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Rotary Club of Kamloops Daybreak

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Welcome to our Club! The Rotary Club of Kamloops Daybreak was chartered in April 1986. Come join us for breakfast and laughs!

We are a friendly boisterous group that enjoys hands-on projects, both in our community, and in developing countries. We meet weekly on Friday mornings at the Delta Hotel, located at 540 Victoria Street. Breakfast is served at 6:45am and meetings run from 7-8:30am. Holiday meetings are subject to change. If you are looking for a grant application please send us a message so we can send you a link. Next deadline for funding is January 15.

10/23/2026

Friday Morning at Daybreak Rotary!

Another Friday, another great morning with Daybreak Rotary! This week we talked about community, welcomed a guest, celebrated milestones, shared plenty of announcements, and learned how Kamloops is working toward a more sustainable future.

And, of course, Lorne reminded us that he's been a Rotarian longer than his kids have been alive. 😂

❤️ Invocation: What Keeps Us Together?

Lorne kicked things off with a reflection on how much our club has changed over the years. We've evolved from an all-male group into a much more diverse club, reflecting the community we serve.

But one thing hasn't changed: the camaraderie we share and our common desire to make our community a better place for everyone.

That's what makes Rotary special. Different backgrounds, different perspectives, and one shared purpose.

👋 Welcome!

We welcomed Cayden, Chantel’s daughter, to our meeting. It's always great to see family members joining us and getting a glimpse of what Daybreak Rotary is all about!

🌎 Rotary Moments

Sarah M is on the final step of her membership journey!🎉

OG Sarah shared an update from the Executive Meeting, keeping us up to date on what's happening behind the scenes.

📸 Rotarians in Action!

When you're out volunteering or helping in the community, take photos and submit them through our handy app. They go straight to our Public Image Chair, Sanjay, so we can share the great work our members are doing!

You never know when your Rotary moment might end up on our social media. 😉

🚌 Exchange Student Adventures

Our Exchange Student had another busy week of firsts and new experiences!

💈 Tried to get a haircut on Friday, only to discover that appointments are a thing. Who knew? 😂

🛍️ Visited Aberdeen Mall and hung out at Riverside Park.

🧱 Helped build a fence at Chantel’s house and absolutely loved mixing the cement. We may have discovered a future construction worker!

🚌 Took his first ride on a yellow school bus on Monday, heading to the Mt. Paul Community Centre.

🧹 Joined the Adopt-a-Road cleanup on Wednesday.

💇 And on Thursday… he finally got that haircut!

One week, plenty of new experiences, and a little lesson in appointment booking. 😂

🎄 Christmas Party Alert!

Mark your calendars! Our Daybreak Rotary Christmas Party is December 17th, and this year's theme courtesy of W***y is Hockey and Ugly Sweaters!🏒🎅

Start planning those questionable fashion choices now. We expect some serious competition.

📣 Around the Club

🍼 Basics for Babies — November 20th

A great opportunity to support local families and help make a difference.

🚗 Miss Vicky?

Not the chips. Not the cookies. She's a vintage car!😂 We'll leave that one there.

🎁 Rotary Giving Calendar

Katie reminded everyone who has donated a prize for our calendar fundraiser to start bringing those prizes to our meetings so she can collect them. Thank you to everyone helping make this fundraiser happen!

📅 Lorne's Legendary Ledger

Lorne's ledger is filling up fast, so get those names down and find a way to get involved!

🥩 Happy Wife, Happy Life! Lorne's wife is fundraising with a steak dinner at Duffy's, with tickets at $30 each. Sounds like a good reason to support a great cause — and keep the peace at home! 😂

🧔 Movember: Lorne is back at it again, launching his campaign November 1st. Get ready for some questionable facial hair in the name of a good cause!

📍 November 8 — Pit Stop
📍 November 22 — Santa Claus Parade
📍 November 29 — BC SPCA Craft Fair parking volunteers needed. We also need people inside selling Rotary Giving Calendars that day!

🪣 Christmas Kettle Volunteers

We're looking for volunteers on December 3, 4, 10, 11 and 18. Put your name down and help spread some Christmas cheer!

🎂 Celebrations

🎉 Matti is celebrating 13 years with Daybreak Rotary today!

🎉 Ryan celebrates 14 years with the club on November 26th and yes spreadsheets are COOL!

🎂 Happy upcoming birthday to Anela on November 26th, and birthday wishes to Roxanna's partner, Mike, and W***y's partner, Francis!

And wedding anniversaries? Once again, nobody in our club got married today. Somewhere out there, though, someone is making a very brave commitment. 😂💍

♻️ Guest Speaker: Marcia Dick — City of Kamloops

We welcomed Marcia Dick, Solid Waste Reduction Coordinator for the City of Kamloops, who shared how our city is tackling waste and working toward a more sustainable future.

Here's a number worth thinking about:

Around 70% of the material going into landfills could potentially be diverted.

That's a lot of waste that could be handled differently!

Marcia discussed current waste-diversion efforts, federal single-use plastics regulations, provincial extended producer responsibility programs, and opportunities to improve how households and businesses manage waste.

The city's targets are ambitious:

♻️ 50% waste diversion by 2028
🌎 90% waste diversion by 2050

Initiatives such as organics programs and expanding commercial packaging recovery will play an important role in reaching those goals.

The good news? Per-person waste disposal has been trending downward.

The challenge? Getting more of us to think about what we throw away and whether it really belongs in the garbage.

A more sustainable Kamloops starts with all of us.

📰 News, Weather & Sports with Colin

Colin brought us the latest local headlines, including a few exciting developments!

🏛️ Changes at City Hall: Kamloops is seeing political changes with a new mayor and several new City Councillors.

👗 A local fashion success: Dylan James Hayes won a whopping **$100,000 on Project Runway Canada! Congratulations on an incredible achievement!

🚛 Electric trucking comes to Kamloops: Our city has been selected as one of two Canadian locations for a Tesla Semi truck supercharger station. A promising development as Canada explores ways to reduce emissions from heavy-duty transportation.

🐶 Halloween dog parade: this Saturday, there's a Halloween dog parade downtown from 1–2 PM, starting at Dairy Queen. Because dogs in costumes are always a good idea. 🐕🎃

🌧️ Weekend forecast: Cloudy skies with rain on and off. Perfect weather for a cozy weekend — or for getting out and supporting one of our community events!

❤️ That's Daybreak Rotary!

From building friendships and welcoming new members to reducing waste, supporting families, raising funds and showing up for our community, there's always something happening at Daybreak.

We may have changed a lot over the years, but the mission remains the same:

Good people. Great friendships. Making our community better.**

That's Rotary. ❤️💙

10/16/2026

🌅 Friday Morning at Daybreak Rotary!

Democracy, fundraising, international projects, exchange student adventures… and a 98-year-old who went wing walking. Just another Friday at Daybreak! 😂

🗳️ Invocation: Your Vote Matters

Clara got us thinking about democracy and the responsibility we all share in making our communities and our world better.

With so many candidates to choose from, how do we decide who deserves our vote?

Her suggestion? Use Rotary’s Four-Way Test.

Is it the truth? Is it fair to all concerned? Will it build goodwill and better friendships? Will it be beneficial to all concerned?

These questions aren't just for Rotary meetings. They can help guide our everyday decisions, including how we evaluate the people asking for our votes.

We won't get political here, but we will say this: participating in democracy matters. Make sure you vote! 🇨🇦

🎁 The Rotary Giving Calendar Is Coming!

Katie Klassen shared an exciting update on our newest fundraiser — the Rotary Giving Calendar!

Think advent calendar, but instead of chocolate every day, there are prizes to win! 🎉

🎁 50 prizes worth more than $20,000
🎟️ Calendars priced at $20 each
🎯 Goal: Sell 2,000 calendars and raise $40,000!

Production has been delayed slightly, with calendars expected to be ready by October 30. The official launch is planned for November 12.

Stay tuned for details on how to get yours. This is a fantastic opportunity to support our club's community work while giving yourself a chance to win something great!

🌎 Rotary Moments: Exchange Student Adventures

Our Exchange Student had a week packed with firsts!

🏔️ Visited Sun Peaks with Sheila and Shaun
🏡 Moved into his new host family's home
🏈 Watched his first American football game
🍣 Made sushi
🦃 Celebrated his first Canadian Thanksgiving, complete with turkey and pumpkin pie!

And if that wasn't enough, he also took first place in cross-country skiing! 🥇

Not a bad week for someone experiencing so many new things. We're glad you're making the most of your time here!

🇫🇮 Adi's Adventures in Finland

Adi is enjoying her fall break and shared another update from her exchange experience.

She travelled to Helsinki, spent time with her host family, and joined her friends' volleyball team for a practice and game. They didn't win, but she had fun — which is what it's all about! 🏐

Winter is arriving, too. It was snowing on the drive to Helsinki, but she's got her winter gear ready.

She's also taking singing classes, with one small catch: she has to sing in Finnish! Thankfully, she has the notes to help her along. 🎶

Next February, she'll take part in a traditional Finnish choreographed dance known as Vanhojen Tanssit — sometimes translated as the “Old People’s Dance” — alongside other students.

We're loving these updates and getting a glimpse of the incredible experiences Rotary Youth Exchange creates!

🧀 Guest Speaker: Making a Difference in Ecuador

Jodie introduced Mollie Sommer from the Rotary Club of Kamloops West, who shared details about an international project in Baños, Ecuador.

The project will support an 11-family cheese cooperative by providing new equipment and training to increase production from 30 kilograms to 100 kilograms of cheese per day.

That's more than triple the current production capacity!

The goal is to increase revenue, create jobs, strengthen the cooperative and help address poverty in the community.

Through a Rotary Global Grant, this project demonstrates how local collaboration and international partnerships can create meaningful, sustainable change.

Small communities. Practical solutions. Lasting impact. That's Rotary in action. 🌎

📣 Around the Club

We've got plenty happening, and Lorne's Legendary Ledger is filling up fast. If you haven't signed up to help with an event, now's the time!

🚧 Adopt-a-Road Cleanup — October 21 at 4 PM

Michelle is looking for volunteers to help with our fall cleanup. Reach out to her if you can lend a hand.

🤝 Generations Connect

Valentine shared an update on this wonderful initiative, which brought students and seniors together to share experiences, build connections and learn from one another.

🎱 Prime Games — November 14

Volunteers are needed, along with a pool table, chairs and gift cards. If you can help, please get in touch!

🍫 U11 Hockey Team Fundraiser

Brendan and Harrison are supporting their U11 hockey team with a Purdy's Chocolate fundraiser. A sweet way to support local youth!

🎉 Kamloops Brain Injury Association — 40th Anniversary

KBIA is celebrating 40 years, with tickets priced at $30 each. Congratulations on four decades of supporting the community!

📋 We also heard from Chantelle, who's looking for someone to take over her desk duties — thank you, Monique, for helping out — and TL shared that the Kamloops Digest needs someone to take over its responsibilities.

There are lots of ways to get involved, so check the Ledger and find your next opportunity to help!

🎂 Celebrations

🎉 Happy birthday to Dylan, with John C. also recognized!

🎈 Tatiana is celebrating three years with Daybreak Rotary! Congratulations!

As for wedding anniversaries… nobody in our club got married today. Somewhere in the world, though, someone definitely did. 😂

📰 News, Weather & Sports with John C.

John brought us a collection of stories that prove the world never runs short of surprises:

👶 Doctors performed an incredible procedure on a baby before birth, without making an incision.

✈️ A 98-year-old went wing walking. Suddenly, our weekend plans seem a little less adventurous!

🇺🇸 A new U.S. press secretary — we'll leave you to watch the clip and draw your own conclusions.

💣 An estate sale in Texas reportedly included live World War II hand grenades. Because apparently, some garage sales are more exciting than others!

🚗 And Tesla's new Roadster has people talking.

Closer to home, the message was simple: get out and vote!

And the weekend forecast? ☀️ Sunshine!

Get outside, enjoy some Vitamin D and make the most of it.

❤️ That's Daybreak Rotary

From encouraging people to participate in democracy to supporting families in Ecuador, connecting generations, welcoming exchange students and raising funds for our community, there's a lot happening in our little corner of the world.

We don't always change the world in one big moment. Sometimes, we change it through a conversation, a volunteer shift, a fundraiser or a connection that wouldn't have happened otherwise.

That's Service Above Self. That's Daybreak Rotary. ❤️💙

10/11/2026

⭐️This week we gave thanks and donated money back to our community!

⭐️Next Rotary grant applications due - Jan. 15, 2027

⭐️JR gave a fresh perspective of our Four Way Test - article in Sept. Rotarian

⭐️Grants were presented to Days for Girls, Operation Red Nose and Kamloops Heritage Railway.

⭐️Leslie Brochu spoke about Inspire Health and their supportive cancer care society. Spread the word to connect patients and caregivers to their resources at 243 Seymour St.

⭐️Sheila encouraged us to spread the word on Rotary Youth Exchange and the info night on Wednesday, October 21 from 6-8pm at Total Concepts.

10/08/2026

🌎 WHAT IF ONE YEAR COULD CHANGE YOUR LIFE?

Imagine spending an entire school year living in another country, experiencing a new culture, making lifelong friendships, learning another language and seeing the world from a completely different perspective.

That’s what Rotary Youth Exchange is all about. ✈️🌍

And the best part?

This isn’t just a trip.

The Rotary Youth Exchange Scholarship is valued at more than $24,000 and includes room, board, tuition and a monthly stipend for a high school year abroad.

Students in Grades 7–11 are encouraged to attend the information night to learn more about the program.

Qualified applicants must be in Grades 10–12 at the time of departure.

📅 INFORMATION NIGHT

October 21, 2026 | 6:00–8:00 PM
📍 V7 Properties Office
202 – 150 Victoria Street, Kamloops

This is an incredible opportunity for students who are curious, adventurous and ready to step outside their comfort zone.

🌎 Travel the world
🏠 Live with a host family
🗣️ Learn another language
🤝 Make friends from around the world
🎓 Experience another culture
❤️ Create memories that last a lifetime

If you have a student who has ever said “I want to travel the world,”this is definitely worth checking out.

For more information, contact:

Sheila Minten
📧 [email protected]

Come out, ask questions and see where Rotary Youth Exchange could take you!

Your next adventure might be a lot farther away than you think. 🌎✈️

09/25/2026

Friday Morning at Daybreak Rotary

🔇 Turn Down the Noise

Jon C. started us off with a thought-provoking invocation.

Imagine you're driving and trying to find an address, but the music is blasting. What do you do?

You turn it down.

Not because you need your ears to find the address, but because your brain needs less to process so you can focus on what’s right in front of you.

And maybe that's true in life too.

Our days are filled with notifications, videos, podcasts, news, opinions and endless noise. Sometimes we’re so busy processing everything around us that we miss what’s actually happening right in front of us.

So this weekend, while spending time with family, friends and our community, **turn down the noise.

Put the phone away. Turn off the notifications. Be present.

There’s a pretty wonderful world happening right in front of us. ❤️

👋 Welcome to the Club!

A BIG Daybreak welcome to our three newest members: Steph, Sandra and Sue!

That's right… the Three S's!😂

We’re excited to have you officially part of the Daybreak family.

Rotary Moments

Our Exchange Student started the morning with an apology.

Apparently, last week he made the mistake of saying Okanagan Lake was more beautiful than Shuswap Lake.

After careful deliberation, he has officially rescinded his statement.

Shuswap Lake wins.

And apparently… Go Blazers!😂

This week he:

🏒 Saw his first hockey game
🚤 Went boating for the last time — AND finally stood up on the disc!
🦊 Took part in the Terry Fox Run
💦 Saw a beautiful waterfall… although he can't remember the name 😂
💧 Helped Darren with irrigation — something he'd never experienced before
📝 Survived a few quizzes
🔥 And, of course, continued the sauna sessions!

Lorne's Legendary Ledger

TOMORROW IS THE BIG DAY — FOOD DRIVE!

Our last food drive collected an incredible 75,000 lbs of food!

Let's see what we can do this time. 💪

And we've added a new category to the Legendary Ledger:

🍔 Exchange Student Challenge:*Try something from every fast-food restaurant in town.

We’ll be monitoring this important scientific research closely. 😂

📣 Around the Club

Sheila is looking for help with the Youth Exchange Info Night. We're currently the only club doing the program next year, so she could use some extra hands.

TL reminded us — with VERY short notice — that the Children's Art Festival is happening tomorrow. We donated to the event and they're looking for volunteers from 7–10 AM to help with parking.

🎂 Celebrations

🎉 John— September 27
🎉 Ken— September 27
🎈 Melissa— 1 year with the club!

📰 News, Weather & Sports with Colin O'Leary

Colin brought us the latest from around the world:

🦠 Global meningitis cases are reportedly down by about a quarter
🐆 A new wild cat species has been identified
🧠 Your brain isn't actually one single organ — it's essentially two halves stitched together
🩻 The world's smallest CT scanner can fit in the palm of your hand
🚗 Self-driving cars continue to show dramatically lower crash rates than human-driven vehicles
🏫 School District 73 reported a $14.5 million surplus
🎄 Christmas market scams are already circulating — stay vigilant!
🏒 Riverside Ice Rink received provincial recognition
🌧️ And the forecast for the weekend?

Rain. Lots of rain.

Which means perfect weather for…the FOOD DRIVE!😂

❤️ That's Daybreak

No guest speaker this week after a last-minute cancellation, but we still had plenty of conversation, laughs, service opportunities and reasons to get together.

Sometimes all it takes is turning down the noise to realize how much good is happening around us.

See you at the Food Drive!🥫❤️

09/16/2026

We are seeking volunteers to help deliver our food drive bags across Kamloops from September 14 – 24.

We have 30 maps left, we need more volunteers to help us deliver the food drive bags to neighbourhoods around Kamloops.

We need the bags delivered by Sept 24th so if you are able to help please reach out!

It’s as easy as 1,2,3!
1. Connect with us via e-mail or phone to pick a map
2. Pick up empty Food Drive bags from the Kamloops Food Bank
3. Deliver the bags to mailboxes/doorsteps

This is a great opportunity to volunteer with kids and pets! Each map should take 2-3 hours and can be broken up over multiple days

E-mail [email protected]
Or call 250-376-2252 to sign up!
Thank you!

09/11/2026

Friday Morning at Daybreak Rotary

Clara kicked off our meeting with a great reminder about relationships. She shared a story about a neighbourhood fence dispute that started small but had the potential to damage a friendship.

The lesson? Listen, communicate, and work together. Pretty good advice for life — and for Rotary. ❤️

🌎 Belize Project — $5,000 Became $22,000!

Al Stjernegaard from the Rotary Club of Port Moody joined us to share an update on the International Belize Project and how our club can continue to be involved.

Our club contributed $5,000, and through the power of Rotary grants and collaboration, that investment has been leveraged into $22,000!

👏 GREAT JOB, EVERYONE! This is what happens when Rotary clubs work together.

🦊 The Daybreak Fox Runners

Sue gave us an update on the Terry Fox Run and our team, the Daybreak Fox Runners.

Want to run, donate or join the team?
👉 https://run.terryfox.ca/129893/team/82615

🐾 BC Wildlife Park Legacy Bricks

Jeff Glaicar from Rotary West and the BC Wildlife Park Board gave us an update on the Wildlife Park Legacy Bricks.

The deadline has been extended until September 21st, and a portion of the proceeds helps support our club's $50,000 commitment to the Children's Park.

👉 https://www.bcwildlife.org/legacybrick.htm

And to make it even better, Daybreak presented a $10,000 cheque to the BC Wildlife Park! 🐻🐾

💃 Supporting Our Youth

Bonnie Cleland, one of our past Outbound Exchange Students, returned to the club with some exciting news!

She has been selected to compete at the World Tap Dance Championships and is looking for guidance on sponsorship opportunities.

If you can help with sponsorship or advice, reach out to Bonnie at [email protected].

👋 Welcome, Sue!

We officially welcomed Sue as a new full member of Daybreak Rotary!

She made it through the rigorous process… and we didn't scare her away. 😂

Welcome to the club, Sue!

🌎 Rotary Moment — Week Two

Our Exchange Student has officially completed his second week!

He managed to stand up on water skis this weekend. 🎿

Wakeboarding? Well… let's just say there's still some work to do. 😂

He also made a trip to Salmon Arm and saw a lot of… salmon. 🐟

He played crib, tried American football for the first time (not a fan 😂), and started school.

He's already making new friends — although he has also discovered that there are quite a few students from back home here too!

📅 What's Coming Up?

📍 Sept. 13 — Pit Stop
📍 Sept. 17 — Arthur Stevenson Back-to-School BBQ
📍 Sept. 26 — Food Drive
📍 Oct. 6 — Kenna Cartwright Trail Cleanup
📍 First Tuesday of every month starting in October — Power Start Breakfast with the Boys & Girls Club
📍 Oct. 23 — Adopt-a-Road Cleanup

💙 Guest Speaker — Ryan Oevermann

Our guest speaker, Ryan Oevermann, shared his incredibly honest and inspiring experience of being diagnosed with Parkinson's disease at just 43 years old.

Ryan spoke about his diagnosis, treatment, including DBS surgery, and the adjustments that come with living with Parkinson's. But the message that really stood out was simple:

Don't surrender to the challenges.

Ryan continues to live life fully, writing books, pursuing his black belt, enjoying adventures and finding ways to keep moving forward with the support of his family and community.

He has written several books about his experiences and adventures.

👉 https://parkinson.bc.ca/inspirational-stories/chronicles-of-a-parky-stories-from-an-eternal-optimist

A powerful reminder that sometimes the biggest challenge isn't what happens to us — it's deciding how we're going to respond.

No birthdays or anniversaries this week… so we were forced to get back to work. 😂

Another Friday morning filled with service, friendship, great stories and a whole lot of reasons to be proud of what our club is accomplishing.

That's Daybreak Rotary. ❤️💙

09/04/2026

🌅 Friday Morning at Daybreak Rotary: Sometimes You Just Need to Pick Up the Phone

Lorne opened this morning with a great reminder:

Sometimes all it takes to turn a bad day around is a simple connection.

Pick up the phone.
Drop in for a visit.
Send someone a quick message.

You never know whose day you might make better. ❤️

🇩🇪 Our Exchange Student: Week One!

Our Exchange Student has officially completed his first week in Canada — and he’s already had quite the adventure!

🏄 Water sports at the lake
🚤 Learned how to wax the boat
🚲 Went biking
🐻 Encountered a bear!
🥾 Hiked Peterson Creek
🌲 Helped Darren cut down two trees
🇫🇷 Met another Exchange Student from France
🎉 Attended a party at Sheila’s

Not a bad first week!

❤️ Remembering Tony

A big thank you to everyone who attended Tony celebration of life.

It’s a reminder that Rotary is about more than meetings and projects.

It’s about people and the friendships we build along the way.

🦀 Crabfest Is Coming!

Sara reminded us that Crabfest planning is underway.

We’re looking for volunteers — and we need someone willing to step up and chair the event.

Interested? Talk to Sara!

🍝 Spaghetti Western Fundraiser

We were also joined by Roseanna from the Rotary Club of Kamloops Aurora Centennial, who is looking for sponsors, volunteers and attendees for their upcoming Spaghetti Western Fundraiser.

If you can help support a fellow Kamloops Rotary Club, reach out to Roseanna!

📅 Upcoming Events

🍽️ Sept. 13 – Pit Stop
🌭 Sept. 17 – Arthur Stevenson Back-to-School BBQ
🥫 Sept. 26 – Fall Food Drive
🥾 Oct. 6 – Kenna Cartwright Trail Cleanup
🍳 First Tuesday of each month starting in October – BGC Power Start Breakfast
🛣️ Oct. 23 – Adopt-a-Road Cleanup

👤 Meet Bryce Herman

Our classification speaker this morning was our very own Bryce Herman.

And what a story!

Bryce has lived in Kamloops most of his life and has worked in construction, restaurants, tourism, fundraising, education and business.

He’s worked around the world, including the Yukon, Chile, China and Japan — but Kamloops has always been home.

He’s also been involved in countless community organizations and boards.

At one point, Bryce admitted he was serving on 13 boards at the same time. 😂

Clearly, saying “no” wasn’t his strong suit!

And we’re pretty sure that after all these years, one day Bryce will finally spell Maeghan’s name correctly. 😂

We’re not holding our breath.

💙 Why Rotary?

Bryce shared that people like Tom Farrer and Derek Johnson were instrumental in getting him involved with Rotary.

What kept him here?

The people. The connections. The opportunity to give back.

His philosophy is simple:

Sometimes you win. Sometimes you learn.

Throw yourself into something uncomfortable. Take the challenge. If it doesn’t work, learn from it.

That’s a pretty good way to live.

Bryce has also been involved with the Rotary Dream Home for 31 years — an incredible commitment to our community.

And, of course, we can’t forget the AI-generated PowerPoint images…

You’ll have to ask Bryce about the piercing gun. 😂

🎂 Celebrations

Happy Birthday to Tony Gilbert and Sid Kandola! 🎉

And congratulations to Sean & Sheila on 21 years of marriage! ❤️

📰 News, Weather & Sports…

Casey was supposed to deliver News, Weather & Sports.

Hello Casey… where are you? 😂

To be continued…

⸻

Another great Friday at Daybreak.

Great people. Great stories. Lots of laughs.

And plenty of opportunities to make our community better.

That’s Rotary. 💙💛

08/28/2026

🌅 Friday Morning at Rotary: New Faces, Big Hearts & One Very Canadian Welcome 🇨🇦

Another Friday morning, another reminder of why we get up early and come together.

❤️ The Invocation: Hope When the Ships Don't Come In

JR opened the meeting with a thoughtful message about one of Rotary's most important missions — **addressing hopelessness and helping people who need someone to step in and make a difference.**

Drawing inspiration from a song about waiting for ships that never come in, JR reminded us that sometimes people need more than hope.

They need **someone to show up.**

That is where Rotary comes in.

We may not be able to solve every problem, but we can make sure people don't have to face those problems alone.

🇩🇪 Willkommen to Canada!

We were excited to officially welcome our newest Daybreak Exchange Student, a 16-year-old from Leipzig, Germany! 🇩🇪

He shared some of his first-week experiences in Canada — arriving here, grocery shopping, meeting people and getting out to some social events.

And of course, he's only been here a week, so there is A LOT more Canadian culture for him to experience. 😂

We're looking forward to watching his year unfold and showing him everything Kamloops and the surrounding area have to offer.

Welcome to Kamloops🇨🇦

We hope this becomes one of the best years of your life.

💙 Remembering Marvin Monroe

Bryce shared some difficult news with the club this morning.

Marvin Monroe, a longtime Rotarian and former District Governor, recently passed away.

Marvin was an inspiration to many people in the room — including some who were inspired by him to join Rotary and give back to their community.

He was the kind of person who didn't just talk about service.

He lived it.

The world lost a great human being, and Rotary lost a great Rotarian.

Our thoughts are with Marvin's family, friends and everyone whose life he touched.

🏆 Congratulations, Danica!

Bryce also presented Danica with her Paul Harris Plus One pin.

👏 Congratulations, Danica!

A very well-deserved recognition of your commitment to Rotary and the community.

📅 Lots Happening Around Daybreak

Lorne had the calendar out again — which means we'd better start paying attention! 😂

Here are some dates to remember:

🍽️ September 13 – Pit Stop
🔥 September 17 – Arthur Stevenson BBQ
🥫 September 26 – Fall Food Drive
🥾 October 6 – Kenna Cartwright Trail Cleanup

And next week, we'll also be collecting items for BGC's Necessity Nook.

Bring something along and help us stock the shelves for people in our community who need a little extra help.

🎗️ Miles for Smiles

Darren reminded us about the Miles for Smiles Kids Cancer Dinner happening September 12 at TRU.

Tickets are $75, and this is going to be a special evening — black tie, great speakers and an important cause.

The event is being organized by Kayla, a young founder, and it's another great example of young people stepping up and making a difference.

If you can support it, check it out.

🎂 Birthdays & Anniversaries

Let's celebrate our Daybreak family!

🎂 Casey – August 29
🎂 Nick – August 31
🎂 Mark Adams – September 22

And celebrating some pretty impressive Rotary anniversaries:

👏 Colin O'Leary – 14 years
👏 Rob Philips – 36 years
👏 Bob Corrigan – 40 YEARS!

Four decades of Rotary service, Bob. That's incredible. 👏

👩‍🔧 Classification Talk: Meet Stephanie Simons

Our guest presenter this morning wasn't really a guest at all.

It was our very own Stephanie Simons, who gave us a fantastic classification talk and let us see the person behind the Rotarian.

And what a story!

Stephanie took us through her life using personal photos and memories — from soccer and choir trips to family, grandparents, hunting adventures and everything in between.

She shared the story of her relationship with Max, which started when they were teenagers.

They dated for more than seven years before Max finally proposed...

ON HORSEBACK.🐎❤️

There were photos from their early years together, prom, graduation and their church youth group days.

Then came marriage, family and two children — James and Lizzie.

Stephanie also gave us a look at the many different interests she's enjoyed over the years, including:

🥾 Backpacking
🎮 Gaming
🌱 Gardening
👶 Babywearing
⚽ Soccer
🎶 Choir

And her career path has been just as interesting.

She has worked at McDonald's, sold cell phones, worked in her family's garment business, became a dental hygienist and eventually transitioned into becoming an electrician.

That's a pretty impressive career journey!

🔨 Why Stephanie Stayed in Rotary

One of my favourite parts of Stephanie's presentation was hearing why she joined Rotary in the first place.

Initially, it was pretty simple.

Five women she knew were already members.

But she stayed for a much bigger reason.

She talked about how Rotary gave her the opportunity to give back to the community that had become home to her family.

That's Rotary.

Sometimes you join because of the people you know.

You stay because of the people you meet.

And eventually, you realize it's about something much bigger than yourself.

Stephanie has also been involved with the Business Excellence Awards and serves on the board of directors for the Kamloops Heritage Railway.

Thank you, Steph, for sharing your story with us.

It's always great to learn more about the people sitting around the table every Friday morning.

📰 News, Weather & Guess That Sport

Alison had us covered with News, Weather & Guess That Sport.

We learned that the warm weather has brought increased wasp activity around the area, along with those lovely hemlock looper moths.

There were also updates on Dolly Parton, a joke about changing the name of Lake Ontario, and some very important warnings about a certain four-letter word around the Wilkinson family...

BOAT.😂🚤

Apparently, that word may be a little sensitive right now as summer comes to an early end thanks to those low water levels.

But fear not!

The boat will see water again.

And until then, our Daybreak exchange student is about to discover another important part of the Canadian experience:

learning how to wax the boat.😂🇨🇦

Welcome to Canada.

You've got a lot to learn.

🙌 Another Great Friday

From remembering a Rotarian who made a difference, to welcoming a new exchange student, celebrating our members, supporting local causes and hearing Stephanie's incredible life story...

That's what makes Friday mornings special.

It's not just the meetings.

It's the people.

The friendships.

The stories.

The laughs.

And the opportunity to make our community a little better than we found it.

Service Above Self.💙💛

See you next Friday!

Address

540 Victoria Street
Kamloops, BC
V2C2B2

Opening Hours

6:45am - 8:30am

Website

facebook.com

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