Rotary Club of Red Deer

04/18/2026

Mark your calendar for the 6th annual "Rotary Branches Out" tree planting day.

When: Saturday, June 6 at 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Where: McKenzie Trails (north of the main parking lot)
What: Planting 16" white spruce saplings.

Everyone is welcome - youth groups, families, fellow Rotarians, students, and youth needing volunteer hours!

Thank you to the City of Red Deer for providing 100 spades for us to use!

Fellow Rotarian Dave Swindlehurst from Weyerhaeuser Drayton Valley will give a 10 minute eco talk on how to plant the trees at 10:00 AM, and then the planting begins! The City's urban forester, Susan Katzell will also give a safety talk.

At 12:00 PM we will hand out pizza and pop to all youth who participate.

Please register HERE .

Thank you to Boston Pizza South Hill for donating pizza, Central AB Co-op for the water and pop, plates and napkins, Rotarian Eric of Prime Boiler for tables and garbage cans, Weyerhaeuser Drayton Valley for donating 1600 16" saplings, the Red Deer Advocate for promoting our event in the community pages and Rotarian Dagmar of Ten Peaks Innovation for advertising and organizing.

04/10/2026

This is always a great event - an opportunity for fellowship and making a difference to someone who needs your support at a time of need.

03/30/2026

Burton Bailey, Member of Parliament, was the featured speaker on March 16. Newly elected 1 year ago as a member of the Conservative Party , Burton provided an update on his activities and some major discussions at the federal level. Burton has visited all the city councils in his riding. His Red Deer office is a busy place. At the local level, he is working with the city with regard to CMHC funding and is eager to see more affordable housing in Red Deer.

Burton is a member of the Standing Committee on Healthcare. He expressed his concern with the number of foreign doctors that are occupying spaces in medical schools and the potential impact of asylum seekers upon the health system. He discussed MAID and the importance of protecting those who with mental health issues. The committee is also exploring issues around harm reduction and recovery models with regard to drug abuse.

The position of the Conservative party with regard to the Middle East conflict was also shared, focusing on procedures to approve refugee claims without personal interviews and concerns regarding possible Iranian operatives in Canada.

Bob Mills thanked Burton Bailey on behalf of the club.

03/30/2026

We were joined by Carolyn Ferguson, Senior Major Gift Officer from the Rotary Foundation. The Rotary Club of Red Deer has donated more than $600 000 to the Foundation since it was chartered in 1923. Founded in 1917 by Arch Klumph, the Rotary Foundation uses donations to “do good in the world”, making donations part of a century long tradition of humanitarian service.
Carolyn shared that giving to The Rotary Foundation is more than a charitable act. Contributions are used to create lasting change in communities worldwide. Support helps eradicate diseases, improve education, alleviate poverty and promote peace- all of which make a difference in the lives of millions! “We should not live for ourselves alone, but for the joy of doing good for others” (Arch Klumph, 1929)
We also proudly recognized members who've received Paul Harris pins, symbolizing their remarkable generosity, dedication, and commitment to driving transformative change worldwide. By supporting initiatives that bring hope, education, clean water, healthcare, and peace to communities everywhere, they embody the spirit of Service Above Self. We're deeply grateful for the profound impact they continue to make.
Congratulations and thank you to Rod Boshnick, Steve Chow, and Judith McIntyre for inspiring us all!

02/23/2026

Happy birthday Rotary!

As we celebrate another Rotary anniversary, I often wonder what Paul Harris would make of Rotary today. Would he smile proudly? Or stare in mild confusion while asking someone to explain what a “hashtag” is? When he gathered a few friends together on 23 February 1905, I doubt he imagined that li...

02/22/2026

What a great week it has been in Belize! We connected with our fellow literacy leaders,the BRITE team, and visited over 40 teachers across the Cayo district to observe the Reading Intervention program in action. How wonderful to see teachers who are having success in their classrooms. A symposium with tertiary institutions was encouraging as they expressed interest in incorporating instruction about Reading Intervention in their teacher training programs. Literacy Alive is making a difference for thousands of students- truly Rotary in Action!
Alive

02/12/2026

Join members of the Rotary Club of Red Deer and walk on February 28th in The Coldest Night of the Year - it is a fundraiser to raise money for the The Mustard Seed Red Deer and Red Deer Food Bank. These organizations support those who are experiencing challenges with housing, access to food, and need our support.
Please consider joining us for the walk. Registration is at 4pm - walk is a 2k or 5k at 5pm then we will gather for a warm meal at 6pm. We begin at Central Middle School and walk in the downtown and trails nearby.
You can join our team, Rotary Club of Red Deer or donate! You can do your walk anywhere and it will still count. Every little bit helps! Here is the link: https://secure.e2rm.com/registrant/TeamFundraisingPage.aspx?teamID=1040779

Rotary- We are people of action!

The Coldest Night of the Year is a winterrific family-friendly fundraising walk in support of local charities. Let’s change the tune for people experiencing hurt, hunger, and homelessness... because it’s cold out there.

02/05/2026

📣 Calling Community Changemakers! 📣

The Rotary Club of Red Deer is now accepting applications for our Spring 2026 Community Grants!

We support projects that create real IMPACT in our community — and we truly believe the best story wins. While we welcome proposals for all types of projects, priority will be given to initiatives focused on:
💙 Mental Health
🌱 Youth
🏘️ Community Development

What you need to apply:
✔️ Registered Not-for-Profit status
✔️ A clear connection to Rotary’s Mission and Mandate

👉 Short Form Application
• Submit a brief overview of your project
• Deadline: March 15, 2026
• All applicants will be notified following committee review

If you’re working on something that can make a meaningful difference in Red Deer, we want to hear from you! 💫

Click here for the short form application: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdF41egQuXGUZNY6Lqd201wHIO28do-SgmeglUM0ZvELgs1iw/viewform?usp=headerClick

Please share this post with organizations who should apply 👇

02/04/2026

We welcomed Jessie Tutt to update us about the impact of AI. Jessie gave provided us with some background about AI as a piece of technology that is designed to create new content and can mimic human intelligence. It does not come without risks- the product that is created is only as accurate as the information that was used in the creation, stressing the importance of double checking information sources and references. He shared tips to create effective prompts that will result in projects that are effective, well designed, and meet outcomes. Members were surprised to learn that the #1 use of AI is to mimic human conversation and dialogue to provide companionship. AI is a tool for the future and we must keep current with its usage.

01/28/2026

The last 2 Rotary meetings have focused on health care in Alberta. Both provided members with a clearer understanding of the challenges and successes within our health care system.

On January 19 we heard from Andrew Panteluk, a senior internal medicine resident at the University of Alberta. He provided us with a "Day in the Life of a Resident". Andrew shared the immense challenges of dealing with large case loads, juggling available treatment beds, and the necessity of being able to multi talk and make decisions regarding patient care. He stressed that medical professionals are working hard to provide the best care to patients, regardless of the situation. Andrew hopes to focus on gastroenterology in his future studies. We wish him continued success.

The Honorable Adriana LaGrange, Minister of Primary and Preventative Services gave an update on the future of health care in Alberta on January 26. Recent government initiatives have resulted in an increase in the number of registered physicians, registered nurses, and other health professionals. Clarification was provided regarding the goals of public and privately funded health care.
Updates regarding the upgrades to the Red Deer Regional Hospital were provided along with the need for hiring of many health care professionals once the building is complete. The upgrades have been designed to serve the needs of the area for decades to come..