PERTH ROTARY | PRESIDENTS UPDATE |  23 March 2021

Sincere and heartfelt gratitude to all of our “Backyard Cricket” Rotary Volunteers who braved the heat to venture into the grounds of Government House and raise funds for the Pirate Foundation on Saturday 20 March 2021.  All funds raised will be directed towards research into childhood brain cancer cures.  Rotarians from across Western Australia answered the call and under very difficult circumstances rallied to serve the public and ensure that guests had the “Ultimate Backyard Cricket” experience.

 

 

Backyard cricket rules can vary greatly from backyard to backyard, family to family, however below are a few of the more generally accepted rules:

Once again, on behalf of the event organisers the Pirate Foundation and event managers DG Global, I thank all Rotarians and family members who served the community on Saturday.  

 

 

Whilst the Backyard Cricket match was in full swing, the Passages Race Day | The Final Race also took place at the Ascot Race Course with the Committee passing the $1,000,000 target in funds raised over the past fifteen years of Race Days.  PP David Reed AO spoke to all those present of the importance of the service provided to our youth, as young as twelve years old who find themselves on the street with no safe place to sleep.  It is hard to imagine that in a country as blessed as Australia, we have young people who through no fault of their own, do not have a safe place to call home. 

 

 

Passages Youth Engagement Hub in Perth started more than twenty years ago, Young people, that may be street present, experiencing mental illness or disabilities,  domestic and family violence, poverty, social isolation and complex trauma, are welcomed through the door and given individualized support in a safe non-judgmental space so they can make positive changes to their lives.

 

Extra space and additional consulting rooms has enabled Passages to accommodate a wider range of visiting in-reach services so young people can be put in touch with more support and referrals such as medical assistance two days a week, and a legal service clinic once a week. Rooms can be booked to meet with counsellors and therapists.  There continues to be an increase in the number of young people engaging with the service.

 

Congratulations to PP David Reed AO, Rotarian Ashley Ladner and all of the team at St Vincent de Paul Society who work so hard to raise the funds to ensure that the much needed services can be provided to the kids who simply need an opportunity to get their lives back on track.   A lot of work in sourcing the silent auction items, generosity of Rotarians donating goods and services along with an energetic and profitable auctioning off of experiences by PP John Garland AM.  $70,000 was raised on the day taking the overall funds raised by the Passages Race Day Committee to in excess of $1,000,000.  A worthy achievement and more importantly, so many lives changed as a result.

 

 

Last Friday saw us finally celebrate the beginning of the year with the delayed President’s Cocktail Party at the Crystal Club, Crown Towers.  Members are indebted to Rotarian Jane Papalia who liaised with the Crystal Club to secure the booking on our behalf.  Although the event was initially delayed due to the sudden COVID 5 Day lockdown experienced from Sunday 31 January, it was more than worth the wait with spectacular views across the Swan River to the City.  It was also an opportunity to finally announce the Rotarian who was nominated for the 2020 David Reed Award.  On behalf of all the members I congratulate Stephen Inouye on being nominated.  Please see elsewhere in the bulletin for more details pertaining to this Award.  It was a balmy evening enjoyed by all who were able to attend.  The support of all members has been greatly appreciated this past year and it was lovely to be able to celebrate with members the start to 2021. 

 

 

This week we have cancelled our usual Thursday ‘After Business Drinks’ meeting so members might join with the Crawley Rotary Club in support of their One In A Million event raising funds for male mental health initiatives.  We then celebrate Easter (no Rotary Meeting on Good Friday).  Therefore, we will not come together again until Friday 9 April when Dr Andy Robertson, Chief Health Officer will be our Guest Speaker.  Please mark this date in your calendar as we enter April | Rotary Australia’s Centenary Month.