Retiring Lower Blue Mountains Rotary President Rennie Schmid went out with a ‘bang’ when he distributed thousands of dollars to local, regional, national and international projects at the club’s annual ‘Night of Giving’ in June.
Projects to receive funding were Gateway Family Services, St John’s Ambulance, Trayfoyl Guild, Warrimoo, Blaxland, Mt Riverview and Glenbrook/Lapstone Rural Fire Service brigades, The Luke Priddis Foundation, Odyssey House, Rotary Australia World Community Service, The Purple House Indigenous Kidney Dialysis program, Australian Rotary Health Research, The Rotary Foundation and Rotary’s End Polio Now campaign.
More than 60 Rotarians and guests enjoyed the evening which provided a fitting culmination for another outstanding year of service by the club - supporting some 31 projects in all with $60,000 plus in donations.
All recipients present addressed the gathering and shared amazing stories of community care and support:
- Karen Van Woudenberg – Gateway Services.
- Pam Thompson – Trayfoyl Guild Support Services.
- Dave McNeill, Robert Lockie and Lindsay Williams – Rural Fire Services.
- Terry Davies – Australian Rotary Health Research
- Tamara VanAntwerpen – Luke Priddis Foundation.
- Christine Campbell – Odyyssey House, NSW.
- Hoshang Parekh – St Johns Ambulance.
- Bob Aitken – The Purple House Indigenous Dialysis Program.
- Leigh Johnson – Rotary’s Youth Exchange Program.
- Mick Harriden – Rotary Australia World Community Service.
Inspirational addresses were presented by Rotarians Chris Maloney on volunteering and Glenn Anslow on Rotary’s impressive range of youth programs and services.
