Community Projects
Community projects have been an important part of Rotary activities from the beginning.
Dunnville Rotary jumped in when the Optimist Club needed a partner to keep the Mudcat Festival going. For nearly 15 years Dunnville Rotary participated with floats in the Mudcat Festival and held an annual Mud Duck Race that was a major Festival event and effective fundraiser. Dunnville Rotary contributed over $2,500.00 each year to the festival, to the Salvation Army Food Bank, and to The Dunnville Youth Impact Centre. Rotarian Jack Hoogheim was the driving force behind keeping the Festival alive. It was also Jack’s vision to create "Muddy the Mudcat;" the largest fish statue in the world, to attract visitors to Dunnville. Muddy stands on the south end of Centennial <st1:PlaceType w:st="on">Park (aka <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Thompson <st1:PlaceType w:st="on">Creek <st1:PlaceType w:st="on">Park) to welcome visitors to Dunnville.
In 1994 a group of community leaders nearly completed raising funds for a new “Dunnville” sign on the west end of town, complete with stone pillars and gold leaf lettering. Dunnville Rotary came on board early in this project and took over fund raising to complete the sign project. The Club erected a similar sign on the east side of town in 1995, and refurbished both signs in 2007.
In 2009, we completed equipping the inside of the Salvation Army Mobile Outreach Vehicle. The project was made possible by a $2,000 District Simplified Grant and donation of major appliances by a Dunnville Rotarian.
On June 11, 2009, President Kim presented a cheque for $6,050 to Don Edwards representing the Haldimand County Flood Relief effort for victims of the 2009 <st1:place w:st="on">Grand River flood. This amount was matched by government grants for a total of $18,150. Rotarian Roy Schofield spearheaded this project.
In 2010 Rotary was the major sponsor of the Sesquicentennial Mosaic Mural mounted across from the Post Office. The Fall of 2010 also saw the creation and erection of a new service club sign on the west end of town. Rotary led this joint effort of all the service clubs in town.
Not all of our community projects came to fruition as expected. Extensive planning and fundraising for the enhancement of <st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Wingfield <st1:PlaceType w:st="on">Park, and building the Leisureplex complex on <st1:Street w:st="on"><st1:address w:st="on">Ramsey Drive were shelved with the change in government from the Town of <st1:City w:st="on">Dunnville to the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceType w:st="on">County of <st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Haldimand. Priorities changed and Rotary did not receive the support needed for implementation. However, Dunnville Rotary financially supported the new <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Dunnville <st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Soccer <st1:PlaceType w:st="on">Park on <st1:Street w:st="on"><st1:address w:st="on">Logan Road. We also supported building the new Community Center and Arena on Ramsey Drive Extension. Both projects were two of the original goals of the Leisureplex complex.
International Projects
Dunnville Rotarians contribute $ 100.00 each year to support the Rotary International Foundation. One of the main goals of the Foundation is to eradicate polio worldwide. As a Club we also have contributed $5,000 to match contributions from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. At a personal level, Rotarians Ton & Laura Dicke traveled to Africa and <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">India</st1:country-region> to immunize children against Polio. Ton also ran a program for our Rotary District to fund operations for children in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">India</st1:country-region> afflicted with polio. Reza and Barbara Kazemi also traveled to <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">India</st1:country-region> to help with immunizing children against polio.
The Club has partnered with other Rotary Clubs in providing wells in <st1:country-region w:st="on">Haiti</st1:country-region> and <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Uganda</st1:country-region>. Our Club, and one of our members, jointly funded 2 ½ shelterboxes for the people in <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Haiti</st1:country-region> left homeless by the January 2010 earthquake.
Roy Schofield, lead a Group Study Exchange of Rotarians and private citizens to the Australian outback.
For over 75 years, students and host families have broadened their horizons through the Rotary Youth Exchange. In our early years, the Youth Exchange Program in our district was run at the executive level by Ton & Laura Dicke. Our Club has been active in sending as many as two students a year abroad. One sign of the success of the Program is that over the years several of our exchange students have come back to Dunnville to visit. Part of the Program for both outgoing and incoming students in our Rotary District is two weeks of winter training in Temagami. This program was seen as a valuable experience by participants, but was having difficulties. Rotarians Ton & Laura Dicke stepped in, reorganized it and rebuilt it financially.
Raising Funds for Service Projects
Every year Rotary raises thousands of dollars to fund our service projects. The mix has changed over time. For years we sold tickets for the Mud Duck Race during the Mud Cat Festival in June. Sales of <st1:State w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Nevada tickets at the Giant Tiger was a major contributor until the corporate office made a policy decision to stop those types of sales. Sales of <st1:State w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Nevada tickets continues, but at a lower rate. Sales of Entertainment Books was another significant contributor until the content of the books changed so they were no longer attractive to local purchasers. The first Golf Tournament in 2007 has become a major annual fundraiser. Over the years the Dunnville Rotary Club has taken more than our share of prize money from the Annual Haldimand Motors Trike Race thanks in part to the artistic talents of staff from the Dunnville Youth Impact Centre.
All of our administrative costs are covered by members’ dues and proceeds of the weekly 50-50 and Sgt.-at-Arms fines.
Rotary Club of Dunnville Presidents
1991 – 1993 Archie Merigold
1993 – 1994 Ton Dicke
1994 - 1995 Marjorie Ettinger
1995 – 1996 Marv Ens
1996 – 1997 Des Rasch
1998 – 1999 Jane Smith
1999 – 2000 Mike Laverty
2000 – 2001 Bud Bradley
2001 – 2002 Jack Hooghiem
2002 – 2003 Al Jones
2003 – 2004 Marjorie Ettinger
2004 – 2005 Bob Blake
2005 – 2006 Roy Schofield
2006 – 2007 Mary Lupton
2007 – 2008 Ian Durand
2008 - 2009 Kim Tamburri
2009 – 2010 Wes Moodie
2010 – 2011 Rob Taylor
2011 – 2012 Lynda Bain
2012 – 2013 Ian Durand
2013 – 2014 Deborah Jackson
2014 - 2015 Greg Segui