The 25th anniversary charter night hosted in honour of the Rotary Club of Athabasca took place at the Athabasca Regional Multiplex last Saturday.
The evening recognized the original members who started the club, and those who have joined since.
The time capsule the Rotary Club sealed 12 years ago was scheduled to be opened at the charter night, but due to time constraints it will be opened at a later date.
As part of the celebration several past exchange students who experienced life in another country for a year, made statements to relay their experience.
Marie Soelle came to Athabasca from Austria last year and she said Canada will always have a place in her heart.
“My absolute favorite memories was the weekly meetings on Wednesday,” she said in a letter. “It reminded me of getting together with family, gathering around the dinner table.”
Soelle misses several things about Canada, and about Athabasca specifically.
“I fell in love with this country and its inhabitants who opened up to me and let me be part of their life,” she said. “I will never completely understand how this experience helped me to become the person I am today, but I know in my heart it was a great importance.”
Madeleine Jacobi is another exchange student who visited Athabasca from Sweden in 2005 to 2006.
“Congratulations to Athabasca Rotary Club’s 25th anniversary,” Jacobi wrote.
She is currently studying in her sixth semester at a university in Stockholm for public health and economics. She says her dream job would be to work at Edmonton’s famous institute of health economics.
Jacobi wanted to thank all her host families for making her exchange a wonderful experience.
“Another thing that amazed me and which I always mention when I talk about Athabasca is the wonderful kindness and care that the people of your community show for each other,” she said. “I have learned that is something very rare.”
Travis Gauy, from Athabasca, went on exchange to Switzerland, and he found it hard to summarize his year spent abroad. His exchange was in 2007 to 2008.
Gauy was attending a Christmas function in Switzerland, and feeling a little homesick around the holidays.
“There I was thousands of miles from home,” Gauy explained. And there at his table was a man who had been to Perryville.
“As big as the world is, it’s a small world after all,” Gauy said.
Gauy thanked Rotary for the opportunity to experience life in another country, and says that Rotary will always hold a place in his heart.
Another exchange student said that while traveling abroad after her exchange she found comfort in seeing the Rotary Club symbol and knew that if she ever needed help, all she needed to do was ask for it.
The evening also included several memories of Rotary events that were held once but did not become annual traditions. A sweetheart ball on Valentine’s Day in 1988 cost the club $200. The event was very sophisticated with champagne fountains.
A Halloween dance was held for the youth in Athabasca, but only six people showed up — someone to sell tickets, chaperones and two kids.
President Rob Balay said that the charter night is a testament to the deep roots Rotary has formed in the community.
“In the future we are going to continue to support and serve our community both locally and internationally because I believe that it is important to give not only to your community, but outside of the community as well.”
