – our biggest donation for the year was $5,000 to support the construction of a Sensory Garden at Alex Primary School.
- Jubilee Trees – we also donated $2,000 towards trees planted on the approach to Alex on the Maroondah Highway.
- Food vouchers for Ukrainians in Melbourne – this project changed direction during the year. We donated $2,000 in food vouchers through cooperation with RC Carlton but due to a change in housing arrangements, food vouchers became a less effective form of support for the Ukrainians. Community Service returned what remained of RC Euroa’s donation and used some of our remaining funds to send $1,000 to RC Kharkiv Renaissance for support of a children’s centre.
- Angel Flight - we donated $1,000 to Angel Flight, a great cause.
- Satellite Phone for Alex Hospital – together with Lions and the Vintage Car Club we bought a satellite phone for Alexandra District Hospital to provide emergency communication during power blackouts.
- Brazil floods – the committee has agreed to donate $2,000 through Rotary International.
- ‘Days for Girls’ – CS donated $500 to a program that helps educate and support girls in remote communities.
- Other donations – we also donated to Rotary funds ‘Shelter Box’, ‘Life’s Little Treasures’ and to ‘Starlight Foundation’ (support for children with serious illnesses).
- Car parking – The Cathedral Invitational golf tournament attracted almost 900 vehicles, which we parked. CGC appreciated our effort and donated $1,800.
- Firewood – The 2024 firewood season is well underway. So far this winter we have delivered 13 trailer loads to 10 households referred to us by Legacy, RSL, ADH and Menzies. The Beanie Festival helped to support the program with a cheque for $1,000. The ‘woodchucks’ also cut, split and loaded Red Gum from Sharon’s for the first wood raffle in May, with another to come in July.
- Alex Show, wedding parking, Beanie Festival, Christmas Tree Festival, Open Gardens, Rodeo - we helped to support all these events with labour or equipment.
Rotary Alexandra continues to provide a strong presence in our local community and in the in bigger world of Rotary International.
Ian Gibb
Community Service Director
