ESTEVAN - The Rotary Club of Estevan has been a big part of life in Estevan for a century, as its members strive to live out Rotary's mantra of "Service Above Self".
In early 1923, Rotary International appointed The Rotary Club of Weyburn to investigate the feasibility of establishing a club in Estevan. At a preliminary meeting on Feb. 11, 1923, a decision was made to proceed with the organization and establishment of the Rotary Club of Estevan.
On March 4, 1923, the Rotary Club of Estevan was officially organized, with T.A. Torgeson serving as the president. Two days later, 30 members from the Rotary Club of Weyburn attended a joint noon luncheon meeting in Estevan to officially launch the Rotary Club of Estevan.
Finally, on March 19, 1923, the Rotary Club of Estevan was officially welcomed at a district conference in Winnipeg. The club charter was presented by John C. Martin of Weyburn, proclaiming the Rotary Club of Estevan No. 1383.
The club has always been busy serving the community. During its first 20 years, members planted over 450 trees on Third Street; initiated and maintained the development of Woodlawn Regional Park by clearing brush, and building a bridge, bath house, benches, tables and swings; organized a junior baseball league with Rotarian managers and umpires; raised $20,000 for the construction of skating and curling rinks; introduced registered seed wheat to the Estevan district; donated $500 towards the cost of the cenotaph; started a boys' summer camp at Rotary Park; and contributed $6,000 towards the construction of St. Joseph's Hospital.
From 1943 to 1972, the club contributed $5,000 to the Royal Canadian Legion's building fund; collected over $2,000 for the Canadian Red Cross; provided annual visits on Christmas day to the hospital and presented gifts to patients; and annually sponsored a student to participate in an Adventures in Citizenship trip to the House of Commons in Ottawa.
The club also launched its annual auction, which was a big part of the community for decades, and it promoted and sponsored the Christmas Carol Festival with proceeds donated to high school band programs. The latter event remains part of the community each year.
From 1973-1982, the club initiated and completed the construction of a $50,000 multi-purpose building in Rotary Park, and it purchased wheelchairs and commodes for the Estevan Nursing Home and Creighton Lodge.
From 1983-2003, the club made a major contribution towards the purchase of the Estevan Salvation Army's van and $10,000 towards the construction of the Estevan Leisure Centre.
It also adopted Highway 47 South through a clean-up program, and it annually supervised the regional 4-H show and sale. The club donated to and equipped Torgeson Park, which was named after the local club's first president.
In 1999, the club launched its annual Lobsterfest fundraiser, which remains a popular event in the community to this day, with hundreds of people attending each year. And for a few years, it organized the Battle of the Badges hockey game, which brought former NHL players to Estevan.
The club also was part of building a multi-purpose building at Mel Murray Cactus Park, and undertook a tree-planting project at the TS&M Woodlawn Golf Course.
During this time, the club also had a couple of milestones. It elected its first female president in Kim Marcotte. And in 2003-04, Wayne Claypool became the second Estevan Rotarian to hold the position of district governor, joining Togeson, who was in the role in 1927.
Estevan hosted the district conference in May 2004, with the theme of Lend a Hand.
The 100th anniversary of Rotary International was observed in 2005, and to mark the occasion, the club made a $40,000 contribution toward the construction of washrooms and a concession stand at the Souris Valley Theatre's Frehlick Hall.
The club donated to health care in the community through the hospital's maternity and surgical wards, a hematology machine for the hospital's lab, and the construction of the helipad for the STARS Air Ambulance, which was the first of its kind in the province. It also supported the campaign for a new regional nursing home in Estevan.
The club was also a sponsor of the construction of Affinity Place.
In the past 10 years, the Rotary Club of Estevan has been able to contribute around $200,000 to various projects. Members contributed to lockers for the firefighters at the Estevan fire hall and built a washroom facility at Royal Heights Veterans' Memorial Park and the concession at Mel Murray Cactus Park. It supported numerous non-profit groups within Estevan through monetary donations and/or volunteering.
For much of its history, the club has been part of a student exchange program in which a local student has spent a year learning abroad, and a student from elsewhere has learned in Estevan.
The club also continued its international commitments to Rotary programs such as the Ripple Effect Program, which is a basic education and literacy program in Guatemala that builds or renews school infrastructure, including desperately needed washrooms, kitchens and school furniture. It also provides supplies, computers and much-needed playgrounds.
The Rotary ShelterBox has provided shelter, warmth and dignity following more than 300 disasters in over 100 countries since 2000. ShelterBox responds urgently to earthquakes, volcanos, floods, hurricanes, cyclones, tsunamis or conflicts by delivering boxes of essential shelter, aid and other life-saving supplies.
In addition to Lobsterfest, in recent years the club has been partnering with the Rotary Club of Weyburn for an annual golf ball drop fundraiser.
