RH Rotary Club

International Projects

Ukraine – Education for mentally and physically disable young people so they can perform jobs and make a living

Lebanon – hospital operating room equipment

Angola – Burundi ulcer vaccine/vaccinations

Mexico – education for deaf children so that they can become employable

Kenya – water wells and piping system to avoid 9k walk day carrying buckets for over one thousand people

Ghana – water and sanitation in poor area

Niger – sustainable farming project so people can feed themselves

Philippines – taking children off the streets and providing them with a basic education

India – cataract operations financing and an ambulance with operating equipment to restore sight to people in remote areas allowing them to earn a living and cease begging

India – housing project after floods destroyed existing accommodation

Panama – facility upgrades for care of malnourished infants

Laos – water filtration equipment for villages where populations had access to only contaminated water

Bangladesh – literacy learning system

Bangladesh – microfinance for women

Pakistan – literacy project

Pakistan – Polio eradication

Guyana – dental care for remote areas

Uganda – several projects involving orange farming, medical equipment, education of expectant mothers

Guatemala – school facility and education in poverty area

Tanzania – sanitation project

Haiti – disaster relief shelter boxes

Zimbabwe – sustainable farming

Sri Lanka – water and Sanitation

Honduras – literacy program


National & Local Initiatives

• St. John's Ambulance • Sick Children's Hospital • Terry Fox Run from around mid '80s • Barrie Tornado Relief Fund • CNIB • Yellow Brick House • York Region Abuse Program • Relief Fund for victims of flooding in Quebec

Local Community Support

• Uniforms for the Richmond Hill school band & track & field team • Richmond Hill Arena Association Hockey Team • VON Victorian Order of Nurses • Town Winter Works project on the south side of the Mill Pond • Mill Pond shelter (torn down in 2000 by TRH - commemorative Rotary plaque rescued) • Police Boys band • "Jaws of Life" for the Richmond Hill Fire Department • York Central Hospital donations • Richmond Hill Public Library - purchase & installation of Centennial sculpture (now in central library) • YMCA • Helpmate • York Region Science Fair (winner Vernon Stringer went on to win the International title in Europe) • York Centre for Learning Disabilities • Yonge Street flower barrels • Winter Carnival from 1980 on • Millennium Garden at the Mill Pond • Oak Ridges Moraine Foundation • Crosby Park playground accessibility for handicapped children • Camp Enterprise

Local Various Historical Fundraising Efforts

• Christmas tree sales (carried on for at least 35 years) • Travelogue series • Bench rentals sold to local businesses for advertising (with Rotary emblem) - still to be seen around Richmond Hill • Club dances & special events e.g. Klondike Night • Sale of Christmas nuts & hams • 1979 - 1st TV auction held, became the major fundraiser by 1983-84 • Terry Fox run • 1984-85 - 1st of the club's International nights was Greek Night • 1985-86 - India International Night raised $4000.00 • Sale of the "Mother Kitchen Cookbook" with Italian recipes • 1986-87 - Italian International Night • 1987-89 TV Auction raised over $25,000.00 • 1986-87 British International Night • 1988-89 Caribbean International Night • 1988-89 Irish Night • 1990-91 Canada International Night • 1993 TV Auction grossed over $50,000.00 • 2000-01 TV Auction made the $100,000.00 mark • 2001-02 Terry Fox Run had a record 300 participants: raised $27,000.00 • 2002-03 Terry Fox raised $40,000.00 for cancer research • 2006-07 South Asia International Night • 2006 TV Auction raised $100,000.00 for 15 different charities • 2006-07 Terry Fox Run • 2006-07 African Cultural Night