Club History

The Rotary Club of White Rock Millennium is just ten years old. We currently have 19 active members who meet regularly each Wednesday morning at 7:00 AM. Our major activities are focused on Community, Vocational and International Service projects.

During our first year we provided a van to Peace Arch Community Services for use at a local group home. Purchasing the van consumed most of the funds raised from initial operations. In addition we established a continuing partnership with the South Surrey Learning Centre and provided three annual scholarships. This facility specializes in assisting students with learning difficulties.

Our second year highlight was joining the South Surrey Fieldhouse Society which funded and constructed the $1 million Rotary Fieldhouse to serve the South Surrey Athletic Park. We have provided $15,000 toward maintenance of this facility. Three of the four area Rotary Clubs hold their meetings in the Rotary Fieldhouse.

In our third year we provided funds to support the Academy West choir to travel to the Summer Olympics in Australia and to the South Fraser Child Development Centre which serves special needs children. We also purchased a wheelchair for a Whitecliff Retirement Home resident. Our Vocational Service expanded to include Adventures in Technology. A student from the Learning Centre was provided an opportunity to attend this program at the University of Saskatchewan.

During our fourth year we hosted a Rotary Group Study Exchange Team from Argentina and commenced a partnership with the Semiahmoo House Society which serves special needs adults. We provided $15,000 to the SHS Building Project.

During the current year the foregoing activities have been continued and include sponsorship of an outgoing Group Study Exchange Team Leader plus a member on an exchange visit to Argentina. We are also participating in Adventures in Citizenship, a Rotary Club of Ottawa program which hosts students in the nation's capital. Participants learn of the Canadian parliamentary process and of other government institutions. A student from the Learning Centre has been sponsored by our club.

Rotary International will be 100 years old in 2005. Each Rotary Club has been requested to undertake a Community Centennial Project in recognition of the Rotary Centennial. We chose to work with the City of White Rock to complete the Bryant Park Addition. The Park Addition cost $ 35,000 and was opened in October 2003. We provided the majority of funds for this project and were assisted by several individuals who donated $ 7,500 in total.

We established Rotary Donate a Car in 2003. Donors receive an Income Tax Receipt for vehicles donated and sold at public auction while Rotary receives the auction net proceeds. This project is generating revenue that goes directly to both Community, Vocational and International projects

In the course of operating the Rotary Donate a Car Program we were able to place a hand control equipped older vehicle with a needy recipient. We were aided in this activity by the local Post Polio Awareness and Support Group which we also support.