Submitted by the Trail Rotary Club
Trail Rotary Club helped raise over $5,781 at the Christmas Carol Concert held at the Bailey Theatre in Trail on Dec. 7.
Trail Maple Leaf Band was the highlight of the show as co-hosts Ardith White and Lana Rodlie steered the program of choirs including: St. Michael’s School, led by Elizabeth Stephens; Trail Harmony and Kootenay Women’s Ensemble, both led by Audrey Bisset; Rossland Glee, led by Anna King; and the Salvation Army choir, led by Captain Eric Olson.
The club, which is entering its 96th year, has hosted this event annually for the past three decades except during COVID.
Besides raising funds for the Salvation Army food bank, Trail Rotary raised and gave away $29,600 to a variety of local charities, including: the United Church Food Bank, (Sanctuary) Generation to Generation Society, Trail Association for Community Living, Camp Koolaree, KBRH Foundation Respiratory Program, KBRH Foundation Daly Patient Care, Salvation Army Christmas Kettle, Jubilee Place, Grade 12 scholarships, and the Rotary Club of Merritt’s Flood Disaster project.
Trail was part of the East and West Kootenay Rotary On-Line Bingo program over the past two years, which collectively brought in a whopping $4 million of which almost half was given away in prizes and $1.5 million went to charities throughout the interior as well as joint donations to Joanna House, Angel Flight, the SPCA, Ronald McDonald House and the BC Fire Fighters Burn Unit Fund.
Unfortunately, BC Gaming has shut down the on-line Bingo.
The last one will be on Friday, Dec.30. Cards available on Facebook.
The Trail club also supports Shelter Box, which provides disaster aid around the world; plus an international water project in Third World countries.
Community service projects included highway cleanup, daffodil planting, and selling Kettle Corn at local fairs and markets.
The club also supports Rossland Rotary Club’s Youth Exchange program which currently is sponsoring a boy from Chile and a boy in Germany.
Once a very large vibrant club of the town’s movers and shakers, like many other organizations, it has dwindled down.
But its enthusiastic crew would still welcome more members.
The Trail club appeals to business people, “young” retirees and newcomers to Trail who want to contribute to a better world while socializing and making new friends.
Rotary rules have changed over the years and no longer insist on strict attendance.
In addition, club meetings have been reduced to twice per month instead of weekly, with one meeting in person at VISAC and one via Zoom to allow people who can’t make it in person.
Most meetings include interesting guest speakers who inform us about community programs, businesses and events as well as speakers from outlying areas, across B.C. and Canada — thanks to Zoom.
Meetings are every other Wednesday at noon starting Jan. 4.
For more information, check the website at www.trailrotary.com or call President Richard Fish at 250.364.1006.