A special dinner to celebrate the Rotary Club’s 70th anniversary of serving the Brunswick Valley community is planned for St Martins Hall, Mullumbimby on Saturday April 13.
Co-organiser Nerida Dean told The Echo, ‘We would be delighted to have the community join us in our celebrations’.
‘Many members of the community will have seen us selling raffle tickets or sizzling sausages. We raise money for local, national and international projects.
Every cent to projects
‘As Rotarians pay to belong to Rotary, we cover all our administration costs and every cent we raise goes to our projects. We are currently raising funds to help people affected by the drought.
‘All funds will be distributed through Rotary clubs directly to those in need.
‘We have undertaken many local projects over the years. In 1991, we planted a rainforest on what was grassland on the western side of the Brunswick River at Pine Avenue. This year we were the inaugural awardee for the Environment Section of the Byron Shire Council’s Australia Day awards.
‘Mullumbimby Rotary Club provided the original Gateway to Mullumbimby sign which is now at the Mullumbimby Museum.
‘We collaborated with Byron Shire Council and created Pilgrim Park at the entrance to Brunswick Heads including building the amenities block recently removed by Council.
‘We also support the Mullumbimby Neighbourhood Centre, and we raise funds to support victims of domestic violence.
‘Rotary student exchange programs are widely known, but we also support other youth projects.
Student exchange
‘We support participants to attend a program for 14 to 17 year olds (RYPEN), and a transition seminar for year 11/12 school leavers (RYST), and for 18 to 28 year olds to attend the Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA).
‘Annual awards for a student in year 10, year 11 and year 12 are given at Mullumbimby High School.
‘At our celebration dinner, there will be an auction with all proceeds going to the Chrysalis program at Mullumbimby High School.
‘On a national level, the Rotary Club of Mullumbimby is a supporter of Australian Rotary Health; an organisation originally set up to research cot deaths in Australian children but today has a diverse focus and currently is the largest contributor to mental health research in Australia outside the federal government.
‘Internationally we are part of a large effective volunteer organisation that achieves in the top 10 most ethical charities in the world.
‘As a club we have focussed on projects in Timor Leste and Thailand as well as contributing to Rotary International projects. Rotary has over 35,000 clubs worldwide and Rotary members believe we have a shared responsibility to take action on our world’s most persistent issues’.
If you would like to join Rotary for their celebrations, contact president Nerida Dean on [email protected] or 0407 008 848.
For four decades The Echo has printed the stories some people loved, some people hated, and some pretended not to read. If you want us to keep telling the truth, the real truth, not the sugar-coated version. We’ll need your support to keep the presses rolling. 
