Festival City Rotary Newsletter Oct 9, 2012

Posted by Vincent Hill 
on Oct 9, 2012
 

The Rotary Club Of Festival City

President:  Dianne Yundt

Minutes of the meeting of October 9, 2012

Club email:  festivalcityrotary@gmail.com

Club website: www.festivalcityrotary.ca

Guests: Bob Martin, Harry Brightwell and Geza Wordofa are from Stratford Rotary. Shawna Feryn is the daughter of Jane Eligh-Feryn. Dr. Anne-Marie Zajdlik, and her guests Pastor James, Me Matsepo and Anne Gardner.

Draw Prize: Etienne Leushuis donated the prize won by Brandi Gillett.

Announcements:

  1. Membership Workshop: The next workshop is in London. See President Dianne if you are interested in attending.
  2. Board Meeting: The board meets Thursday Oct 18 at President Dianne’s house. Committee reports should be given to one of the secretaries. This will be the last meeting at the mansion.  Future meetings will be at the cottage next door.
  3. Viewing Back Copies of the Newsletter: If you wish to read previous issues of the newsletter click on “Stories” at the top left corner of the ClubRunner home page and all newsletters since January 2012 will appear and can be viewed.
  4. Reporting Makeups: When you report a makeup at the check in desk on Tuesday mornings please indicate when, where, and what the makeup activity was. RI requires this information when the report is sent to RI.
  5. Rotary Leadership Institute: The next training session, all 3 levels, is in Stratford on Nov 17. See President Dianne for details.
  6. Stratford Basketeers: Donna Hinz announced this year’s campaign to raise funds to fill baskets. Any donations will be gratefully accepted over the next few weeks.
  7. Dinner of the Month Tickets: Tickets for the 2013 draws are available for sale. Get your tickets from Tyler Canal.  The price is the same as this year. $20 each or 6 for $100.

 

Guest Speaker: Dianne Yundt introduced Dr. Anne-Marie Zajdlik, founder of the organization Bracelet of Hope.  Dr Zajdlik is a family physician specializing in HIV/AIDS treatment. She is a member of the Guelph Rotary Club, a Paul Harris Fellow and a member of the Order of Ontario. Dr. Zajdlik started her first Aids clinic in Guelph in 2004 and has since opened one in Waterloo.

Aids treatment allows infected people to lead healthy lives with a normal life expectancy. Treatment has improved from a cocktail of 3 pills 3 times per day to 1 pill per day. The pill drops the virus load to undetectable levels. It is not a cure because Aids victims must continue taking the pill for the rest of their life. A pregnant women in labour, taking the pill, greatly reduces the risk of transmitting the virus to their children. Treatment for Aids stops its transmission. This is the greatest hope for eliminating the disease if every infected person receives treatment.  

Anne-Marie started Bracelet of Hope to accomplish the United Nations Millenium Development Goal #6, which is a drive to end the pandemic of HIV/AIDS in Africa. Dr. Zajdlic chose to focus her efforts in Lesotho, a small country surrounded by South Africa. With the help of the Ontario Hospital Association Anne-Marie helped build the first clinic in the country. In sub-Saharan Africa 23 million people suffer from Aids and 80% of infected children die by age 5. There are about 18 million Aids orphans. Bracelet of Hope is a grass roots organization supporting health, homes and jobs in Lesotho.  The organization has built 33 Foster Homes, and 10 income generating activities.

Dr. Zajdlik is hoping that Rotary Clubs will sponsor Bracelet of Hope and the Rotary Foundation will provide matching grants.

December 1 is World Aids Day. To celebrate this day Bracelet of Hope is holding a special event at the River Run Centre in Guelph. For more information about the event and Bracelet of Hope visit www.braceletofhope.ca

Anne-Marie was thanked by Laura Pogson.