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.

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.”