Local Rotarian receives prestigious award

One of the most prestigious awards at the recent Rotary Conference in Rotorua was the Stan Rowe Award which was presented to Eastern Hutt Rotarian Dave Wilson.

This award was first presented in 2005. It is for services to humanity and recognises initiative, enthusiasm and determination displayed in order to carry through a humanitarian project.

Dave has worked tirelessly to promote and raise funds for Emergency Response Kits (ERKs) which were introduced to New Zealand by the Rotary Club of Eastern Hutt in 1983. By promoting the importance of the programme and motivating Rotarians, Dave has raised well over $120,000 in the last 3 years.

The ERKs are first response survival kits distributed to affected families in Oceania and the South Pacific immediately following catastrophic weather and environmental events. They support them through the first days after disaster.

 Prepositioned stocks are held in readiness by Rotary Clubs in Samoa and Fiji for immediate distribution, with replenishment stocks held in Auckland and Christchurch, ready to be airlifted to any disaster areas in the South Pacific Islands. 2960 ERKs have been distributed over the last 5 years

The criteria for the presentation of the Stan Rowe award are so high that it has only been presented 5 times, three of the recipients being members of the Rotary Club of Eastern Hutt.

John Cole was the inaugural recipient of the award in 2005 for his work raising funds for the Sewa Sadan Eye Hospital in Bophal, India. John’s dedication to this cause, over a 2 year period, enabled equipment to be purchased which resulted in 4,000 additional cataract operations being carried out each year.

In 2011 Colin Alford also received this award - for working tirelessly over 5 years, to help improve the lives of the rural poor in Himachal Pradesh in the Himalayan foothills. Funds were raised to enable a check dam to be built resulting in year round water supply. Other schemes included improved sanitation and the development of “Rainwater Harvesting Villages.”

The eye hospital project in India and the Himachal Pradesh project were both supported by Matching Grants from the Rotary Foundation of Rotary International.

The recognition of the work of these three Rotarians with this prestigious award has been thoroughly deserved.

Article supplied by Jaye Howey, Rotary Club of eastern Hutt