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President's Message
Charles Thomasson
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As Rotarians we unite and take action to create lasting change. This is evidenced by Rotary’s top priority, the global eradication of polio. This week, we had the fantastic news that the World Health Organization (WHO) have declared that transmission of the wild poliovirus has officially been stopped in all 47 countries of its African region. This is a historic and vital step toward the global eradication of polio. After decades of hard won gains in the region, Rotary and its partners in the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) are proclaiming the milestone an achievement in public health. They offer it as proof that strong commitment, coordination, and perseverance can rid the world of polio. You can read more here https://www.rotary.org/en/african-region-declared-free-of-wild-poliovirus
 
After last week’s Board meeting, we have set the dates for our next round of major Surfers Sunrise events and fundraisers, these being;
 
  1. The Lutzy Award on Wednesday 30th September
  2. The Gold Coast Small Business Expo on Thursday 15th October
  3. The Surfers Sunrise Golf Day on Monday 26th October
  4. The Shed 10,000th Wheelchair Celebration and Bike Sale on Saturday 14th November
Please put all of these events in your calendar so we can all contribute to making them a success.
 
This Saturday at 9am, the Shed we will be hosting a number of visitors including the local Councillor Ryan Bayldon-Lumsden and fellow Rotarians. We will also be having a working bee as we continuing to prepare bikes for sale. We will have our COVID Safe Plan in place to allow for more than 10 people so please follow any instructions that Larry Murray or I give you to ensure we are all staying safe and abiding by the rules. More details will follow later in the week.
 
See you on Wednesday 7am for a formal meeting at SPSLC – it will be great to hear from Vandy Kamara who is a candidate of the Rotary Peacebuilding & Conflict Prevention Program.
Kind regards,
 
Charles Thomasson
President 2020-21
Stories
This Wednesday 2nd Sept: Vandy S Kamara

Ray Higgs, District Chair of the Rotary Peacebuilding & Conflict Prevention committee, has organised a speaker who is a candidate for this program.

Vandy S Kamara came to Australia 10 years ago from his native country, the civil war torn Sierra Leone on the west coast of Africa. He lived a great part of his life in 'Internally Displaced Peoples' camps [what a euphemism! Ed.] and various refugee camps. This gave him a strong belief in humanity and education. Vandy started his own Foundation, largely financed from his own savings. It started with providing water points for communities, funding vaccination for children and later a community school, which now has an enrolment of some 380 pupils.

Vandy currently works with Wesley Mission Queensland, supporting homeless people, young people and their families in the Logan to Ipswich region.

A big trailer load of bicycle tyres go to recycling
As we are "re-purposing" old bicycles to become Rough Terrain Wheelchairs, we remove the tyres from Aluminium wheels which become valuable recycling metal. Over time, the tyres pile up! On Friday, your Editor and four helpers loaded our big tandem trailer (10' x 6' x 4') to the rim with old bicycle tyres and took them to Molectra Technologies in Loganholme.  They recyle any tyres and make other products ranging from rubber sleepers, rubber mats all the way to punching bags. Check their website. Molectra has offered to wave the usual $1 fee per tyre - thank you John Dobozy! Photo shows our volunteers who helped loading and unloading at the destination (from left): John Hall, Bryan Tuesley, Ray Drowley, John Dobozy (MD of Molectra) and Don Ferguson.
This Saturday 05 September - Shed
We'll need manpower (about 10 people) at the shed to sort out bikes we set aside in the container outside the shed, considered suitable for re-sale. Please set the morning aside if you can and come to give us a hand!  Please advise John Chirio directly by email or mobile if you can participate.
 
Golf Day 2020 set for 26th October
It's been decided: this year's Golf Day will be held on Monday, 26th October 2020.  Projected to be held at the same location as last year, the  Surfers Paradise Golf Club on Fairway Drive.  We'll need both volunteers to man the course, and of course we need participating teams.  Mark it in your diary now - watch this spot for more details.
Duty Roster
 
Duty Roster - note: subject to change - please check every week.  Note: Fellowship duty also is expected to be at the Project Shed on the Saturday following the meeting
 
DateDoorChairmanFellowship/Project Shed (Saturday)
02/09/2020Johnny BuetiNeil Thurlow
Mitch Brown
09/09/2020N/A (Social Meeting)N/A (Social Meeting)Darrell Brown (Saturday 12/09/20)
16/09/2020Paul JaffraJohn ChirioNeil Thurlow
23/09/2020N/A (Social Meeting)N/A (Social Meeting)Geoff Croad (Saturday, 26/09/20)
30/09/2020Doug GarvieGerald EastMario Fairlie
07/10/2020N/A (Social Meeting)N/A (Social Meeting)Fred Hamblen (Saturday, 10/10/20)
 
Read more...
Inspirations - well, sort of... 020920
Neil's post of the week (picture left).  Editor's comment: Metal? the fan blades are made of a toxic fibre glass material, with very little prospect of recycling. According to a BBC report in February this year, in the USA when, after about 20 years they are decommissioned, they are simply burying them. They may well cause the environment to turn Deep Purple, leave nothing but Rolling Stones, KISS your Nirvana good bye and give everyone the Moody Blues.
 
Gerald's post of the week (well, 3 of 20 anyway...):
Kids in the backseat cause accidents
Accidents in the backseat cause kids
 
These days, I spend a lot of time thinking about the hereafter.  I go somewhere to get something, and then wonder what I'm here after...
 
Just wait until the conspiracy theorists discover they are part of a conspiracy to use conspiracy theorists to spread disinformation via conspiracy theories.
 
“Emergencies have always been the pretext on which the safeguards of individual liberty have been eroded. And once they are suspended it is not difficult for anyone who has assumed emergency powers to see to it that the emergency will persist.” Friedrich Hayek, Austrian/British Economist 1899 - 1992
Download Files
Surfers Sunrise Changeover Report 2020
President Charles Thomasson: My vision
The Story of the Surfers Sunrise Wheelchairs Trust
Why Join Rotary?
Upcoming Events
Vandy - International Peace & Conflict Resolution
Surfers Paradise SLSC
Sep 02, 2020
7:00 AM – 8:30 AM
 
Dr Serge Macanovic
Surfers Paradise SLSC
Sep 16, 2020
7:00 AM – 8:30 AM
 
Lutzy Award 2020 Presentation
Surfers Paradise SLSC
Sep 30, 2020
7:00 AM – 8:30 AM
 
PDG Graham Jones
Surfers Paradise SLSC
Oct 14, 2020
7:00 AM – 8:30 AM
 
View entire list
Photo Albums
Loading the 10,000th Wheelchair
Changeover Breakfast 2020
Pimpama Fix-ed College
Working bee series at the Project Shed - May 2020
Surfers Sunrise Rotary Golf Day Nov 19
Our YE Student from Japan - Ayana Sadaka
Surfers Sunrise 'Sleeping Sanctuary'
Lucy Thorburn in Minnesota
X-Ray Unit for Hospital on Pentecost Island
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Surfers Sunrise Corporate Members and Sponsors

Phone 07 5509 5502
Suite 224, Level 2 Oracle South
17 Elizabeth Avenue
Broadbeach  QLD  4218
 

105 Scarborough Street
Southport  QLD  4215
(07) 5558 5055

Need timber?  Need trusses? Support our sponsors and give them a call on 07 5537 4622
Premier Timber & Trusses not only donated the Trusses, for our X-Ray Unit to be constructed in Vanuatu. They also delivered them at no charge! 
Thank you!

280 Brisbane Road, Arundel 4214 - Phone 07 5537 6699

Sinclair Container Sales & Hire provides us with storage containers at our Project Shed at highly attractive rental rates.
Thank you!

Diesel Services Queensland and AB Crane Hire recently provided a truck and a huge mobile crane at no charge to lift a 40' container into our Project Shed area at Arundel.  Thank you! Click on the links to go to their website.
 
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