By Aaron Mahoney (@Mahones93 on Twitter)

Rotary Club of Lethbridge celebrates 100 years

Jun 25, 2018 | 12:26 PM

LETHBRIDGE – The Rotary Club of Lethbridge celebrated 100 years in our city on Monday, June 25, with a flag raising event at City Hall.

A solid group of supporters and Rotarians came out for the celebration, where Mayor Chris Spearman and President of the Rotary Club of Lethbridge Downtown, Mandy DeCecco-Kolebaba gave quick speeches on the group’s impact in the community.

DeCecco-Kolebaba says it’s very exciting for them to hit 100 years of Rotary in Lethbridge.

“First of all, when it started in 1918 it was just a group of businessmen wanting to do good in the community and now we’re a group of youth, women, and leaders in the community,” DeCecco-Kolebaba said, adding that Rotary is the longest standing international service club in the world.

The local Rotary story began when meetings were originally held at the Lethbridge YMCA, and then moved to the Marquis Hotel. During the first year, the Club canvassed for Salvation Army funds presented a Christmas party for children of soldiers and contributed to the Soldiers’ War Memorial and the Great War Vets Building Fund, as well as the Nursing Mission.

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Today, there are five Rotary clubs in Lethbridge with over 200 members.

“We have three things that we like to focus on: youth, local projects and international projects,” DeCecco-Kolebaba continued. “One of the biggest projects we’ve been involved with in Lethbridge, and one that our club has been the proudest of, is the fountain at Galt Gardens. It really revitalized the downtown area and it’s so great to see little kids running through that fountain in the spring and summer.”

Local Rotary clubs remain involved in international projects, according to DeCecco-Kolebaba.

“We’re still working in Malawi in educating girls that would not normally get an opportunity to go to school. We also have a project where we help build schools in Nepal, and that’s just locally, what our members are doing.”

The Los Amigos mission will continue to go to Mexico with emergency vehicles from Lethbridge, and the Rotary Clubs also continue to support medical help in India, Costa Rica and Nepal.

The Rotary Club of Lethbridge has completed a number of local projects on to of those mentioned by DeCecco-Kolebaba including planted trees on North Parkside Drive and 16 Street, a Rotary Park in West Lethbridge, the Waterton Glacier International Peace Park, the Rotary Spray Park at Henderson Lake Pool and the Rotary Dragonboat Festival.

“Right now, we’re looking for our centennial project which you’ll hear more about soon. That’s going to be a huge local project,” DeCecco-Kolebaba stated.

In reflecting on what 100 years in Lethbridge means to the group, DeCecco-Kolebaba says there’s really so much that they do and will continue to do in the future.

“We’re a tight group that welcomes anyone who wants to join us and make a difference in the world. Our core values are wanting to help people and to do it locally with like-minded individuals. There’s a mindset to be a Rotarian, and it’s that we want to work together to change the world.”