Gossip Sheet # 30
- February 6, 2003
Editor: Brian Stewart
Wells in Haiti – Roy Sheldrick
Ed Silver said Grace, followed by the singing of O Canada, which was led by Rick Evans.
Head Table: Liz Palmieri, Roy Sheldrick, President Earl Alton, Peter Lumsden, Kevin Vallier and Ed Silver
Norma Sheldrick, wife of our guest speaker Roy was the only guest today.
Birthdays: Peter “Lumpy” Lumsden celebrated his birthday on February 3rd.
Announcements
President Earl announced that the Ancaster Rotary Club is having a Highland fling on April the 10th at 6 pm. The cost is $100. The event includes scotch tasting and all things Scottish. This event demonstrates once again how fortunate some of us to have been derived of such fine lineage.
Please check and clean out your mailboxes.
Happy Dollars
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| Sam Walters |
George Doty was happy Sullivan Mahoney celebrated 50 years.
Jacquie Herman was happy that Art was coming home from India tomorrow.
Dan Patterson announced the 14th Annual Seafood Gala in support of Niagara College on Saturday March 8th at 6 pm; cost is $150 per person.
Eugene Gillies was happy that so many people have checked out the web site.
Nigel Riddell forgot to put $10 in for a missed birthday last week.
Peter Banwell was happy about the great press his firm received last week in celebration of 50 years of existence. Hopefully that is more time then any of his clients have had to serve.
John Crossingham was a great guest speaker; unfortunately no one could understand what he said.
Peter Lumsden was happy to be a frequent flyer and assured us that there is lots of legroom in economy if you keep the seat back.
John Nitsopoulos was happy to announce that Stephanie, his Food and Beverage Manager had a baby girl.
President Earl was late picking up his wife at the airport but has since made up for it, unless she finds out why he was late.
50/50 Draw: George Doty unfortunately drew the 4 of diamonds.
Program
Wells in Haiti - Roy Sheldrick
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| Liz Palmieri |
Liz introduced Roy Sheldrick as our guest speaker today. Roy is a fellow Rotarian from the Ancaster Club. Roy retired from Canada Customs in 1988 and since then has been doing some customs consulting work (perhaps trying to help them find all the lost articles since 88?). Roy has also dedicated his life to a project called “Water for Life” which is a project aimed at helping to bring fresh water to the people of Haiti.
Roy began the talk by telling us about his first trip to Haiti in 1996. He and his wife spent a week at the Albert Schweitzer Hospital in the Artibonite Valley in Haiti. The trip was a real eye opener that eventuately led the idea of helping these people improve their health by means of providing safe portable water. Initial fund raising efforts in local churches and later the Rotary club and various grants has begun to make a difference.
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| Roy and Norma Sheldrick |
The water for life project has enabled the local people to assume a sense of pride in the ownership and maintenance of the village wells. This model is more efficient and effective then previous forms of unattached foreign aide. Local people are trained not only in the construction of the wells but also in their continued maintenance. With the donations of spare parts by a Swiss company the project is now sustainable.
The wells are placed strategically in school and churchyards as well as on hospital grounds where they are readily accessible and needed. In other areas of the valley existing wells have been capped to help with sanitation and cisterns have been built to collect rainwater.
The initial goal of the project was to establish 200 wells. To date 40 wells have been dug and there is enough money for 18 more. At a cost of $5000.00 per well the remaining 160 wells is no small task. However with various donations and the tireless efforts of Roy and Norma the goal is obtainable.
Judith Barker thanked our speaker today.