South Eastman Rotary gala honours officers, raises $25,000 for programs
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The South Eastman Rotary Club honoured two former RCMP officers for their contributions to the community through the Drug and Alcohol Resistance Education (DARE) program at its annual gala on Nov. 19.
Steinbach RCMP’s DARE program really began in 2009 when Const. Kevin Wynn became Steinbach’s first community liaison officer. Wynn was instrumental in promoting the program in Steinbach, within the Hanover School Division, and at the local detachment. He had support from then Staff Sgt. Harold Laninga.
“(Wynn) felt very, very strongly that the relationship between youth and the RCMP department has always influenced their lives, and helped them avoid some of the challenges that would be coming their way as they got into peer pressure and temptation, things like that, that’s in our society…” said Rotary president Jo-Anne Dalton.
DARE brings police officers in contact with Grade 6 and 8 students to teach them about the effects of drugs and alcohol and how to be responsible. Under Wynn, the program grew from 100 students to about 1,100 students.
Today, the program is run by community liaison officer Dennis Redikop, who has been teaching DARE to students for the past nine years. He said the program is more than just talking about drugs.
“It’s about building relationships,” he said.
The club honoured Wynn and Laninga at the gala by awarding them the Paul Harris Fellowship Award, which honours people in the community who have shown compassion, spirit of integrity, and leadership in action.
Club co-president Cornelius Petkau presented the awards and said the club is proud to support the DARE program in Steinbach. Laninga, who is now retired, said all the credit for the DARE program should go to Wynn for bringing the program to fruition and the club for its financial support.
Wynn’s widow, Kelsey, accepted the award on his behalf and said Wynn worked countless hours in the DARE program, believing wholeheartedly that when we invest in our youth, we invest in our future. He understood guidance, encouragement, and education can change a child’s trajectory.
“In honoring him, you are honoring every youth that he served, every young person who walked away feeling seen, valued, and capable of becoming a giant in their own right.
“Many say Kevin had a big heart, and that is true. But it is even truer to say he had big shoulders. Shoulders strong enough to carry the weight of others’ hopes, wide enough to offer comfort, and steady enough to give young people the lift they need to see further.”
Wynn died peacefully in his sleep in July.
The club raised $25,000 during the gala through sponsorships and individual donors, which not only funds the DARE program; but the RYLA program, which sends students to Rotary’s leadership summer camp; and the Ripple Effect project, which builds schools in Guatemala.
“So, we started of building classrooms (in Guatemala)…and we have continued to be involved with that program pledging $5,000 a year through local and fundraising supports to build hygienic washrooms, and new classrooms, and furnished classrooms, for those countries who are affected by war and they’re in poverty. Just give kids a chance and an education,” said Dalton.
The keynote speaker at the gala was Rebecca Atet Deng, who spoke about being a Sudanese refugee for 18 years. She detailed her struggles being a Lost Girl, one among 26,000 youth who were taken from their homes by rebels and forced to live in refugee camps during the Second Sudanese Civil War. Deng established a centre for women and girls in Winnipeg and South Sudan that teaches them a trade and literacy.
“She’s here to share the appreciation she has for her life now and taking that experience that she had and turning it around into a cause that is so meaningful to her. To make a difference to the lives of others who are affected by war in Canada and back home in Sudan was really special (to hear),” said Dalton.
Dalton said the club has 17 members, but is looking for more. She suggested anyone who is looking for a way to give back, to connect to community, and is passionate about making change, both at home and around the world, to reach out to the club.