Golden Rotary Moment
A glittering Gala event to celebrate Castle Hill Rotary’s 60th birthday was held at Rydges Norwest and there were some very surprised and deserving guests.
The applause was loud and enthusiastic when long-time Rotarian Ron Marcus was announced the winner of the inaugural Bruce Allen Humanitarian Award which was presented by Club President Juanita Ruiz and Hills Mayor Dr Michelle Byrne.
The club established the award in recognition of extraordinary Castle Hill Rotarian and Past District Governor Bruce Allan who embodied the essence of Service Above Self.
MC Jaime Buttigieg said: “Whether it was mentoring new members, leading humanitarian efforts across the globe, or passionately championing the Rotary Foundation, Bruce’s impact was profound and far reaching.”
It was fitting that the first recipient of the award named in his honour was Ron Marcus who has dedicated his life to serving local communities at home and overseas.
All up he made 80 self-funded trips to implement life-saving projects in Nepal, Mongolia and PNG with his work in hospitals estimated to have saved the lives of at least 25,000 people.
Awards were also presented to Terry O’Mara (Legacy of Service), Phil Dunn (Arada Community Champion) Natasha Nugent (Rising Star) Nicola Fox (Innovation) Mike Blar (Community Engagement) Lisa Pelayo (Service Above Self) Hannibal Shabaz (Lifetime Achievement Award). Ubah Gabris was presented with an Excellence in Youth Engagement and a Paul Harris Fellowship while PHFs were also awarded to Jaime Buttigieg and Peter Rheinberger.
Castle Hill Rotary Club has had a busy 60 years including saving and restoring Heritage Park in Castle Hill raised millions of dollars to help during floods and bushfires and overseas humanitarian disasters plus provided community buses and supported youth leadership programs, mental health initiatives and local charities.
