Dundas Valley Sunrise News

Soccer Balls for North Korea and the District Conference Video - How could these two be related????  By now, most Rotarians in District 7090 will have seen DGE Kevin Crosby’s video promoting the District Conference at the end of October.  But, for the Dundas Valley Sunrise Rotary Club, the video has had even greater impact. When I first saw the video I noticed a comment from a Rotarian in Shanghai by the name of Randal Eastman asking if it was okay to use the video to show HIS district how a conference could be promoted.  Randal noted that it was particularly poignant for him, in that he was originally from Canada.  I wrote to him and asked WHERE in Canada.  Reply – Hamilton.  O.K…but WHERE in Hamilton?  Reply – well, not really Hamilton …. But DUNDAS.  O.K….where did you go to school in Dundas?  Reply – Dundas District and Parkside High School (the latter is one that I taught at, but not the same time as Randal was there).

 

This connection led to electronic banter over a 12-hour time difference, and led to discussions about a possible international project between the Rotary Club of Dundas Valley Sunrise and the Rotary Club of Shanghai (chartered originally in 1919 as club #545). We are still working on a project proposal, but in the meantime, Randal asked if we would wish to be involved in a small way in a project to send soccer balls and uniforms to an orphanage in North Korea (DPRK).  We had about $600 left in our International budget for the current year; I wanted to get this amount up to about $1000, so I asked club members if anyone would be interested in contributing.  Thanks to the generosity of a number of members (and one former member who now runs “Soccer World” in Hamilton and strangely went to school with Randal), we were able to send $2500 to support this project.

 

A word or two about the project – it was started by a ten-year old in Australia by the name of Mac Millar.  He has written a book about the project (he talked, mom typed) and it is inspirational when you realize the level of his thinking – simply expressed, but totally in line with the tenets of Rotary.  His soccer balls have been sent to children in Afghanistan, the Solomon Islands, Zimbabwe, Nauru and Manus Island (where there is an Australian detention centre for people trying to get into Australia illegally), and to refugee families settling in Australia.  Now, they are being delivered by connections in China to children in orphanages in the DPRK. Mac was asked to speak at an International Peace Forum and received United Nations Association for Australia award.

 

This is a wonderful example of “Rotary Connections”.  Mac has worked with several clubs in the Brisbane area of Australia, and through this bizarre series of events with Randal  Eastman, the Dundas Valley Sunrise Rotary Club is now bringing enjoyment to the children of North Korea.