The Rotary Club of Merritt received recognition from their local Rotary District. The group of BC and Washington state based Rotary clubs awarded Merritt Rotary with the Rotary District 5060 Superstar Award. Received at a recent conference, the club said recognition for its tireless work is greatly appreciated.

Following the atmospheric river-caused flooding event of November 2021, and the devastation in its wake, the Rotary Club of Merritt began accepting donations to its flood relief fund. Reaching nearly $1 million dollars in total raised funds, the three phases of flood recovery funding made available by Rotary allowed hundreds of affected individuals and families to access much needed support.

“It was for a club that went over and above, and over and above, to accomplish something in their community,” said President Leslee Lucy.

“Our club worked so hard for the flood victims. To be recognized and rewarded by receiving this award was so gratifying. It was almost overwhelming.”

Lucy said she was emotional receiving the award, recognizing the full impact of her Rotary team’s fundraising efforts and dedication to volunteerism. A number of online fundraisers, GoFundMe campaigns, and a telethon helped the Rotary club raise a whopping $968,000 to aid Merritonians’ recovery as flood waters receded.

During the three phases of the fund that saw the monies disbursed, a committee of volunteers reviewed hundreds of applications, contacted flood affected families to conduct needs assessments, and coordinated the delivery of the flood recovery checks.

While the fund is no longer accepting donations or applications, Lucy and other Rotary members are pleased with the work they have been able to do. Moving forward, they will continue to raise funds and support other local projects.

“It’s not just the check that they got, but it’s the support that goes along with it as well. When you know that amount of money was raised from people’s hard earned money, and knowing you have that much support, it’s got to help out in the misery a bit, I would hope,” she added.

“In order to continue to do a lot in our community, we need some money in our bank account. All the fundraising we do going forward will go into our general revenue, so that we can keep supporting community projects.”

The Rotary Club of Merritt meets every second Wednesday during the summer, and weekly from September 7 onwards, at the Merritt Legion on Quilchena Avenue. For more information, please contact [email protected].