The Portage Rotary Club wants you to know they couldn't do what they do without your help. President Shannon Moffat shares their appreciation at their "Friends of Rotary" luncheon at the Canad Inns.

Shannon Moffat"As Preston Meir said, you can't drive half a mile in the city without seeing a Rotary symbol, and there are quite a number of members of Rotary. But it's really important for us to highlight in our club as well as out to the community that Rotary is not only the people that are Rotarians. Rotary is the community, and it's the businesses, it's the individuals that all help support everything."

She notes it's important that the people who support their efforts receive due recognition.

"When you see that Rotary symbol on the park, or at the playground, or at the fountain, or one of the buildings that you go into, we want people to remember that it's not just us as Rotarians. It is them. It's the kids, it's the adults, it's the businesses. It's everybody in the community that's contributing. It's important that the people continually supporting us are getting that recognition, and understanding that we are appreciative of everything that they do. It's not just the monetary support, because there is a lot of that. Rotary puts a lot of money back into the community. But it's not just the monetary support that we look for. It is the people that sign up to be Rotarians. It's the people that come out and volunteer, sell vegetables. Everyone has something within them that they can offer. It doesn't always have to be a monetary contribution. It can be someone bringing their kids to an event that we are putting on, or coming out to the pancake breakfast and enjoying the pancakes. That is supporting the event."

Moffat adds words of encouragement have really meant a lot to them.

"Or coming and just saying, 'Hey, look what you guys are doing.' And checking it out and finding out. So, it's really important to acknowledge that, and for people to feel that self-belonging and self-worth, and understanding that as Rotarians, and as a club, we do appreciate it and can't do what we do without them."

She describes what it's like to think about all the accomplishments the club's made over the years.

"It is actually shocking, a lot of us commented on that. We don't have a slide show everyday, or every week of, 'Hey, look what we have done.' You know, we might each year go back and say. 'Look at the fundraisers we've done,' or, 'Look at the activities we've done,' and just wind that up. To go back, even just the past three years, and to realize the amount of contribution the club has been able to put back into the community, it's astounding. And it's amazing to think that with the work of each committee to do each of the events, it's not the entire club. It's a committee of a few people organizing it, and then the club rallying around that, and the community rallying around that. So, it is incredible to look back and see."