Events

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Easter Seals Celebrity Hockey Tournament and V.I.P. Draft Party

Again this year the Easter Seals organization is running a Celebrity Hockey Tournament to raise funds for the children and families they support.  In addition to the tournament there is a Party Night and Silent Auction on the evening prior.  Again this year we have been asked to provide some volunteer help to run these.

Thursday, November 23 - V.I.P. Draft Night - 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
> Maxwell’s - 35 University Ave. East, Waterloo
> 2 to 3 Volunteers needed to sell raffle tickets

Friday, November 24 - Celebrity Hockey Tournament
> RIM Park, Waterloo
> 2 - 3 Volunteers needed for Time Keeping and Scoring in Two Shifts:
    7:30 a.m. to 12:00 noon and 12:00 noon to 5:00 p.m.

NB! Dress warmly (hats, gloves scarves, etc.) the rink is cold.
Food and drinks are supplied.

When you register BE SURE TO INDICATE WITH WHICH SHIFT(S) YOU WILL ASSIT:
- Draft Party Thursday 5-10
- Saturday Hockey A.M. 7:30 to 12
- Saturday Hockey P.M. - 12 to 5

Please sign up no later than Tuesday, November 14.

Distribution of Online Auction Items / Return of Lawn Sings
November 24 and 25

Our online Auction is going very well again this year and, as in the past, assistance of members will be needed when the successful bidders come to pick up their items.  We will be in the same location as last year - 123 Ottawa Street South.  Our procedures will be similar to the past with usccesful bidders able to come to pick up their items on Friday between 1:00 and 4:00 p.m. or Saturday between 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.  We will pre-package the items to be delivered out to the cars.  Four helpers are needed for each of the following shifts:

November 24     1:00 to 3:00

November 24     2:00 to 4:00

November 25     9:00 to 12:00

November 25     11:00 to 2:00

November 25     1:00 to 4:00

NB! Be sure to indicate the time slot(s) for which you are available in the comment box on the registration screen.  Friends and family are most welcome to join in.  Deadline for registering is Thursday, November 23.

If attending, dress warmly as the weather could be a bit chilly, bring a lawn chair.

Note: Members are asked to return signs sometime during the pick up times on Friday or Saturday.

Thank you,

Neil Swayze, Online Auction Committee Chair

KidsAbility Tour and Update

KidsAbility is part of the DNA of the Rotary Club of Kitchener.  We originated the Rotary Children's Centre in the early 1950's and have supported it and its predecessor, KidsAbility, ever since.  On Monday, November 27, our regular club meeting will be at KidsAbility for a tour and presentation by Lisa Talbot, the Executive Director of the KidsAbility Foundation.  For members new and old this is a great opportunity to see this world-class facility first-hand and to hear about what is new and interesting.

A lasagna and salad lunch will be provided with a vegetarian option available for $16.  Please indicate any dietary restrictions in the comment box on the registration page.

We must provide finally numbers to the caterer on Thursday November 23 so our hard registration deadline is Wednesday, November 22.

Don't miss this chance to see and learn about this fundamental part of our legacy of Service Above Self.

You don't want to miss our annual Holiday Social!  This year at the Westmount Golf & Country Club, Kitchener, starting at 6:00 p.m. on Monday, December 11.  Dinner served at 7:00 p.m.

Private Room
Turkey Dinner with all of the Fixings and Dessert
Great Fellowship
The Ever Popular Pie/Dessert Auction*
Special Presentations
Cash Bar

Price is just $75.00 per person
(paid online with registration)​

We need to confirm numbers with the venue, please sign up as soon as possible (don't forget to include your guests). Deadline is Wednesday, December 5.

Please indicate any food allergies or dietary restrictions in the Comment Field on the registration page.

*Note: For the Pie / Dessert Auction this year payment can be made by cash, cheque or credit card and not charged to your account.

Calling all volunteers to Give Back to Grand River Hospital Foundation!

All proceeds from this year's fundraiser are going to Kids Care at GRH

Rotary has been given a full day to promote DOING GOOD IN THE COMMUNITY

2 SHIFTS AVAILABLE:

SHIFT #1 - Sunday December 24th - 930am-145pm

SHIFT #2 - Sunday December 24th - 130pm-500pm

Please let us know which shift you prefer in the comments

Yes it is Christmas Eve but what a great way to start off the holiday season!

See you there!

City of Kitchener First Night Celebrations

Since 2013 Kitchener Rotary has participated in the City of Kitchener’s Family-Oriented, First Night celebrations on New Year's Eve at City Hall.

Out task is to serve Hot Chocolate to the children and parents and to assist with topping the hot chocolate with marshmallows, sprinkles and whipped cream!  The city provides all items and equipment, we provide the volunteer help and do receive a modest amount of donations.  It's a fun event with lots of community spirit!

This part of the celebrations run from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. (or until the hot chocolate runs out).

Free underground parking is provided.  We may be indoors or outdoors depending upon weather and other factors.

About six volunteers are needed and spouses or other family members are welcome, please indicate if you will have others joining you in the comment box.

Deadline for registration is Wednesday, December 27.

Many thanks,
Ray Taylor, Event Organizer

Emerging Economic and Financial Realities

To begin 2024 we are pleased to have Robin Stanton and Brian Lipskie from Rae Lipskie Partnership back with us to speak on The Emerging Economic and Financial Realities for Regular Folks, Businesses, Upper and Lower Tiers of Government and Investors.

Robin is Vice-President and Portfolio Manager.
Brian is President and COO

Be sure to join us for this informative and timely presentation.

A Private Tour of Grand River Hospital

This event is now full and registration is closed!

Please join us for a private tour of Grand River Hospital led by our own Trevor Eaton.  The tour will include the Radiation Department, Linear Accelerators and the Chemo Suites in the Cancer Centre, areas not generally open to the public.  Due to the nature of the tour and space limitations we are restricted to only 15 participants and registration will be for club members only.

Parking will be in the parking garage but passes will be provided for all who attend to cover the parking upon exit.  We will meet in the Lobby of the main hospital (front desk) and then walk over to the Cancer Centre.  Masks will most likely not be required but they will be available if anyone wants one though of course.

Following the tour we will gather at the Famoso Restaurant (15 King Street South) in uptown Waterloo for fellowship and dinner.

Registration deadline is Friday, January 26 or earlier if we meet our maximum limit.

ForUsGIrls Foundation INC

The ForUsGirls Foundation is committed to accepting, celebrating, and developing unique, fierce and daring young women and girls.  It is a Black feminist, Canadian, social purpose organization providing innovative skills & leadership development programs & opportunities for underserved & underrepresented young womxn & girls aged 10-25.  They develop unique, fierce, and daring young women, girls, and gender-diverse youth into a community & global GoalKeepers of the UN 17 Global Goals.  THey inspire, engage, and empower young leaders and aspiring professionals with job-ready skills and confidence to achieve their dreams and fulfill their highest potential. We are a feminist, inclusive, social justice organization.  They empower young women and gender-diverse youth to champion change in their communities & the world.

Plan to join us for our meeting on February 12, in recognition of Black History Month, when Aminka Belvitt, founder and CEO of ForUsGirls, will discuss the work she does with their foundation in Canada, the United States and Jamaica to inspire, empower and develop next-gen leaders who are young Black women and girls.

NB! Pre-Registration and meal selection is required!

Our meeting will be held at the Charcoal Restaurant.  We will have a fully private room with lunch served at a cost of $32.00 with tax and gratuity included which is to be paid in advance as part of registering for the event.  Doors open at 11:30 and lunch will be served at 12:00 noon.   Deadline for registering is Thursday, February 8.

Ready to run but not quite marathon-ready? We've got the race for you!

Introducing the Grand Valley Construction Association (GVCA) Leaders in Construction (LinC) and Grand River Hospital Foundation's inaugural 0.25k Run for Cancer!

Do you secretly envy those technical running shirts? Dream of showing off your race accomplishments, but the thought of a full marathon makes you break a sweat? Want to support Grand River Regional Cancer Centre's incredible 20-year journey?

Join GRHF in celebrating two decades of Grand River Regional Cancer Centre's incredible impact on our community. We've all been touched by cancer in some way, and now it's time to have some FUN while supporting an important cause.

We are also ooking for 4 Rotary Volunteers to assist with the day of the event to hand out water, t-shirts, work on the registration desk etc. - A Rotary Volunteer sign up sheet will follow shortly

If you are looking to participate in the event ($35 entry fee for charity) here is the registration link:

https://grhf.ca/products/0-25-run-for-cancer-registration

See you there!

Louise

Guided Tour of ATS Cambridge

NB This event has some special conditions, please read all information below.

ATS is an industry-leading automation solutions provider to many of the world’s most successful companies. ATS uses its extensive knowledge base and global capabilities in custom automation, repeat automation, automation products and value-added services, including pre-automation and after-sales services, to address the sophisticated manufacturing automation systems and service needs of multinational customers in markets such as life sciences, food & beverage, transportation, consumer products, and energy.  ATS employs over 7,000 people at more than 65 manufacturing facilities and over 85 offices in North America, Europe, Southeast Asia and Oceania.

Please join us for a guided tour of two of the ATS facilities in Cambridge led by Nick Anghel, Senior Director, Operations LS Cambridge Systems and Steven Murray, Director Operations REM.

Schedule:
Please plan to arrive on site no later than 3:45 as the tour will begin at 4:00 sharp.

4:00 pm – 4:30 pm – Tour Building #3 (Life Sciences Systems) with Nick Anghel
4:30 pm – 5:00 pm – Tour Building #2 (Repetitive Equipment Manufacturing) with Steven Murray

Security Requirements:
To comply with the security requirements at ATS we must provide the name and the company / organization for all participants two business days prior to the tour.  Please be sure to include your current business / organization in the comment box on the registration page.  ALL REGISTRATIONS MUST BE DONE ONLINE AND WE WILL NOT BE ABLE TO ACCEPT ANY LATE REGISTRATIONS FOR THIS EVENT.  The registration deadline of Thursday, February 22 is firm.

Instructions for Parking and Meet Up:
We are to enter through the guard house and drive to the far end of the lot where there is visitor parking along the windows of B3.  We are to enter at the main lobby where we will be met by our host, Nick Anghel.

Personal Protective Equipment:
Although the shop floors require safety glasses and steel toed shoes the tour route we will be on only requires that safety glasses be worn which will be provided.  However, open toed shoes are NOT ALLOWED and all participants must wear closed toe shoes. 

Registration deadline is Thrursday, February 22.

https://rotary7080.zoom.us/j/86031395729?pwd=WkRRemcwV1BERkVPL0R6YWRvNVhkQT09

Peace Scholar Ludmila Puchulu-Mocchiutti to Present

For several years our club has been supporting Peace Scholar students at local universities and institutions.  On Monday, March 11 our guest speaker will be Ludmila Puchulu-Mocchiutti, one of the students we have recently supported.  She is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Global Governance at the Balsillie School of International Affairs,

Ludmila’s academic journey led her to conduct a thesis on the 1982 Anglo-Argentinian Falkland Islands war and the enduring impact of war remnants, particularly landmines. Her research aimed to understand how the conflict and minefield clearance contributed to the development of a regional identity and settler indigeneity in the Falkland Islands.

Currently, Ludmila’s research interests center on the interplay of security, sovereignty, and nationalism within the framework of international law. By examining these themes, she aims to explore how international legal principles and institutions intersect with and impact the resolution of conflicts and the rights of communities in various regions.

Also on the program wil be an update from our inbound Exchange student, Jonas, from France.  Please plan to join us for another great meeting!

NB! Pre-Registration and meal selection is required!

Our meeting will be held at the Charcoal Restaurant.  We will have a fully private room with lunch served at a cost of $32.00 with tax and gratuity included which is to be paid in advance as part of registering for the event.  Doors open at 11:30 and lunch will be served at 12:00 noon.   Deadline for registering is Thursday, March 7.

Charles Street Terminal Visioning
An Opportunity to Participate in A Community Engagement Project

The Region of Waterloo is in the process of conducting environmental and technical studies on the former transit terminal while engaging the community on what they’d like the future of this site to be. They are currently in the third phase of engagement for this project which involves facilitated conversations with community members and interest holders through an activity called Visioning Labs: diving deeper into the question of what this site needs to best serve the community.  As leaders in the community, members of the Rotary Club of Kitchener have been invited to participate in an online Visioning Lab.

Leading our discussion will be Christy Bertrand, Community Connector supporting the Region of Waterloo’s Charles Street Terminal (CST) Visioning Project and an Honourary Member and Past President of the Rotary Club of Festival City in Stratford, ON. 

Please plan to join us on Tuesday evening, March 19 for this opportunity to  provide your thoughts on this important community initiative.  To help preparing for the event those planning to attend are ask to register.  The link for the ZOOM meeting will be sent closer to the meeting.

A Visit to the Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI)

Our club meeting on Monday, March 25 is a visit to the Centre for International Governance and Innovation with a presentation and tour.

The integration of digital technologies is reshaping municipalities, creating interconnected systems, devices, and resident networks. Several local governments are adopting smart technology to leverage technological progress for enhanced services and cost-effectiveness. However, this rapid expansion has increased municipalities' vulnerability to cybercriminal activities, posing a significant threat to crucial public services like education, power supply, water quality maintenance, and transportation infrastructure, among others. This event aims to understand the escalating challenges, uncover opportunities, and provide practical solutions to strengthen cybersecurity resilience in the Region of Waterloo.

Agenda:

5:00 - 5:15 - Arrival at CIGI (Parking available, enter off Father David Bauer Drive)
5:15 - 6:00 - Presentation by Aaron Shull (Managing Director & General Counsel)
                    A representative from the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security
                    "Fostering Cyber-Resilient Communities: A Focus on the Region of Waterloo"
6:00 - 6:15 - Tour of CIGI Campus

To assist with organization, all those planning to attend are asked to register no later than 12 noon on Monday, March 25.  Friends and family are welcome to attend, they can be included as guests in your registration or they can register themselves as a member of the public.

https://rotary7080.zoom.us/j/86031395729?pwd=WkRRemcwV1BERkVPL0R6YWRvNVhkQT09

A Better Tent City - A Local Success Story Helping The Homeless

Over the past few years our club has been supporting A Better Tent City in Kitchener through financial aid and volunteer work.  On Monday, April 15 we will get to hear the background story of this unique organization and lifesaving operation.  Our guest presenters will be Nadine Green and Jeff Willmer.  Nadine ha been the site coordinator for A Better Tent City since it was started.  Jeff, along with Ron Doyle, brought A Better Tent City from concept to reality in April 2020. He continues with ABTC as a volunteer on the leadership team and the board of directors.

Please join us for this fascinating story.

NB! Pre-Registration and meal selection is required!

Our meeting will be held at the Charcoal Restaurant.  We will have a fully private room with lunch served at a cost of $32.00 with tax and gratuity included which is to be paid in advance as part of registering for the event.  Doors open at 11:30 and lunch will be served at 12:00 noon.   Deadline for registering is Thursday, April 11 .

SPRING DOM CARDILLO TRAIL CLEAN UP

Our next Dom Cardillo Trail Clean-Up will be on Monday, April 22 (we go rain or shine unless there is thunder and lightening).  As usual, we will meet in the Stanley Park Mall parking lot near the former Walmart and the River Road entrance at 4:00 p.m.  

If interested, please join us afterwards for a social at the Whale & Ale Pub on Victoria Street

To help with planning we would like members to sign up.  As always, though, feel free to bring along friends and family members but please indicate if you are doing so in the comments box on the registration page.  

Smile Cookie Volunteer Info:

We are looking for Rotarians and Friends of Rotary to support KidsAbility. 

Volunteer sign up sheet will be emailed to your inbox where you can volunteer 

1. Volunteer task: decorating cookies with frosting – adding the signature smile 😊
   1. Transferring onto sheet pans or boxes (as needed)
2. 1-2 volunteers on-site per shift
3. 1 hour shifts, 2 hours if preferred (longer duration is not recommended)
4. Volunteers to wear any KidsAbility top or lanyard (if owned) to help with visibility/presence in stores

https://rotary7080.zoom.us/j/86031395729?pwd=WkRRemcwV1BERkVPL0R6YWRvNVhkQT09

https://rotary7080.org/page/discon-meeting-home/

District Governor Brenda Halloran

with Doug Edwards - Cluster International Projects

Our program on Monday, May 13 will begin with district updates and words of inspiration from our District Governor, Brenda Halloran, of the Rotary Club of Waterloo.  Our KW Rotary Clubs are working together on joint international projects and at our meeting we will also hear from Doug Edwards from the Rotary Club of Kitchener Conestoga, and, chair of our Five-Club International Project Committee to learn about the project our club is taking the lead on.

Don't miss this informative inspiring meeting.

NB! Pre-Regiostration and meal selection is required!

Our meeting will be held at the Charcoal Restaurant.  We will have a fully private room with lunch served at a cost of $32.00 with tax and gratuity included which is to be paid in advance as part of registering for the event.  Doors open at 11:30 and lunch will be served at 12:00 noon.   Deadline for registering is Thursday, May 9 .