Club Services
President's Message 2010-2011 from Peter Mitchell
Steveston was founded at the mouth of the Fraser River in 1890 as a fishing village. It has gone through many phases in its development and remains the last fishing village of its kind on the west coast of British Columbia, Canada.
The Rotary Club of Steveston was formed as a "hands on" club in the village of Steveston in 2001. Our Rotary Club reflects the pioneer "spirit of Steveston" with a goal to make Steveston a better place to live.
The Club and its members are committed to putting their efforts toward community improvement. We were a significant sponsor of the Steveston Water Park feature in Steveston Park and the Legacy Statue in front of the Gulf of Georgia Cannery. We were also founding partners of the Richmond Maritime Festival and supplied key organizers for the Tall Ships in 2002.
The Club maintains support for seniors by hosting Christmas dinners and summer barbeques, as well as providing support for programs at the Steveston Community Centre. We also contribute to reducing poverty by sponsoring meals at two local churches, Gilmore Park and St Albans and a breakfast at the annual Homeless Connect. Members pitch in to prepare and serve those meals. An extensive hamper program for needy families is provided at Christmas time.
Club members also invest efforts in local youth. We have adopted McMath Secondary School and have established an Interact Club in the school which is supported with an ongoing scholarship program. Scholarships are focused on trades, first responders and crime prevention careers and have been expanded to include Steveston/London and Hugh Boyd Schools. Students have been supported for youth exchanges, RYLA and Adventures in Citizenship, and other projects.
Internationally our Steveston Club is "second to none". Our members are staunch supporters of the Rotary International Foundation, the Club annually exceeds its contribution goals for Polio Plus and the Sharing Fund. This year the Club supported dental missions to a BC First Nations community and a program in Mexico. This year we responded to the disaster in Haiti, sending a half dozen shelter boxes there capable of housing double the club membership! In past we have also responded to the disasters in China and Sri Lanka.
Twice a year the Club gathers books from library book sales. These books are circulated in the community, or sent overseas to help literacy.
2010-11 will be very special year for Steveston Rotary. We began by helping with traffic and parking for the 2010 Olympic Torch Relay in Steveston, and operated an RV Park for people visiting the Olympics. In March 2011 we will be celebrating our Rotary club's 10th anniversary.
The Rotary Club of Steveston prides itself on what it has been able to accomplish in its first decade, and looks forward to future challenges and obligations to help the community of Steveston and for the good of Rotary.