Rotarians present $22,000 in awards, scholarships, donations

Rotarians present $22,000 in awards, scholarships, donations

Local Tim Hortons owner Carlanna Sdao (with microphone) accepts a cheque from Milton Rotary for $2,400 to send local kids to Tim Horton Children's Camps. She is surrounded by Rotary committee members and her husband and co-franchisee Diego Sdao. The money was raised at the club's annual spring dinner and dance.

(13 May 2013 - Milton, Ont.) -- The Milton Rotary Club presented $2,400 to local Tim Horton Children’s Foundation representative Carlanna Sdao to send Milton kids to camp, headlining a ceremony held recently in which Milton Rotary gave away $22,000 to local and global charities.

The money was raised from local businesses and donors through the club’s annual fall web auction and spring dinner and dance.

More than 100 people were in attendance as $22,000 was given out in bursaries, scholarships and donations to Milton and global charities.

Rotary’s local dictionary program was the recipient of $3,000 to purchase dictionaries for every Milton Grade 3 student. Other recipients of sizeable donations include Halton Food for Thought, a program that provides nutritious meals for hungry school children, The Darling Home for Kids, which provides palliative and respite care for medically fragile children, and the Lighthouse program for grieving children.

A sum of $5,500 was handed out to Milton high school students in the form of scholarships and bursaries.

The Rotary Foundation, a not-for-profit organization that supports goals of peace and understanding through humanitarian projects around the world, received a donation as well. Disaster relief program Shelterbox Canada and Polio Plus, a global polio eradication program, were beneficiaries.

The club financially backed Sonia Chwalek’s attendance at a Rotary youth leadership conference.

Milton citizens Angelo Posteraro and Rose Barrow were recognized for their extraordinary volunteerism with Paul Harris Fellowship awards. And Rotarian Rod McLachlan received the club’s Mike Ledwith Volunteerism Award and a Paul Harris Fellowship. Previous Paul Harris recipients include Mayor Gord Krantz, former Champion publisher Jim Dills and former town councillor Mike Boughton.

This year matched last year’s fundraising efforts, allowing the club to continue with its annual giving to local recipients, said Rotarian Rod McLachlan. “Our club membership has grown in the past year, giving us momentum.”

The club, which has 30 members, was able to raise significant funds throughout the year on a per member basis. “Our motto is service above self and we truly take that to heart when it comes to helping others in Milton, particularly kids and youth.”

“Without the support of local businesses and donors, we couldn’t make all of this possible. Ultimately we spend the whole year raising funds and then on this one night we are fortunate enough to be able to give it all back to the community.”

The club is always looking for new members and anyone interested in finding out more about membership can contact Rod McLachlan at 416-807-6589.