After having most of its major fundraising activities stilled by the COVID-19 pandemic, Port Moody Rotary is moving again.
And the organization wants others to move with it.
Go For Rotary is a month-long initiative to encourage people to stay physically active through November.
Port Moody Rotary president Coreen Rodger Berrisford said the activity can be pretty much anything that gets your body moving — running, hiking, cycling, paddling, swimming, even taking the dog for a walk.
Heck, Rodger Berrisford has even signed up her multipoo dog, Towel, to get credit for its walks.
Rodger Berrisford said with public health restrictions over the past 20 months forcing the organization to cancel its major moneymakers like RibFest and Search for the Perfect Pint, members had to get creative to replenish the coffers that provide support to community organizations such as SHARE, Camp Jubilee, Mossom Creek Hatchery, the Burrard Inlet Marine Enhancement Society and many others.
Inspiration struck when several members formed a team last spring to participate in a similar activity-based fundraiser put on by sister club, Coquitlam Rotary.
Participants in Go For Rotary first register on a website (www.bit.ly/GoForRotary), then commit to some sort of activity that can be accounted by either distance or time.
From there they can collect donations or pledges tied to achieving their goal for the month.
Prizes are awarded to top donations and pledges collected by individuals and teams.
Rotary vice-president Ian MacPhail said the only limitation is a participant’s imagination. His activity for the month will be training for and ascending Chimborazo, a volcano in Ecuador.
“It’s a great challenge, a great adventure,” MacPhail said of the two-day hike that will traverse ice fields and crevasses to a summit of 6,800 metres. “If it inspires others, so much the better.”
MacPhail said signing on for the fundraising effort helps keep him accountable as supporters are able to track his progress on the website and, once he’s in Ecuador, he’ll be able to post dispatches from his adventure. He’s hoping to raise $10,000.
Rodger Berrisford said she hopes Go For Rotary provides incentive for people to stay active at a time of the year when it can be hard to get out as darkness descends earlier and it’s often cold and rainy.
It’s also a way for Rotary to reignite the energy of its members and supporters in anticipation of a return to regular activities through the coming months.
“We want to be ready,” she said.
