GEORGE NEWS - In a touching ceremony on Tuesday night, 25 October, George Rotary Club honoured four Georgians with the Rotary Paul Harris Fellow award to acknowledge their contribution and dedication to the local community.
They are George Mayor Leon van Wyk, George Night Shelter chairman Dave Weldon, Up With Downs founder and chairperson Janet Seegmuller, and Carpe Diem principal Elzeth Grobler. Each received a certificate and pin.
Donald Goldfain, Rotary's chairman for community service, described Van Wyk as a quiet, diplomatic leader who has led the municipality to a position where it sets a high bar for standards of municipal excellence.
The orderliness, cleanliness and constant maintenance all over George are striking. This is being achieved in a difficult time in the country where strong leadership and a clear vision are needed to steer through "murky" waters, and Van Wyk is such a leader.
Elzeth Grobler was praised by Rotary president Di Kershaw for her passion, commitment and dedication to Carpe Diem School, and for the way she is working for the good of the children.
She has put the school on the map through her networking and fundraising events.
Giving background about Janet Seegmuller, Rotary member Andrew Jeffery said she began Up With Downs in her garage with four students. Today there are 42 students in a school building with a hostel and training centre.
An adult home has also been opened this year and it has nine residents. "Janet has been driving the project from the beginning and it is through her strong leadership that this project has been running for almost 25 years," said Jeffery.
Rotary member Charles Rowe said Dave Weldon is someone who is not necessarily visible, but quietly goes about doing the job with humble dedication. He truly cares about those less fortunate.
The late Tess Thomas approached Weldon with the idea of starting a shelter. He initiated a committee and the doors of the shelter opened in 1994 on land the George Municipality made available on a long lease. Among the facilities added since then are a 600m² work shed and a rehabilitation centre.
The certificates were handed over by the guest speaker at the event, District 9350 governor Tracey Wilson.
Wilson said the clubs in the district are making amazing contributions to their communities.
Rotary clubs offer a diversity of services in seven focus areas: conflict prevention and resolution, disease prevention and treatment, water and sanitation, maternal and child health, basic education and literacy, economic and community development, and the environment.
The Rotary Foundation in the 2020/2021 year ploughed $333 million into sustainable projects worldwide. The clubs also get the opportunity to engage in global grants and District 9350 recently received R450 000 from Rotary International that will be channelled to the Ukraine for disaster relief.
George Rotary Club president Di Kershaw (third from left) and District 9350 governor Tracey Wilson (second from right) with the Georgians who are now Paul Harris fellows, from left: Carpe Diem School principal Elzeth Grobler, George Mayor Leon van Wyk, Up With Downs principal and founder Janet Seegmuller and George Night Shelter chairman and founder Dave Weldon. Photo: Alida de Beer
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