Club News

June 9, 2026

At this week’s Rotary Club meeting, members welcomed Guest Speaker Kym Bailey-Cook, who gave a presentation on the topic “My Life.”

Members also enjoyed a short presentation from John Lusted, President of the Semiahmoo Rotary Club, who shared information about two important initiatives being led by their club. John spoke about the Semiahmoo Rotary Club’s Canada Flag fundraising program, a community-focused initiative that helps raise funds while encouraging residents and businesses to proudly display the Canadian flag.

June 2, 2026

Award-winning photographer, author, filmmaker, and Rotarian Gabor Gasztonyi shared an update on the global fight to eradicate polio. A former District 5040 Polio Chair and past president of the Rotary Club of New Westminster, Gabor has long been involved in Rotary’s efforts to eliminate the disease and support rehabilitation programs for polio survivors, particularly in Ethiopia.

Gabor reported that while vaccine-derived poliovirus remains a challenge in some under-immunized regions of Africa, overall polio cases continue to decline. Only seven cases of wild poliovirus have been reported worldwide in 2026—three in Pakistan and four in Afghanistan. He also highlighted the ongoing work of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative and the importance of continued vaccination efforts to achieve a polio-free world.

March 26,2026

Lara Hein spoke to the club about the importance of financial literacy and helping people build confidence in making informed money decisions. A former Senior Wealth Manager with more than 25 years of experience in financial planning and wealth management, Lara shared insights from her career working with clients, advisors, and training programs. She also spoke about her volunteer work with Junior Achievement BC, where she has helped students develop practical financial literacy and career readiness skills. Her message emphasized that many important financial lessons can and should be taught earlier in life, reminding us that “it isn’t about how much money you make, it’s about how much you keep and what you do with it.”

May 19, 2026

The Rotary Club of White Rock welcomed guest speaker Amanda Silvers and heard from Kingsley Griffin, founder of Kingha Coffee Company. Kingsley shared how he transformed vacant farmland in Bwindi, Uganda into a specialty organic coffee estate, planting 20,000 arabica seedlings, building a central washing station, and connecting more than 750 farm families to international markets. His work also includes training local farmers in coffee agronomy, organic agriculture, and financial literacy, while continuing to roast coffee locally on the Semiahmoo Peninsula.

Leaders of Tomorrow
Irene Dahl, Leaders of Tomorrow Chair and Past President 2023–2024, together with Kristina Eng, President 2025–2026, proudly presented the May 2026 Leaders of Tomorrow award to Jack Snead, a Grade 12 student at Semiahmoo Secondary School. Jack was recognized for demonstrating Rotary’s motto of “Service Above Self.”

May 12, 2026

Gene Gallant, Vice President of Student Affairs at the Native Education College, spoke to the club about the college’s Indigenous-centred approach to education. Drawing on more than 25 years of experience as an educator, Gene shared how the college supports First Nations, Métis and Indigenous learners through accredited post-secondary and adult upgrading programs rooted in Indigenous culture, content and teaching methods. He emphasized the importance of kindness, belonging and community responsibility, while highlighting how scholarship support helps remove barriers for learners and creates lasting impacts within Indigenous communities.

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Welcome
 

 
We are currently meeting for lunch at the Rotary Field House in the South Surrey Athletic Park on Tuesdays at 12:00pm, we are also broadcasting on Zoom. Please contact us for the Zoom link, or if you would like to attend the in person lunch meeting.
 
Book Sale News
 
Book Donations
are welcome at the Rotary Fieldhouse in the South Surrey Athletic Park
 
Donations of books in good condition are welcome. We cannot accept magazines, textbooks, encyclopedias, manuals, or damaged books. Thank you for your understanding.
 
Books can be donated 24/7 at the Blue Bin on the North side of the Rotary Fieldhouse, located at 2197 148 St, Surrey, south of the Surrey Eagles Hockey Arena.  Large donations can be dropped off Monday mornings 9-11.  We can help you unload directly into the book warehouse and not fill up the bin.  If you need help picking up a large donation of books, we can help.  Contact us at rotaryclub.booksale@gmail.com for assistance.
Club Executives & Directors
President
Vice President
President Elect
Past President
Secretary
Treasurer
Director
Director
Director
Director
Director
Director
Foundation Chair
Organization Chart
Current Board until July 1st, 2025/26
Incoming Board until July 1st, 2026/27
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Upcoming Events

Jul. 19, 2026 District 5050 Governor & Leadership Team  Installation

Read the District Newsletter Here

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