The Rotary Club of Toronto
Club 55 -  Founded 1912
October 9th, 2024     Volume 112     Issue 7
 
 
 
Oktoberfest Fundraiser Dinner 
President Binoy, Vice President Pauline Lyons and Past President Don Bell all dressed and ready to celebrate Oktoberfest!
 
 
Every year, we organize fundraisers in support of purchasing & packing hampers of food at the Daily Bread Food Bank for those in need in our community ahead of the holiday season. This year, Rotarians and guests joined us for our Oktoberfest Party fundraiser at the beautiful Balmy Beach Club as part of our Holiday Hampers 2024 initiative.
 
The evening included a silent auction, raffle, delicious food, laughter, and fellowship. And it wouldn’t have been complete without the wonderful Dave Murphy Band providing live musical renditions of German folk and countless top chart musical hits over the decades. Their melodies flooded the atmosphere enticing many guests to the dancefloor to join in singing and dancing the night away. 
 
Did you miss the Oktoberfest celebration? There’s still time to support Holiday Hampers 2024 by making a donation directly on our campaign homepage which goes to reducing food insecurity for those in need this holiday season.
 
Thank you to all who joined in celebrating for a cause and a BIG thanks to the Holiday Hampers Team for organizing such a lively and impactful event! 
 
Written by Youri Wims
 
THERE IS STILL TIME TO DONATE
2024 HOLIDAY HAMPERS
Everyone was ready to party!
Silent Auction prizes!
Great dancing!
Great singing too!
Love the energy!
Great work by the Oktoberfest team!
Happy smiles from everyone!
Past Presidents entertaining guests!
So much fun!
The Rotary Club of Toronto honours the opening of the Spirit Garden!
 
On the 30th of September, members of The Rotary Club of Toronto and its Indigenous Partnerships Working Group celebrated National Truth and Reconciliation Day by honouring the opening of the much-anticipated Spirit Garden project.
 
The garden located at Nathan Phillips Square, includes 19,250 square feet of space    celebrating Indigenous cultural traditions. This beautiful space came into being following the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada Call to Action 82 – for each provincial government to commission a monument to commemorate residential school survivors and all the children lost from their families and communities.

Nathan Phillips Square is the venue selected in Toronto due to its public accessibility, and its prominence as a globally recognized landmark. There are a range of exhibits for visitors to celebrate the resilience of survivors and foster sharing of knowledge, understanding and collective healing. It was a perfect day, with wall-to-wall sunshine and The Rotary Club of Toronto members who attended were impressed by the thought that had gone into the design of the Spirit Garden. It is a beautiful and culturally significant urban space, at the heart of our city. Please do check it out!

Written by Altaf Mamujee
Voyager Canoe: The Rotary Club of Toronto members celebrate the beautifully sculpted work of art, to celebrate significance of the canoe to indigenous culture and the Canadian identity.
Names of the 17 residential schools that once operated in Ontario.
The Spirit Garden’s Turtle Island: At the centre of the Spirit Garden is a Turtle sculpture designed by an Anishinaabe artist, with City Hall in the background under a luminous blue sky.
Rotary District 7070 Foundation Walk
 
What a perfect day for a stroll at Fairy Lake in Newmarket! On Oct 6th - the annual Rotary District 7070 Foundation Walk brought together members from many of the district's Rotary clubs for a scenic 5km walk or a leisurely 1km stroll.
 
It was amazing to see so many people coming together to support the Rotary Foundation and connect with friends old and new.
 
 
Great District Fellowship 
President Binoy and Diego Amaltller ready to walk!
Enjoying the fresh air!
Networking after the walk!
Canada & Rotary
Developing Friendships!
Past President Kevin Power, President Binoy, with Rotary Int'l Scholar, Dr. Kenji Nakamura and family from Japan
International Dinner Series - Taste of Japan!
 
I’m not a proficient reader of Japanese characters, but according to Meta AI, the Japanese name of the restaurant, Musoshin, that Neil Phillips and his intrepid International Dinner Series Committee members took 16 other Toronto Rotarians to on October 8 means something like “warrior’s mind”. On the other hand, Chat GPT says the name means “formless mind”. I don’t buy either. I think Musoshin more accurately means outstanding ramen. Because that is what we all received there on Tuesday. The offerings were simple: a basic bowl of ramen with either egg, vegetables, kelp, curry, or sliced pork, along with an assortment of separately priced toppings, including tonkatsu and Karaage deep fried chicken.
 
The flavourful soup in which the noodles were nestled was luscious, perfectly spiced, and bright, and all was cooked perfectly. The dining space is small — there was only room for 20 patrons — but that contributed, along with the excellent selection of sakes and Japanese-inspired beers brewed by local Godspeed brewery, to an atmosphere of intimate conviviality.
 
According to Neil, owner and Toronto Chef Aoi Yoshida only recently relocated here from Japan, suggesting the authenticity of the food, and its quality is proudly attested to by the display of three citations of mention from Michelin.
 
Kudos to Neil and Team KNK for an inspired choice for the International Dinner Series.
 
Written by Geoffrey Huck
Kai on holiday in Japan wearing a Kimono
Musoshin Ramen Restaurant
Special Musoshin Ramen
Brinda & her Ramen
Daniel with 6 octopus balls
Serge looking for his food
TP & PP Anny-Sandra
Hedley enjoying Karaage
Delicious Octopus balls
Past President Prince Kumar - recipient of the       King Charles III Coronation Medal!
Sara Safaei, Her Excellency, the Right Honourable Mary Simon, Governor General of Canada , Past President Prince Kumar

We’re thrilled to announce that PP Prince Kumar has been honoured with the King Charles III Coronation Medal!

As part of this prestigious program, the Governor General of Canada, Her Excellency the Right Honourable Mary Simon, personally recognized outstanding Canadians during a ceremony at the Citadelle of Québec.

PP Prince Kumar received this accolade for his leadership and dedication to improving wellness, and tackling food insecurity and homelessness.

It is so wonderful to see a fellow Rotarian from our own club being recognized and awarded such a distinguished award - Congratulations Past President Prince Kumar!

For the full list of recipients and their incredible contributions, visit the
Governor General’s site: King Charles III Coronation Medal - September 20, 2024 | The Governor General of Canada (gg.ca)

Mosaic of Humanity Silent Auction
 
 
Bid on a unique 40x40 painting, created with values from our Rotary Club members and incorporated in the Rotary wheel. 
The dynamic wave background symbolizes movement, change, and power.
The artist is Reisha Felix (Artist and Founder) from ReiCreations Art
Bidding is open at our upcoming meetings through November.
60% of proceeds will support IDEA initiatives at the Rotary Club of Toronto.
For more information, contact: nikitaw.rotary@gmail.com
 
UPCOMING MEETINGS & EVENTS
 
Friday October 18th - Lunch at The National Club
Speaker : Kate Allen - Climate Change reporter - Toronto Star
Changing Face of Canadian Wine
 
 
 
Wednesday Nov 6th - Dinner at The National Club 
Club Assembly
Hosted by Vice President Pauline Lyons
 
Please Register with Sarah (admin@rotarytoronto.com)
 
Toronto Wildlife Project - Oct 19th 2024
 

Toronto Wildlife Centre promotes peaceful coexistence between people and wildlife through education, expert advice, and medical care for sick, injured, and orphaned animals, aiming to release them back into the wild.

Rotary Club of Toronto has supported the Centre by funding enclosures for various birds and building a shelter for injured raccoons.

On October 19th - members can help build more enclosures at the new Rouge Valley location. Tools and materials will be provided.

Meeting Point: Toronto Wildlife Centre, 6461 Steeles Avenue East, Scarborough at 10:00 am. Dress for the weather and bring water and lunch.

This is your chance to make a real difference by helping to build recovery homes for injured and sick animals. Register today!

Contact Lydia D’Souza at lydiad@torontowildlifecentre.com to register.
Look at the happy smiles from the 2023 RCT Crew! Make sure to be part of the 2024 Crew!
 
WORLD POLIO DAY 2024 - LIVE from the Rotary Global Classroom at DURHAM COLLEGE in Oshawa, Ontario, CANADA
 
ON FRIDAY OCTOBER 18, 2024 - 06:00 pm to 8:15 pm - the 10 Durham Region Rotary Clubs (plus the Rotary Club of Port Hope) invite YOU to join us LIVE IN-PERSON OR LIVE ON-LINE in the Rotary Global Classroom in the Centre for Collaborative Education at Durham College where we will celebrate World Polio Day with leaders from around the world, hosted by the Rotary Clubs of Oshawa and Oshawa-Parkwood, and Durham College. 
 
BE PART OF THE LIVE AUDIENCE IN THE ROTARY GLOBAL CLASSROOM STARTING AT 5:45 PM 
 
 
Please register by clicking the link below:
 
If you prefer to watch it online, tune in on Oct 18 at 7pm at the following link:
 
On October 24th - 9:00 am to 9:30 am, there will be a Flag Raising ceremony at Toronto City Hall Rooftop Podium, to celebrate World Polio Day. Everyone is welcome at this ceremony.
 
District 7070 Conference
 October 25-27 
 
Discover incredible projects within our district and network with fellow Rotarians. 
 
For anyone who has never been to a District conference, this is well worth it.
 
Even if you can’t make it for the full 3 days, do try to attend the Saturday sessions.
Our club will be there promoting Our Tree of Remembrance. It will be informative and fun!
 
 
 
October Birthday Celebrations!
 
On Behalf of all our members, we wish a very Happy Birthday to everyone celebrating their birthday in October!
Rotary Club of Toronto
Membership Anniversaries
 
On behalf of the entire club, I would like to extend our warmest congratulations and heartfelt appreciation to those celebrating their Rotary Club of Toronto anniversaries this quarter (July to September 2024).
 
Your dedication, commitment, and invaluable contributions have played an integral role in our club's success and impact throughout the years.
 
Your unwavering support and tireless efforts continue to inspire us all, and we are honored to have you as part of our Rotary Club Toronto family.
 
Thank you for your service and for embodying the spirit of Rotary in everything you do.
 
Here's to many more years of fellowship, growth, and shared accomplishments!
 
Message from President Binoy
 
WhatsApp Group
 
We have 80 members on the Rotary Club of Toronto WhatsApp Channel - it's a great way to communicate with each other! Ask to join - any member can add more people to the group.
 
Would you like to write for the Voice or have a story or picture to share?
 
Contact Brinda Luckoo at brinda.luckoo@rotarytoronto.com
 
Officers:
President: Binoy Luckoo
 
President-Elect: Dauna Jones-Simmonds

Vice-President:Pauline Lyons
 
Treasurer: Jeff Pollock
 
Executive Director: Carol Hutchinson
 
Voice Editor : Brinda Luckoo
 
www.rotarytoronto.com    416-363-0604
 
Charitable Foundation
President: Richard White
Vice PresidentSusan Hunter
 
RI President: Stephanie Urchick
Rotary Club of McMurray, Pennsylvania, USA
 
District Governor
Virginia O'Reilly
Rotary Club of Toronto East
Please add mailservice@clubrunner.ca to your safe sender list or address book.
To view our privacy policy, click here.
 
ClubRunner
102-2060 Winston Park Drive, Oakville, ON, L6H 5R7