For the past 55 years the Innisfail Rotary Club has been contributing to both local and international causes that support community and help those in need.
The Rotary Club is an international non-profit service group with more than 33,000 clubs in 165 countries that has become one of the largest service clubs in the world.
Currently the Innisfail Rotary Club has about 50 members, a number they hope to increase in the future.
“There is something in Rotary for everyone. There are so many different avenues of service for people to go into,” said Lise Rundell, the Innisfail Rotary Club president.
The Rotary Club is made up of professionals, business people, community leaders, and volunteers who all want to make a difference.
“We are looking for members who are interested in their community and making a difference in the world,” said Rundell.
The Rotary Club meets every week on Thursdays at noon and Rotarians are required to attend at least 50 per cent of all Rotary meetings. However, over the past few years Rotary has began several initiatives to accommodate new younger members who may be busy or unable to attend noon hour meetings.
Members can arrange make-up meetings in the evenings, and online courses can be taken that can count as a make-up meeting.
“Historically there has been a stereotype that Rotarians are people who are older or have a lot of money,” said Rotary representatives.
“But it is for a wide range of people. Anyone can join Rotary.”
Members of the public are invited to attend a few Rotary meetings to see what it is like and can then be sponsored by a member to join.
The values of Rotary are based on a set of ethics that Rotarians pledge to follow and their motto is, “Service above Self.”
Some of the local initiatives rotary has donated include the Innisfail Junior Senior High School Band, the Innisfail Food Bank, the Christmas Bureau, the Innisfail Hospital helicopter pad, the Historical Village, the water park, the community bus, Relay for Life, and the Greg Ritson-Bennett Park.
One of their most recent projects was raising $29,000 for the children’s reading room in the new library.
The Rotary Club also started a youth rotary program called Interact at the Bowden Grandview School. It also hopes to start up a club in the Innisfail and Spruce View high schools as well.
Through the international branches of Rotary the club has donated to causes such as the eradication of polio, the sponsoring of a village in Uganda, and International Student Exchange programs.
The Innisfail Rotary Club is currently hosting an exchange student from France.
Rotarians have the opportunity to travel to attend national and international conferences in places such as Montreal, New Orleans, or Thailand.
Every year the Rotary Clubs host a friendship dinner, the Rotary Golf Classic and a Wine and Cheese night as fundraisers for the causes they support. They also hold an annual seniors dinner in Innisfail.
In honour of their 55th year anniversary, the Rotary club has named the last week in April Rotary Week.
