$24,000 was presented to the CEO of Very Special Kids, Michael Wasley, which were the net proceeds of Werribee Rotary's great golf day held in March. Michael expressed his sincere thanks to the club for the generous donation. The funds will be used to pay for the employment of a Western Region Support Officer who provides a variety of care services for the families of children who have life-threatening conditions or have passed away. Michael said it is an important role that is very much appreciated by the families.
$1,500 was presented to John Forrester and Lisa Field from the Werribee River Association. The funds will be used to promote awareness of the importance of the Werribee River in our community and to ensure its long-term sustainability.

KEEPING THE WERRIBEE RIVER VIBRANT AND HEALTHY

Rotarians and family members of our club joined forces with the Friends of Werribee River Park recently to support the Werribee River Association's on-going strategy to plant trees and other native plants along the banks of the river. In this exercise, the trees were planted adjacent to the Werribee Park Mansion grounds in Werribee South.

The main aims of the Werribee River Association are to:

Protect water quality in the river and in other waterways flowing into Port Phillip Bay
Re-establish natural habitats for wildlife
Provide attractive natural places for people to access and enjoy
Provide educational programs about environmentally sustainable practices to a growing and diverse population in the community

The working group eagerly embraced the challenge to plant hundreds of small saplings and other plants. Tasks included taking the plant out of its sleeve, placing it in a pre-drilled hole, packing it with soil and applying water. To finish it off, each plant was encased with a plastic sheet to protect it from animals and strong winds.

It was an enjoyable environmental experience.

Click here to view more photos of the day.

CELEBRATING ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL GOLF DAY

Werribee Rotary is celebrating the success of another annual charity golf day. In a first, the event was held in the morning and, despite the early tee-off time, it proved to be a popular change because a maximum field of 132 players competed in perfect weather conditions and 146 people attended the luncheon. This enabled the club to achieve net proceeds of $25,000 which have been donated to a very special cause, Very Special Kids.

Very Special Kids (VSK) is a not-for-profit organisation that provides hospice and other special care needs for children with life-threatening conditions and their families. All sponsors and golf-day participants were extremely generous in donating funds which will be used to support the good work of VSK.

It was a tremendous team effort by members and friends of the club who generously donated their time on the day to make it such a success.

Click on the links below to see some photos of the day:

OLD WERRIBEE PHOTOS ON SALE

Thanks to the generosity of one of our members, Brian Ahmed, a number of framed photos are now on sale to the public. These photos were originally displayed in Brian's restaurant, Wyndham Cache, but, due to renovations, he is now offering them for sale. All proceeds will go to the Rotary Club of Werribee to fund community projects.

Most of the images depict Werribee in the olden days. In particular, there are a number of photos that identify the agricultural activities in the Werribee South area over the years.

The size of each frame is 47cm x 35cm.

The minimum price for each image has been set at $50 but, if purchasers wish to offer more, they are very welcome to do so.

Click here to view the photos (Volume 1).

Click here to view the photos (Volume 2).

In addition to the 80 images shown, there is also another set of framed prints for sale. These show modern designer artwork. The size of these prints is 83cm x 68cm and the minimum price for each one is $100.

If you are interested in purchasing any of the images, please contact Brian on 0412 558 152 or by email.

CLUB RECEIVES CITATION

At a recent Zoom meeting, the 2019-20 District Governor, Grant Hocking, presented a Rotary Citation and Platinum Distinction award to our club.

Grant mentioned that, in completing the information required for a Rotary Citation, he was reminded of the wide variety of activities in which Werribee Rotary has been involved to "connect the world". In response to Grant's presentation, Past President Brian Ahmed said, during his 12 months as President, the club was very active in initiating and supporting many local and international projects. Brian said he was proud to accept the award on behalf of the club.

VAS BECOMES FIRST NEW MEMBER TO BE INDUCTED VIRTUALLY

The club is proud to welcome its newest member, Vas Samaltanos, who was inducted during our club's virtual anniversary meeting on Tuesday 18th August.

Vas has a genuine interest in helping others and a willingness to get involved in hands–on activities within the local community. He sees Rotary as a means to achieve his goals. He believes our club offers exactly what he wants in his life today.

He has a keen interest in cycling and has expressed interest in participating in future ROCAN fundraising rides. He has also indicated that he will take time off, occasionally, from his busy job as a Software Development Manager, to assist with the mid-week Bunnings BBQ’s.

Welcome Vas.