ROTARIAN Andrew Aves has been welcomed aboard as the new president of the Rotary Club of Cooroy at their annual changeover dinner held at the Cooroy Bowls Club.
Over 50 Rotarians attended the event last Monday 4 July where outgoing president Linda Morrell passed on the leadership.
At the dinner, past district governor Carolyn Kruger presented the club with a Presidential Citation from Rotary International for helping to make a difference in the lives of people all over the world.
Ms Morrell said it was an honour to accept the award for the club.
“(The award) recognises all the hard work members of the Rotary Club of Cooroy have put into our events, activities and fund- raising over the past 12 months,” she said.
“The club has assisted at fun events like Cooroy Fusion and works in partnership with the Cooroy Chamber of Commerce on Christmas in Cooroy; our Cooroy Mountain Spring Festival event raised funds for good causes with Sunshine Butterflies as the major beneficiary receiving $8000.”
This year the Col Stevens Award for Outstanding Club Service was given to past president Cath Lyndon and past district governor John Gabb.
Cath and John have been active throughout the community, supporting youth through breakfast clubs, Post Graduate Bursaries at the University of the Sunshine Coast, Rotary Young Driver Awareness – a programme to reduce traffic-related death and injury- as well as many other community projects.
Tex Pipke was the recipient of the Reg and Una Bryant Award for Outstanding Community Service for his work with Cooroy Future Group and effort to bring the Cooroy Butter Factory into community management.
The contribution of past president Carol Johnston was recognised with an Avenues of Service Citation from Rotary International; an award from Rotary to personally recognise a member for their outstanding efforts in all five of the avenues of service.
Incoming president Mr Aves said he was looking forward to the future.
“My aspiration is to maintain and promote the fellowship and fun of Rotary with a programme of events and activities to enhance the quality of life for Cooroy residents and to assist those less fortunate than ourselves,” he said.
“The club will again be running the Cooroy Mountain Spring Festival to raise funds for local, regional, national and international good causes, and we look forward to a good attendance on 16 October 2016.”
