Rotary Club of Empangeni honours community stalwarts
The prestigious accolade is given in recognition of extraordinary community service
NO fewer than five Paul Harris Fellow awards were bestowed by the Rotary Club of Empangeni on Tuesday evening.
The prestigious accolade is given in recognition of extraordinary community service.
Sandy Camminga, co-founder of the Richards Bay Clean Air Association (RBCAA) in 1997, was commended for her sterling efforts over 20 years in her role as industrial air pollution watchdog.
‘The success of the RBCAA has been as a direct result of Sandy’s tenacity and single mindedness in getting the local polluting industries to support and contribute financially to the association,’ said Rotarian Donovan Barton-Hobbs.
‘Largely through Sandy’s efforts, industry has realised the importance of quantifying their impact on the environment, mainly as a means to implement mitigating technologies and operating procedures.
‘Her unrelenting efforts to identify, understand and wherever possible to reduce pollutants means the community at large has a lot to be grateful for.’
Apart from the ‘legendary’ efforts Marie de Matteis has put into her Rotary activities, especially in matters relating to hospitality, catering, crèche aid and fund-raising cycling rides, her work extends to many community efforts.
An active member of the Victory Family Church, Marie ‘thinks nothing of cooking for 80 people and she serves at AWOL camps every year’, according to her proposer for the Paul Harris award, Barbara Robarts.
Marie also assists in looking after the elderly at Leisure Gardens.
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‘Mother Theresa’
Elaine van de Venter, regarded as the ‘Mother Theresa’ of a large senior citizens social club, was honoured for ‘the never ending work she does in the community’.
‘She has taken over the leadership and has become a huge help to the old folk; her huge heart and small car are overloaded with the cares and concerns of those in need,’ said Jean Harborth.
‘This tough lady’s activities never ends as she races from crisis to crisis and constantly helps to transport the senior citizens to town, church, the clinic and hospital – especially the ones needing chemo treatment.’
Elaine’s artistic talents extend to decorating the Holy Cross Anglican Church and producing many shows involving the seniors.
A stalwart within the local Rotary community, Gideon van der Merwe received his Paul Harris Fellow award as the chartering President and founder member of the Rotary Club of Mtunzini.
‘He is hard working, passionate and dedicated to the cause of Rotary, living out the core values in placing others before himself,’ read the citation.
Fulvio Pace was also given the esteemed Paul Harris award in absentia, especially for his enormous role in arranging the sourcing and ‘red tape’ delivery of containers of bicycles, and was notified of this via an instant chat from the function.
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