West Kelowna Daybreak Rotary

Happy Thanksgiving from the Rotary Club! This special day is an opportunity for gathering with friends and family to express gratitude for the blessings of the past year, celebrate harvests, and reflect on the relationships that enrich our lives. As we come together to give thanks, let us also remember those in our community who may be less fortunate and find ways to support them.

In the spirit of service, Rotarians around the world embody our motto "Service Above Self," working tirelessly to create positive change. This Thanksgiving, we recognize the impact we can have through acts of kindness, whether it's through volunteering, supporting local initiatives, or simply reaching out to those in need. Let’s take a moment to appreciate the good things in life and continue making a difference together.

The Rotary Interact Club empowers young people aged 12-18 to make a difference in their communities while developing essential leadership skills. Members are expected to organize at least two service projects each year: one that benefits their local school or community and another that promotes international understanding. Through these initiatives, Interactors learn the value of service, connect with global peers, and gain hands-on experience in planning and executing projects that create lasting change.

We are excited to announce our efforts to re-establish the Interact Club at Mount Boucherie Secondary School, which was closed due to COVID-19. A few dedicated Rotarians recently attended Mount Boucherie Secondary School's Clubs Day to kickstart the process of forming the club there. Reviving this club will provide students with invaluable opportunities to engage in service projects, hone their leadership skills, and make a positive impact in our community. We believe that the Interact Club will not only benefit the students but also strengthen the sense of community in West Kelowna.

Last week, our Rotary Club had the pleasure of welcoming Roy Morgan, the Crime Prevention Coordinator for West Kelowna, is dedicated to enhancing community safety through proactive initiatives and educational programs. He works closely with local law enforcement and community organizations to implement crime prevention strategies and raise awareness about safety issues. His efforts include delivering presentations on fraud awareness and providing resources to help residents protect themselves from various scams​.
Additionally, Roy plays a key role in developing programs that promote community involvement in crime prevention. This includes organizing events that educate the public on safety measures and fostering partnerships among local organizations. His commitment to creating a safer environment for all residents makes him a valuable asset to the West Kelowna community​.
Thank you to Roy Morgan for speaking at our Rotary meeting about the amazing work he's doing to enhance community safety in West Kelowna!

We’re looking for speakers to share their projects and initiatives with the West Kelowna Rotary Club! If you or your organization would like to present, please send us a message. We would love to hear from you!

The Gellatly Bay Trails and Parks Society, founded by the Westbank Rotary Club in 1986, is a dedicated not-for-profit volunteer organization. Led by President Bruce Dalrymple and Secretary Garry Wittich, both proud members of our Rotary Club, the Society has played a vital role in enhancing West Kelowna’s trail system. Their contributions have shaped many of the area's most popular parks and trails, including the Gellatly Bay foreshore trail, built in partnership with Rotary in 1994, as well as the Powers Creek and Boucherie/Pritchard Road trails. The Society remains committed to expanding and promoting the enjoyment of these outdoor spaces for our community.
We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to the Gellatly Bay Trails and Parks Society for their unwavering dedication to enhancing our community. Their ongoing efforts in creating and maintaining trails have greatly enriched the outdoor experiences for residents and visitors alike.

🧡WEST KELOWNA ROTARY: HONOURING TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION🧡

Since our founding in 2009, the West Kelowna Rotary Club has been dedicated to serving our community with compassion, empathy, and a commitment to making positive, lasting change. And we recognize with gratitude and much respect the Syilx Okanagan Territory that our meetings take place on every week.

On the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, we pause to reflect on the historical injustices faced by Indigenous peoples in Canada, particularly the profound harm caused by the residential school system. We acknowledge the generational trauma that continues to affect Indigenous communities, and we understand that reconciliation is not a single day of reflection but an ongoing journey for all of us.

As a service club, we recognize that there is still much to be done. While we take pride in the work we have accomplished over the past century, we remain deeply aware of the responsibility we carry to foster inclusion, understanding, and healing. Our commitment to the youth in our community is unwavering, and we know that reconciliation begins by ensuring all children—especially Indigenous children—feel valued, supported, and empowered.

Our projects, from supporting Julia's Junction - an inclusive play space for ALL abilities, Kelowna Women's Shelter playground, and Bgc Okanagan Westside Youth Centre, are designed to bring hope and opportunity to all children, regardless of their background. We believe every child deserves access to education, warmth, and care, and we continually strive to reach the most vulnerable in our community. We also recognise that supporting Indigenous youth means more than providing services; it means engaging with Indigenous leaders, families, and communities to better understand their unique needs and how we can work together to create meaningful change.

Truth and Reconciliation are not just words but actions—actions that Rotary is committed to incorporating into everything we do. We are humbled by the courage and resilience of Indigenous peoples and seek to be allies in the journey toward healing. This means listening to their stories, learning from their experiences, and working alongside them in the spirit of unity and respect.

As we move forward, the West Kelowna Rotary Club pledges to continue supporting all children, youth, families and seniors/elders in our community while deepening our commitment to reconciliation. We recognise that this journey requires both reflection and action, and we stand ready to play our part in building a more just and equitable society for future generations.

We invite all members of our community to join us in honouring the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, not only today but in our daily lives, by taking time to learn, reflect, and support initiatives that create lasting, positive change.

Together, we can walk the path of reconciliation—ensuring every child, every family, and every community feels the support they deserve.🧡

It was an honor having fellow Rotarians visit our Rotary Club meeting last week; your presence truly enriched our gathering! 💛

It was an honor to have Mr. Ravindra Jain, President Nominee of the Rotary Club of Yangon, speak to our Rotary club this summer about his inspiring work. As Managing Director of 4R Consultancy, he is committed to transforming Myanmar's education system by focusing on access, equity, inclusion, and innovation. Through 4R Education, he aims to overcome decades of underinvestment, believing that education is key to reducing poverty, creating jobs, and promoting gender equality. Additionally, 4R Consultancy is expanding into medical tourism to address the country’s healthcare needs, with Mr. Jain's ultimate goal being to bring smiles and positive change to every community he touches.
We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to Mr. Ravindra Jain for his insightful and inspiring presentation. His dedication to improving education and healthcare in Myanmar through 4R Consultancy and his leadership as President Nominee of the Rotary Club of Yangon are truly commendable. We are deeply grateful for the positive impact he is making in countless communities and for sharing his remarkable journey with us. Thank you, Mr. Jain, for all the incredible work you do!

If any individuals, companies, or non-profit organizations are interested in presenting at our Rotary club, please don't hesitate to contact us for more details.

Club President Frank Busch travelled to Chicago on business and managed to sneak in a meeting of the Evanston Lighthouse Rotary Club as a visiting Rotarian.
As luck would have it, he got to meet Rotary International President Stephanie A. Urchick by being at the right place at the right time!

Huge THANK-YOU to all those who came out yesterday to celebrate the First Anniversary of Julia’s Junction and the Grand Opening of the Okanagan’s first permanent StoryWalk.

The celebration included our amazing early years partners who set up free family activities and info booths showcasing the important early years development work they provide in our community! 🙏

This event was made possible because of our amazing collaborative and giving community!

Special thank-YOU to Parks Dept for installing the StoryWalk and to Mayor Gord Milsom for his great speech, celebrating and recognizing the hard work of the partners!













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Join us for a Free Family Event to celebrate the 1st Anniversary of Julia’s Junction and the Grand Opening of the playground’s newest addition: Central Okanagan’s First Permanent StoryWalk!!

SAT. JULY 27 at 1-3pm at Julia’s Junction (2569 May St., West Kelowna)

Project Literacy Central Okanagan Society
Central Okanagan Early Years Partnership
Okanagan Regional Library
Starbright Children's Development Centre
Childhood Connections
City of West Kelowna
Purkids Foundation
United Way BC - Southern Interior
KCR Community Resources
Métis Nation British Columbia
YMCA of Southern Interior BC
Interior Savings
BGC Okanagan

Melissa Grassmick
Julia's Junction - an inclusive play space for ALL abilities

Wax Pencil Imagery 📸😍

Castanet
Global BC
Visit Westside
Westside Weekly

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🌍✨ Inspired by Service: The Rotary Foundation ✨🌍

Every day, The Rotary Foundation is changing lives and making the world a better place. From funding critical humanitarian projects to supporting global grants to providing scholarships and building peace, The Foundation inspires us all to dream big and take action.

Through incredible work in peacebuilding, disease prevention, and community development, Rotary members are united in our mission to create lasting change. Whether it's providing clean water, eradicating polio, or supporting education initiatives, the impact is profound and far-reaching.

Join us in celebrating The Rotary Foundation's commitment to making a difference. Let's be inspired by the dedication of Rotary members and continue to work together for a brighter future. 🌟💙

Support The Rotary Foundation please donate at www.Rotary.org/donate.

Last night, we had fun inducting our Club’s 2024-2025 Board Directors!

Looking forward to moving to our new two year-term and having President Frank Busch at the helm again - practice makes perfect! 🤗🤩

Thanks Curry Bistro for hosting us and serving some delicious dishes! 🙏

Congrats to West Kelowna Rotarian Melissa Grassmick on being named to the Top 40 under 40, a prestigious honour indeed!

This week's Top 40 Under 40 are Melissa Grassmick, Inclusive Play Consultant supporting initiatives across North America to bring inclusive playgrounds to local communities; and Dr. Christine Col, owner of Move RX Performance & Wellness, Nationally Qualified Olympic Weightlifter and devoted coach. Congratulations!

Link: https://ow.ly/UBpM50ShtQo

Thank-you Kelowna Women's Shelter!! We could not have done this amazing fundraising event without all our community sponsors!!
Stay-tuned for our SHOUT OUT to them and press release! 🙌🏻😎

Celebration of Life for Greg Marshall (1954-2023)

West Kelowna Rotary Past President (2015-2016)

Saturday June 1, 2024
Open House 1-4pm
Sonoma Pines Clubhouse
3999 Somoma Pines Drive, West Kelowna

Refreshments and snacks served along with stories of Greg!

Please join us (Rotary) family & friends!

We were grateful to Mayor Gord Milsom’s for presenting the State of the City Address to our West Kelowna Rotary Club, highlighting the growth of our City: housing, policing, wild fire challenges, along with major achievements such as the updated Official Community Plan, Economic Development Commission and community engagement. ⭐️

And fun fact, the Mayor is a long-time member of our Club! Intersted in joining too? Please DM us anytime! 😎

Thank-you, Mayor Gord Milsom City of West Kelowna for presenting to our Club an update on the state of the City and all the great work and development happening in our community! 🙏

I need to get to a convention and get some more merch! 🤣

Have I overdressed for the Rotary meeting today? 🤔 🤣

Did you know we are having an online auction? It goes live on May 10th! Have a sneak peek.
https://www.32auctions.com/LakeCountryRotary

Lost and Found items from our Taste of India event on Saturday, April 13 at Lions Hall!! If these look familiar please DM us and we’ll get them back to you asap!

And more exciting updates from our event coming soon…like how much money we raised from our generous, amazing community for our amazing community!! 🤩

Had a great presentation by Mount Boucherie Secondary School’s (MBSS) Walk for Mental Health leader, Delaney! Last year, the high school group raised over $6,000 for the Foundry Kelowna. Their 2024 event will be held on May 8 from 9am-3pm at MBSS!

➡️ For info to support: https://linktr.ee/mbsswalkformentalhealth

We are super excited to announce that our West Kelowna Rotary Taste of India event committee has selected to support a VERY important cause:

💕The Kelowna Women’s Shelter!!💕

This amazing organization has created a new safe location to support women and children in West Kelowna! And we want to help them make a safe and inclusive space for their children to play and grow!

In the neighbourhood, close to this safe housing for women and their children, the organization will be adding an outdoor play-soace!

Our event is taking place 1 month from today!! 🥳

Saturday, April 13 at the Westbank Lions Community Hall

While the dinner is SOLD OUT, there are still ways you can help us make this a successful fundraiser.

1. Donate an item to our silent auction! Gift certificates, baskets, tools, sports memorabilia, tourism packages, golf, wineries - we would love to feature your products or services.

2. Make a monetary donation to the directly to assist them in making the playground space the best it can be.

Contact the Club or for details if you want to get involved. This is a really important event to help us make sure that women and children have a safe space.

And thank-you, West Kelowna for continuing to be amazing and supporting your community’s most vulnerable members! 🙏🙏

Kelowna Women's Shelter

🍂🍁From our Rotary Family to yours, Happy Thanksgiving! 🍁🍂

💛💙Thank-YOU for presenting to our Club this week and the work you’re doing to support, raise awareness and funding for those affected by the war in Ukraine.

We’re hopeful to work together on joint volunteer projects in West Kelowna. 💙💛

The organization’s next event:
➡️Walk for Peace
OCT 14 at 3PM
Kerry Park (The Sails), Kelowna

➡️For more info, to purchase merchandise or donate: [email protected]




Kelowna Stands With Ukraine
Ukraine Stands With The Okanagan