The temperature outside might have been heading toward record lows, but inside the 2017 Changeover Dinner for the Rotary Club of Hall on the June 27, the renowned warmth of the Hall community was well and truly on
Pictured above; Cure Brain Cancer representatives Sarah Mamalmai and Amanda Fintan were visibly shocked to receive a donation of $50,000 presented by outgoing President Paul Tyrrell. Also announced on the night were donations in support of Parkinson’s ACT, and the John James Foundation to assist in their development of accommodation respite facilities for local leukemia patients and their families.
Parkinson’s ACT President John Sheldrick was visibly moved by the donation of up to $150,000 per year for three years for the employment of a community nurse to assist Parkinson sufferers.
Visibly moved, President of Parkinson’s ACT, John Sheldrick, said that when he had first told the Board of his organisation how much Rotary Club of Hall was willing to contribute toward a community nurse program, he could have heard a pin drop. “Much like the way you can hear a pin drop right now,” Mr Sheldrick added after Paul Tyrrell announced a financial commitment of up to $150,000 per year for three years.
“The difference that ready access to a qualified nurse will make to Canberra’s Parkinson’s sufferers will be immeasurable,” Mr Sheldrick explained.
Amanda Fintan, who accepted a donation of $50,000 to the Canberra branch of the Cure Brain Cancer Foundation echoed those sentiments, as did Mark Sullivan and Phil Greenwood representing the John James Foundation who said their cheque from Rotary Club of Hall for $100,000 would go a long way to ensuring local leukaemia patients and their families could have one less worry during an incredibly stressful time.
Also announced on the night was a contribution by Rotary Club of Hall of $30,000 per year over three years toward a joint initiative with several Rotary Clubs in Melbourne and three from Alice Springs to end trachoma as an endemic disease in Central Australian indigenous communities.
While the levels of support being announced might have stunned many in the room, Rotary Club of Hall has a long history of donating toward the running of local organisations, scholarships, youth leadership programs, and international assistance projects. In recent years, in excess of $150,000 has been provided annually with the Snowy Care Flight service receiving donations of $50,000 on two occasions.
The source of the club’s various community funding activities stems from their popular Capital Region Farmer’s Market which runs out of Exhibition Park in Mitchell 48 Saturdays of the year between 7.30am – 11.30am come rain, hail, or icy wind assisted by the Rotary Club of Jerrabomberra who help manage the enquiry desk and parking
Founded 14 years ago as a means to support farmers who were battling the effects of drought and financial pressures at the time, the Capital Region Farmer’s Market has grown into a valuable source of revenue which Rotary Club of Hall is proud to channel back into the community through a wide range of causes.
