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Welcome to Rotary District 7080

Rotary is a non-religious, non-political organization comprised of over 30 thousand service clubs and 1.2 million member-volunteers throughout the world. We are committed to making a lasting change though humanitarian projects that help people and build stronger communities.

This website is a resource for Rotarians and Rotaractors within District 7080. If you are new to Rotary, please go to Discover Rotary to learn about who we are and what we do.

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Take The Enviro Pledge

Submitted by Michael Pavan, Chair of the D7080 Environment Committee

Rotary District 7080 shares an interest in protecting our common legacy: the Environment.
We invite our members to support activities that strengthen the conservation and protection of natural resources, advance ecological sustainability, and foster harmony between communities and the environment.

In a recent national poll, over half of Canadians indicated their belief that climate change will not hurt them personally. That is concerning, with all the scientific facts that call out the severe risk of climate change that faces every country on earth.

New D7080 Microsite for Non-Rotarians

Submitted by Dan Dubreuil, PR Director D7080

“Each one, bring one” is a great idea and we encourage all members to embrace it. To help bolster membership attraction, the District has also developed a new microsite that explains who we are, and what we do.

Helping our district's membership committees will be a priority for the District’s PR team next year. We’re looking to help drive real growth in membership, not just stem our declines. The introduction of the Environment as an area of focus, and the change in membership status for Rotaractors be key to making this happen.

April Message - District Governor Mike Lawrie

April is Maternal and Child Health Month for Rotary which is another one of our Areas of Focus. Related to this area of focus, Gender Equality is one of the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals. This theme was highlighted on International Women’s Day last month. The cause is one that has been a societal issue that harkens back to a time when women weren’t recognized as persons and were not allowed to vote. The women’s rights movement continues to address equality, reproductive rights and violence against women. Although we have witnessed variable shifts in culture and advances in education, access to health care and employment, there is still a lot of work to be done. Maternal and child health is a cause that is mixed in with several of Rotary’s other areas of focus.

Club Leadership Training, April 10 - April 17

If you are an incoming Board member or committee chair - or if you aspire to be, these sessions are for you. They are role-specific and provide essential information on how each committee functions. If you are a newer member, learn the function of each committee so that you can serve.

For more information and to view the sessions, check out: https://rotary7080.org/Page/clt-2021

Welcome to the Feel Good Raffle

Submitted by Lynn Lewis, Rotary Club of Mississauga

We first began researching a raffle after hearing about the success of the Mudcreek Rotary Club in Nova Scotia with their raffle. It has been reported that raffles bring in $1.5 million annually to their tiny community of 4,000+ people. Although it has taken Mudcreek Rotary 6 years to be successful, their experience is a testament to the power of working together with the community in order to make amazing things happen.

World Rotaract Week - Rotaract Mississauga completes funding for Well Installation Project

Submitted by Leah Parent, Rotaract Club of Mississauga

In the 2018/2019 Rotary year, the Rotaract Club of Mississauga pledged to raise $5000 over two years in support of the Well Installation Project on Ukerewe Island, Tanzania, a project spearheaded by the Rotary Clubs of Meaford and Thornbury. Working in collaboration with the Rotary Club of Nansio in Tanzania and Tanzanian village leaders, the Rotary Clubs of Meaford and Thornbury identified the need for access to safe water in villages across Ukerewe Island.

Calling All Rotarian Golfers!

Submitted by Lynn Lewis, Rotary Club of Mississauga

The US Canada Golfing Fellowship of Rotarians was organized in February 1990 by Bryce Roper, PDG, 5400. The first USCGFR event was held in Portland Maine in 1990 and events have been held annually since. In 2018 the Executive Committee voted to change the organization's name to the United States - Canada Golfing Fellowship of Rotarians (USCGFR) to better reflect the composition of our membership.

Message From Holger Knaack and K.R. Ravindran

In these difficult days, we are so heartened to receive such uplifting reports on the unrelenting efforts of our Rotary members who have responded in their communities against the COVID-19 pandemic.

Today, the single question we hear time and again is, “Are we getting involved with COVID vaccination?” The answer is yes.

This does not mean we will deviate from our commitment to eradicating polio, which remains our highest priority and continues to be our only corporate program. Polio vaccinations must continue unabated, as must our effort to raise $50 million per year for this effort.

March Pick Me Up - Centre of Wellington Centennial

Submitted by Neil Whittaker, Centre of Wellington Centennial

The fundraising committee of the Centre Wellington Centennial Rotary Club decided to try a March Pick Me Up, fundraiser.

We approached local merchants and asked if they would like to support this event by supplying merchandise at cost and with their support we were able to put together a gift bag. The bags contained a live plant, scented candle, scented soap, cut tulips and chocolates. We advertised on Facebook and had people e-transfer the $25 cost of the bags to us. We planned for and sold 200 bags and on March 13th had a drive-through pick up at the Centre Wellington Sportsplex. For a first time online line fundraiser- it very successful!

Rotaract Week - UTM Rotaract Self-care Essentials

Submitted by Aqsa & Umniyah, Rotaract Club of University of Toronto - Mississauga

We are always so busy trying to take care of others, that oftentimes we forget to take care of ourselves. For that reason, this year UTM Rotaract club took the initiative of selling self-care packages all through the month of March. The purpose of the fundraiser was to increase mental health awareness, encourage self-care and raise funds for CAMH (Centre for Addiction and Mental Health).

Three Proactive Projects to Protect Environment

Submitted by Nagwa Abou-El Naga, District Environment Committee member

Rotarians and Rotaractors spent an hour and a half with Prof Herbert Sinnock, Director of Sustainability at Sheridan Institute of Technology, on March 18, 2021, at the District Environmental Webinar. The focus of the webinar was to discuss how the public sector would improve energy use, reduce waste and develop healthy green areas. These areas are not just environmental projects, but also a learning process to changing residents' culture and mindset in using the city's public places to be proactive in protecting the environment.

Prof Sinnock led the education and training for Global Environment protection at Sheridan College and connected with municipalities of Oakville and Brampton to establish Energy use and Zero emission.

2021 Rotary District 7080 Virtual Conference

Submitted by Leah Parent, District Conference Committee member

Calling all Rotarians, Rotaractors, and Interactors from around the District! On May 29th, 2021, the Rotary District 7080 Conference is going virtual. We welcome you to join us for a packed morning of guest speakers, breakout sessions, and fellowship, surrounded by this year’s theme of “Take care of self, each other, and the planet”. Tune in for fascinating and inspiring discussions about our theme with District Governor Dr. Michael Lawrie and guest speakers Valarie Wafer (RI Vice President 2021-2022), Ian Riseley (RI Past President 2017-2018), and Keynote Speaker Boris Cherniak (motivational hypnotist, comedian, speaker, and author).

Rotary Youth Exchange Update

Submitted by Dean Rutty, Youth Exchange Chair

The Board of Rotary International met this past week and has decided to further suspend the Youth Exchange program through June 2022. Our District Committee remained optimistic through this very difficult year that enough progress would have been made to resume the program. But with the safety of our students and volunteers paramount, the decision to suspend for another year is the correct one.

World Rotaract Week - Rotaract Club of Brampton's Food Donation Initiative

Submitted by Rotaractor Gaurav Gujar, Rotaract Club of Brampton

After Rotaractor Gaurav Gujar won an internal employee contest at work, he was astonished by what he could do with a generous donation of $4000 from his employer, HSBC Bank Canada. Gaurav had come across a contest about how employees volunteer in their community and as a Rotaractor for five years, it was natural to talk about all the work he had done in the community through the Rotaract Club of Brampton.

With the donation, the Rotaract Club of Brampton has decided to donate non-perishable food items to four food banks in Brampton, four times. Each time, the food donations will be approximately 150-200 pounds per food bank, so around 600-800 pounds for the year!

Community Service Awards Event Adapts Well to the Vagaries of Forced Change

Submitted by Mae Radford, Rotary Club of Burlington Central

In past years, the Rotary Club of Burlington Central recognized two new Paul Harris Fellows at an annual Community Service Awards breakfast meeting at the Burlington Golf and Country Club. Members of the other three Burlington Rotary Clubs, and friends and family of the recipients, joined us at an exciting formal event.

But it is pandemic time and can we cope with the vagaries of change and consider cancelling?

2021-2022 Rotary Theme

2021-22 RI President Shekhar Mehta announced his theme "Serve to Change Lives" during the opening session of the International Assembly. The theme serves as an inspiration for all Rotarians and a rallying call for our efforts in 2021-2022. Watch incoming President Shekhar's official address at the International Assembly by clicking the link below.

Watch the video

D7080 Facebook Group

Are you a club member within 7080? Then you should ALSO be a member of our District Facebook Group.

See posts for upcoming events and other content to enrich your life in Rotary! Post your own ideas and experiences about Rotary too.

This is a closed group, just for us. Request to join now: www.facebook.com/groups/7080Community/

Contact Dan Dubreuil if you need more info!

Why You Should Care About Rotary Branding

By Liz Thiam, Rotary brand specialist

As a Rotary brand specialist, I see Rotary signs everywhere. I guess you could say it’s an occupational hazard. Even my children spot Rotary signs wherever we go. So when I attended a local Rotary event in my hometown last year, I couldn’t help but notice how Rotary’s logo was being used.

What is The Disaster Advisory Resource Group?

IPDG Lesley Barmania, 2020-21 DARG Chair

The Disaster Advisory Resource Group (DARG) was established in the summer of 2020 to communicate, connect and coordinate information from members regarding local and international disaster initiatives. For clarification, the DARG Committee will not manage projects; their role is to provide information to support our members and clubs.

It all started last year with a request from Betty Jo Parent, Rotary Mississauga West, to find out how our members might provide emergency support to those affected by the disastrous Australian bushfires. (You can read the full story on our DARG pages.) Not long after, we were facing a crisis of our own – the COVID-19 pandemic. And a few weeks later came news of the Beirut explosion. Emails were flying between Rotarians and clubs who were eager to help, and we quickly realized that we needed some way to coordinate our efforts. But where to start?

Mike Lawrie welcomes you to the Rotary District 7080 website

Rotary District 7080 Key Dates for 2020-21

7080 Connects is the D7080 email newsletter. The newsletter is published monthly and includes the monthly District Governor message and current news, events and photos from around the District. If you would like to contribute or have content included in the newsletter please send it to: connects@rotary7080 .org

7080 Connects is sent to all active and honorary members of District 7080. If you are not a member and would like to subscribe please click here.

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