$30,000 Given to Community Needs

Gai Nixon presenting a cheque for $1000 to Neil Yates, Unit Commander, Marine Rescue, Port Macquarie. Photo taken by Lloyd Cross

Several local and overseas community causes were met at the Club Changeover of the Port Macquarie Rotary Club, it was announced by outgoing President Gil Padarin-Innes that the club had distributed almost $30,000 during the year.

Some of the recipients were – Riding for the Disabled, the Wauchope Bushfire Appeal, Endeavour Clubhouse, St Thomas’ Soup Kitchen, Marine Rescue, Googik Trail Seating & Port Macquarie Family History Research. The club has also supported students in our local schools with National Science Summer Schools, Rotary Youth Leadership Awards, sponsorship of Luminosity Youth Summit.

Included in the $30,000 was more than $8000 given to Rotary Projects—Australian Rotary Health, the Rotary Foundation, Rotary Australia World Community Services (RAWCS) for Debbie’s “dunnies” (the provision of toilets in an area devastated by the recent earthquakes in Nepal). The RAWCS hospital project in Nepal, an inspiration of Port Macquarie’s own Dr Ray Hodgson, for the building of a new hospital in Nepal specialising in the treatment of women.

^{(Article by Kerry Medway)}