Despite their centennial event's delay and coninued economic shutdown, the Rotary Club of the Battlefords is supporting local charities and preparing for when restrictions are lifted. (file photo/battlefordsNOW Staff)

By Josh Ryan

Building legacy

Battlefords Rotary continues community support and documenting history

Apr 30, 2020 | 3:44 PM

A signific date for the Rotary Club of the Battlefords was missed this week because of COVID-19, however, members are still working to support the community.

Sunday was the Rotary’s centennial celebration which is now postponed to Oct. 9. The event is set to feature former Canadian astronaut Chris Hatfield and a number of other dignitaries, however, the transition from COVID-19 restrictions could have an effect.

“Obviously, if social gathering bans have not been lifted by then, we’ll have to cancel and consider other options,” club member Albert Lowe said.

Short term plans are the more pressing concern. In order to keep operations running, members now meet online to adhere to social distancing, something President Glenda Rye said is an adjustment.

“For people that have met the same way for 100 years, it’s a big change,” she said.

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Lowe is in charge of the digitization project, which has faced challenges due to lost documentation. With the pandemic, that’s heightened the need to preserve documentation.

“If they can be gathered together and gone through and at least the really important stuff digitized, that’s a great place to start,” said Lowe. “Otherwise, it’s lost.”

However, they’ve managed as best they can, including some findings of the club’s beginnings.

“The cost of forming the club in 1920 was all of 25 bucks,” Lowe said. “And of course, the inaugural meetings were held in hotels that no longer exist.”

In the century that followed, the Rotary Club underwent several transformations, peaking near 60 members. The club has 26 members. There are dozens of programs and others groups that the club has contributed to, including scholarships, park construction, event sponsorship and support for non-profits. Recently, Rotary continued in that tradition by monthly funding of $3,000 for the Boys and Girls Club Bagged lunch program and $5,000 for the Battlefords District Food and Resource Centre’s food supplies over the next three months. Rye said it was an easy decision.

“Nobody’s gone through a pandemic in recent history, so when this came up, we knew that there was gonna be some needs that need to be met,” she said. “The committee met and discussed it and the Food Bank and Boys and Girls Club was what, at that time, we thought needed it the most.”

The length of economic shutdown will affect Rotary’s ability to serve other community needs months from now and members are planning for different scenarios. However, Rye said they are not going anywhere while the community is in need and that they will hold the centennial event even if they are forced to push it further back.

“As that comes up, the committee will meet, we’ll make announcements and go from there,” she said.

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josh.ryan@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @JoshRyanSports