MyPE

Community Business Directory, Event Listings, News and Views from Gqeberha, Nelson Mandela Bay

Local Rotarians Receive Paul Harris Fellow Recognition

By

The Rotary Club of PE Sunrise recently rewarded three of its members with special awards at their recent club sponsors evening.

Rotarian Michael Zoetmulder and past club member Barbara Foot each received a Paul Harris Fellow recognition, named after the founder of Rotary, which is the Rotary Foundation’s way of expressing its appreciation for a substantial contribution to its humanitarian and educational programs.

Rotarians have a tradition of supporting the Foundation by honoring others. It is because of world-wide donations to the The Rotary Foundation, that Rotary can carry out an array of programs that achieve beneficial changes in our world, such as improved living conditions, better education, wider availability of treatment and rehabilitation for the sick and disabled, and safe drinking water. Programmes like GSE and Ambassadorial scholarship are also funded through the Rotary Foundation. Rotarians often designate a Paul Harris Fellow as a tribute to a person whose life demonstrates a shared purpose with the objectives of The Rotary Foundation.

The Rotary Club of PE Sunrise has only ever recognised 4 people for the Paul Harris Fellow, these being the late Laura Slabbert, Gail Cillie, Olga Burman, past club member Vernon Wait and current member Daryl Burman.

Foot received recognition for initiating the clubs Twinkle Star school building project, one of the club’s biggest community projects to date, and for initiating and supporting the Global Diabetes Walk in Port Elizabeth. Foot also ensured that the visiting Indian Navy visited the Ubuntu schools during their stay in the city. Zoetmulder, a member of the Rotary Club since 2007, was recognised for his contribution to the fundraising of the club and his direct and indirect marketing and promotion of the PE Sunrise Club. Zoetmulder has ensured that proceeds from his involvement in events like the Redhouse River Mile and the Global Diabetes walk and the Ocean Racing Series all supported the clubs Rotary Foundation fundraising.

The club also awarded their Laura Slabbert Stadler Award to Rotarian Gerrit van Wyk. This award is an internal club award made annually by the incumbent President to a club member who has lived up to the highest ideals of Rotary. van Wyk has made a huge contribution to the club since joining in 2009. In presenting the award, Club President David Raymer also achnowledged the support of van Wyk’s wife Elsa in their contributions towards the club.

The Rotary Club of PE Sunrise is the only breakfast Rotary club in Port Elizabeth and meet on Friday mornings between 7am and 8am at the Connynhams Coffee Shop in Mount Croix. For further information on Rotary and the Sunrise Club you are invited to email the club Secretary, Elmarie, on elraymer@telkomsa.net.

Rotary President David Raymer with Paul Harris Fellows; Barbara Foot and Michael Zoetmulder
The following two tabs change content below.
My Twitter profileMy Facebook profileMy Google+ profileMy LinkedIn profileMy Flickr profileMy Pinterest profile

Alan Straton

Chief Cook, Bottle Washer and Broom Mechanic at MyPE
Passionate about Port Elizabeth and definitely NOT packing for Perth. Alan's ethos is epitomised in the words of Nelson Mandela; "I have fought against white domination and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the idea of a democratic and free society. If need be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die." See more articles by Alan.