Page 3856 - Week 10 - Wednesday, 19 September 2018
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that sometimes there are signs. Sometimes you might get a slightly extra hug from someone that you may not normally get, or they may have been very fastidious about mowing the lawn, doing the housework or keeping things clean but they have let that all go. Sometimes, just in your gut, you feel that there is something wrong with a person you would normally see as happy and jolly.
I would encourage everyone in the community to remember that by asking “Are you okay?” and just checking in with everyone whenever you get the chance, it could mean the difference for that person.
Although R U OK? Day has been and gone—it was last week—I think it is very timely today to remind everyone, although it is International Talk Like a Pirate Day and it should be a jolly occasion, that there are serious things going on out there and we should remember to check in with our friends, our family, our neighbours and our community, and ask those three simple little words, “Are you okay?”
Rotary Club of Canberra—Weston Creek
MR HANSON (Murrumbidgee) (6.41): I rise to recognise the work of Rotary, specifically the Rotary Club of Canberra—Weston Creek, a group I have long been a part of and long supported and which has long served our community well.
I was prompted to say something today after catching up with a number of members at their sausage sizzle on the weekend at the Weston Creek Community Centre event. Seeing them there reminded me of what a really great group of people they are. The Rotary organisation is, of course, one of the best known and most successful civic organisations anywhere in the world. Their mission statement is “to advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through the improvement of health, the support of education, and the alleviation of poverty”.
Probably the best known of the Rotary Foundation’s programs is polio plus. This is the highly successful effort to eradicate polio that has been conducted throughout the world in conjunction with the United Nations World Health Organisation over the past 25 years. The scholarship programs for ambassadorial scholars and peace scholars and the Rotary youth exchange scheme are also well known. They have raised literally hundreds of millions of dollars and have been instrumental in tens of thousands of events and community projects.
I would like to bring attention to the local, as well as the global, good that they provide. The Rotary Club of Canberra—Weston Creek, meets every Monday and quietly goes about doing some great work at a genuine grass roots level. The Rotary Club of Canberra—Weston Creek undertakes a number of fundraising activities in Weston Creek and the wider Canberra community. These include special collections at Cooleman Court with proceeds going to charity, directing car parking at major sporting events, and barbecues at local events.
The proceeds of these events are directed to local programs. For example, some of the programs in the youth and vocational services area include presentation of the annual Rotary endeavour award for a year 10 student at Stromlo High School exhibiting high
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