Rotary honours Jack Talstra; Installs new officers
Posted
on Jul 01, 2014
Long-time Rotarian Jack Talstra was recognized as a Paul Harris Fellow during the Rotary Club of Terrace’s Annual Installation of Officers at the Skeena Golf & Country Club on June 22. Talstra, a member of the club for 32 years, received the recognition in tribute for his 29 years of civil service and for his demonstration of shared purpose with the objectives of the Rotary Foundation (Service Above Self).Outgoing President Kristine Kofoed heralded the club’s successes. “Over the past year, the Rotary Club of Terrace donated over $92,000 to projects in Terrace, the region and the world. Our club helped feed breakfast to low-income elementary students in Kitwanga; we helped purchase a diagnostic ultrasound unit for Mills Memorial Hospital so people in the community wouldn’t have to leave their loved ones to go get tests done, and we paid for the salary of a full-time nurse and donated funds for medicine to Alianza, an organization created to provide accessible healthcare in one of the poorest regions of Guatemala where no health care exists. Our Valentine’s Day Rotary Foundation event helped raise over $23,000 for the Rotary Foundation and that money will be used to promote peace, fight disease, provide clean water, save mothers and children, support education and grow local economies all over the world.
Rotarians help make the world a better place. Whether it’s helping purchase a bus shelter for the Park Park Avenue Medical Building, picking up trash along the highway or purchasing ShelterBoxes to send to the Philippines after Typhoon Hayian -- we help people, that’s what we do. We help people with the sale of every duck ticket, with the bang of every gavel at the auction, and every time we pay it forward and use a kindness card.”
Incoming President Kelly Gingles talked about his plans for the year and stated he’d like to see the club get involved in a major project. “The playground on Ferry Island, the tennis court near the REM Lee Theatre, Rotary Field – these kinds of projects add value to a community. I’d like to see the club partner with business and get some major projects going. Now that Terrace’s economy is on the upswing, it’s time to invest in our infrastructure.”
Assistant District Governor Lesley Erasmus announced the theme for 2014/15 as “Light up Rotary” and installed the club’s new executive including (pictured from left to right) Sean Bujtas - Service Projects, Coleen Taylor - Administration, Viv Steele - Sergeant, Art Erasmus - Foundation, Rich Toomey - Treasurer, Kristine Kofoed - Past President & Public Relations, Dave Merritt - Secretary, Kelly Gingles - President. Bryan Gascon, not pictured, is Director of Membership.