This is the third year that Werribee Rotary has conducted the Year 10 Creative Expression Competition at Wyndham Central College.

There were ten students who submitted entries on the theme: 'How can you make a difference and help strengthen our community?'

The Year 10 students had to interpret this in a creative way, and entries included:  painting, drawing, photo series, comic book, photo essay and 3D painted model presentation.

The judging panel comprised Kim and Glenyce Deneys and Michael Redding who selected the following winners:

1. Most Creative Entry (Prize $250) to Hayley Scott - essay/photo. Click here to view Hayley's entry.

2. Runner-Up (Prize $150) to Nathnael Haile - drawing. Click here to view Nathnael's entry.

3. Runner-Up (Prize $150) to Bizawit Mokenen - comic book. Click here to view Bizawit's entry.

School Principal Leanne Gagatsis-Halge expressed her thanks to the club on behalf of the school. She said the competition was a valuable opportunity for the students to express themselves about how they could help the community.

In District Governor Bronwyn Stephen's mind, Rotary allows a person to take an idea to help another person, a community or the whole world and for like-minded people to join them to make it happen.

She speaks with great authority about the power of Rotary to realise your dreams of helping others. Several years ago, she identified a need for urgent support for village people in Cambodia who were dying of diseases such as cholera, typhoid and malaria. Inhabitants also suffered from hunger and malnutrition because they lacked the skills to sustain themselves. Bronwyn was instrumental in establishing the World of Difference project within her club which was specifically aimed at establishing better health practices and providing sustainability solutions for these remote villagers. This was an extremely successful campaign.

Her real message is that, if she can do it, you can do it.

Bronwyn was very complimentary in her praise for our club. She cited a few examples of our projects and activities including:

• The High Tea which enabled us to connect with a school and to promote cultural diversity in our community.
• The Uganda project which not only helped to educate Chris Ochaya in farming techniques but is now helping the local Ugandans to support themselves.
• The Rotary Golf Day which is a major fundraiser and enables the club to contribute in a positive way to the Wyndham community.
• The Barking Dogs are a real point of difference which promotes the club and Rotary.

Some of the projects that she would like us to get involved in are:

• Donating funds towards the restoration of Rotary House which is the accommodation component of the Bone Marrow Donor Institute.
• End Polio - Thirteen cases of polio have been detected this year which is a worrying sign. There was even one case in Papua New Guinea. We must keep going until we have total eradication.

• Clubs involving communities in Rotary projects as much as possible. We shouldn't just continue doing things ourselves. Let's open it up to the community.
• Each club chartering a Rotaract Club. This is where the future of Rotary will come from.

Congratulations to the dedicated members of the club and friends of Rotary who, over a 9-year period, participated in five 200km charity walks around Victoria with the aim of raising $200,000 for the Royal Children's Hospital Palliative Care Unit.

A cheque for $202,732 was presented recently at a function hosted by the RCH Foundation to recognise this great achievement and the impact the project has had on the unit and the families they support. Rotarians Lyn, Lou and Mary attended and were, in turn, presented with a torch for our club symbolising the light and support this effort has given to the families caring for children with life-limiting conditions.

Pictured above is a group consisting of some of the walkers and support crew and senior staff of the RCH Palliative Care Unit at the cheque presentation.

Congratulations to all who participated in the walks. Your efforts were greatly appreciated.

The picture below shows club members Mary Macaulay, Ross Conley and Lyn Fava proudly displaying the cheque and the torch.

Peter Copp is the Executive Director of the Werribee Mercy Health Foundation and he was at our meeting to receive a cheque for $20,000 from President Ross.

Peter thanked us for the very generous donation which was made possible through funds raised at our Golf Day. The foundation target was $2 million and, with only several months to go, approximately $1.5 million has been raised. Peter is confident that, with a bit more publicity and promotion, they will reach their goal.

He said the funds will now make critical care in Wyndham possible. He cited a recent incident where, after giving birth in the birthing ward at the hospital, a woman fell gravely ill. The only available hospital with a vacant critical care bed was in Frankston where she stayed for 5 days before returning home to be with her new-born child and her family. In the future, this situation will not happen.

Peter explained that the new building is nearly finished. Here is an image of what it will look like.