Lots of exciting stuff going on. As part of the Board's plan, we are working to make our Club more visible in the community, welcome new members, and share our story.
Beginning the 2nd week of Janaury we launched our social media new member recruitment campaing runing on Facebook & Instagram. The campaign runs until February 11 and to date has generated over 20 leads for prospective new members. We are in the process of qualifying the leads ... stay tuned!
An intersting aside. For years our Facebook page has enjoyed a number of followers, numbering 120. Since we began our January recruitment campaign, we have more than trippled that number to 372 and growing. We have a growing audience of followers learning about the work of RCWW!
Rotary Club of Winnipeg West marks 74 years with community giving
Members of the Rotary Club of Winnipeg West celebrate the club’s 74th anniversary in 2025, highlighting a year of fundraising, volunteer work and donations supporting youth programs, food security initiatives and community organizations across Winnipeg and St. James.
The
Rotary Club of Winnipeg West marked its 74th anniversary in 2025 by contributing tens of thousands of dollars and hundreds of volunteer hours to youth programs, social services and community organizations across Winnipeg and St. James.
Founded in 1951, the club focuses its charitable efforts on youth development, leadership training, and food and housing security.
One of the club’s largest annual fundraisers, ChickenFest, also celebrated its 74th year. Through sales of Chicken Delight meals to residents and businesses, the event raised enough money to support several initiatives, including a $10,000 donation to the Children’s Rehabilitation Foundation’s Summer Camp Program, presented July 31.
The club, in partnership with Chicken Delight, also provided lunches to students and staff at Principal Sparling School through the Chicken for Kids program.
Youth leadership and education remained a central focus of the club’s work. The Rotary Club of Winnipeg West has supported the 191 West Winnipeg Rotary Air Cadet Squadron for 68 years, contributing $5,000 in 2025. The squadron serves more than 100 youth, offering leadership training and aviation experience, including glider flying.
The club also sponsored graduating cadet Caleb Chapnick to attend the Rotary Club of Sioux Lookout’s International Wilderness Canoe Camp. The program brought together youth from eight countries for leadership training and a 160-kilometre canoe expedition in northwestern Ontario.
At the national level, the club sponsored a St. James-Assiniboia student to attend Rotary’s Adventure in Citizenship program in Ottawa. Geneah Mahor, a Grade 11 student at John Taylor Collegiate, was selected through an essay contest and had her registration and travel costs covered by the club. Following the program, Mahor helped establish an Interact youth club at her school.
The club also sponsored students from Westwood Collegiate to attend the annual Model United Nations Assembly in Winnipeg, where they represented Sweden, and supported a local middle school student’s participation in the Rotary Youth Leadership Awards camp at Clear Lake.
Several community organizations received direct financial support. The club donated $1,000 to the Children’s Hospital Foundation in honour of Will and Courtney Gault of Willy Dogs Inc., and $5,000 to support the 50th anniversary of Cuthbert Grant Day, hosted by the St. James-Assiniboia Pioneer Association.
Other donations included $2,500 to the Torchbearer New Immigrant Program, operated by the West Park Seventh-day Adventist Church, and ongoing volunteer and material support for Agape Table, which serves up to 1,000 meals daily in Winnipeg’s downtown.
The club also recognized Agape Table executive director Jim Steep with a Paul Harris Fellowship for his leadership and the organization’s community impact.
During the holiday season, members volunteered with the Christmas Cheer Board and staffed Salvation Army donation kettles at Polo Park.
Housing initiatives included work with the Westminster Housing Society in West Broadway, where Rotary clubs funded and completed landscaping, flooring replacements and fencing repairs, with additional projects planned.
The Rotary Club of Winnipeg West also manages the Golden Rainbow Fund, a charitable trust administered by the Winnipeg Foundation. The fund holds more than $500,000 and generates more than $24,000 annually to support the club’s charitable activities.
Those interested in supporting the club or becoming a member can contact membership director Kelly Ryback. More information is available through the Rotary Club of Winnipeg West website and social media pages.
