As the holiday season nears, volunteers are getting ready to help islanders get home safely on a night of merry-making as 2012 will be the third year the Rotary Club of Bowen Island operates a branch of Operation Red Nose (ORN). The organization looks back at what was accomplished with the funds that were raised through donations to Bowen's ORN and additional sponsorships.
In 2010, Bowen Rotary collected about $3,400 and began looking for a worthy youth project to support. For 20 years, the Bowen Island Community School had been fundraising for an outdoor learning classroom and had raised $12,500 - about a third of the cost of the facility. The Bowen Rotary Club used the $3,400 from ORN, plus the $12,500 to apply to the Rotary District. The district fund managers embraced the project andagreedto match the funds raised on Bowen. With over $30,000, the plans for the classroom could proceed immediately. To read about the ground breaking on April 20, please see http://bowenrotary.wordpress.com/2012/04/20/outdoor-learning-classroom-ground-breaking-ceremony, for the opening ceremony on June 22, see http://bowenrotary.wordpress.com/2012/06/22/outdoor-learning-classroom-on-bowen-island-now-open.
The uses for last year's funds are still in the planning stage. Bowen Rotary has provided the RCMP with video vouchers for positive ticketing. The RCMP also has some nifty Rotary flashlights that do not need batteries to give to pedestrians who are walking along Bowen's dark roads. A much larger program is currently planned to involve all of Bowen's schools to encourage young people to develop projects that benefit the community.
ORN helps our neighbours arrive home safely during the holiday season and provides funding for worthy endavours on the island.
