South Mouth February 05 2007

Huatulco Mexico Paul Massuet arranged for a Microscope donated from our Hospital to be delivered to Rotary club in Huatulco via a duffle bag by another rotarian. $500.00 for medicines for Mexican orphanage was also requested.   

Nominee For District Governor for the Rotary year 2009 2010 The committee has selected Pravin D. Suchak, a member and Past President of the Rotary Club of Amherst North.

New Board meeting at Don Hetherington's house was a success.

Diamond Gala meeting Our club's major fundraiser of the year needs volunteers register online on the website. Letter to be sent out to Donors. Please invite your friends. Friday morning meetings contact Julio Batres.

Bingo Greg McDonald Shelia Bristo, Matt Taylor, Chad Taylor and his wife have volunteer for next week's bingo.

Hospice Niagara Cathy Henry announced six years ago, Rotary and May Court embarked on a journey together to raise awareness and funding for Palliative Care Centre in Niagara. The centre will open late spring of 2007 and the names of the two clubs will be forever joined and recognized as the moving force to get it built.

Winter Dreams, the joint fundraising gala initiated to further the Hospice cause was able to raise almost $400,000.00 in cash and "In Kind" donations for this endeavor.

New Hospital Cardiac Catheterization Lab Cathy Henry mentioned that all of us in Niagara recognize that the most pressing need now for the well being of our citizens is a new hospital. As plans go forward with the Niagara Health System and the MOH, the capital campaign to raise our portion (40M) of the $150M towards building this state of the art facility is underway.

Mr. John Walker and Archie Katzman are the Honorary Chairs of the Volunteer Capital Campaign team. The quiet phase of the campaign is in full swing and the public phase will begin, hopefully in mid April, 2007. In order to start to build, we need to have pledges or donations equal to 50% or 25M by the end of December, 2007.

The date set for the commencement of the digging of the foundation is April, 2008. this facility will enable our citizens throughout the region to have tests, diagnosis and treatments done right here thus stopping the sometime horrendous and often dangerous drive to Hamilton or Toronto.

One of the new disciplines that will be included in our new hospital is a Cardiac Catheterization Lab. All Studies have shown that early detection of Cardiac problem is paramount to good recovery. This Lab will be able to provide state of the art Cardiac care and will continuously evolve as new procedures and skills arise. The cost of this lab quoted, at today's rate is $1,250M although by the time the hospital is opened in 2011 it will probably be much higher closer to $2,500M. Niagara has the fastest growing senior population in Canada and with this aging comes the usual health problems and needs.

The Gala Committee feels very strongly that we should continue to champion a cause for the citizens of Niagara and have recommended that we continue to hold Winter Dreams with all proceeds towards the Cardiac Catheterization Lab with the new Hospital. All proceeds from future galas would be held in Trust- thus not including them with the general campaign funds.

As with Hospice Niagara, where the two clubs will have a permanent marker in the new facility honouring our support, there are naming rights to each portion of the campaign. Discussions of levels of giving recognition are not finalized as yet but the two clubs have once again an opportunity to further our names in recognizing and "Leading The Way" in raising funds for this much needed facility.

Our Club approved this new endeavor and has agreed to join forces with May Court Club to host Winter Dreams with all proceeds to the new Lab. Throughout the years, the gala has become recognized as one of the, if not the, most prestigious dinner/dances for the region and constantly sold out.