The Catch the Ace fundraiser has been one of the Rotary Club of Barrie’s most successful initiatives in recent memory, and the June 25 cheque presentation made that very clear. The Royal Canadian Legion Branch 147 presented the Club with a cheque for $88,665, the result of a fundraiser that saw record growth and delivered strong results for both organizations.

The partnership between the Rotary Club of Barrie and the Legion has been a cornerstone of what made this version of Catch the Ace so successful. Since joining forces in 2022, the two organizations have together distributed over $2.1 million to winners and donated over $850,000 to local charitable causes. The June 25 presentation is the latest milestone in what has become one of Barrie’s most impactful community fundraising partnerships.

Congratulations to everyone involved, and thank you to the Legion for their continued partnership and generosity.

Every year, Rotary’s Youth Exchange program sends students across the world to live, study, and grow in ways that no classroom can replicate. This year, the Rotary Club of Barrie had the privilege of hosting Alexis Tuomola, a 17-year-old from Rauma, Finland, a city about three hours from Helsinki. Hosted by Pam and Brad Ross, Alexis spent the year attending Eastview Secondary School, playing hockey with the Simcoe County Hockey Academy, and experiencing Canadian life in all its talkative, car-dependent glory.

Alexis shared his year with the Club at a recent meeting, and it was a presentation full of honesty and good humour. The first month was hard, mainly due to the language barrier, but things improved steadily as his English developed and friendships grew through school and hockey. He noted some cultural differences that stood out: Canadians talk a lot more than Finns, everything is much farther apart, and living with passionate Toronto Maple Leafs fans was, in his words, an emotional experience. One of the highlights of his exchange was a Rotary hockey trip to Montreal, where he watched the Canadiens practice alongside Past President Dave McCullough.

A sincere thank you to Pam and Brad Ross for opening their home to Alexis throughout his exchange year, and to Alexis for sharing his story so openly with the Club. His year here is exactly what the Youth Exchange program is meant to look like.

The Rotary Club of Barrie’s Military Service Above Self Award recognizes individuals whose voluntary contributions to the military community go far beyond what is asked of them. This year’s recipient, Corporal Karen Cahill, is exactly the kind of person the award was created for.

Karen’s contributions are deeply personal and wide-ranging. She has provided direct support to members recovering from surgery or injury, offered childcare and in-home help to the spouse of a deployed Canadian Forces member, served as a Sentinel in peer support, volunteered in kitchen operations, and helped individuals furnish their homes by donating items and coordinating community contributions. Within her workplace, she is affectionately known as the unit’s mom, consistently mentoring junior corporals and officer cadets, integrating them into Canadian Armed Forces culture, and guiding them toward the resources they need. She also continues her community work through the Borden Family Resource Centre.

When Corporal Cahill was presented with her plaque and $1,000 honorarium at the meeting, she donated it immediately to the Angus Food Bank. It was a gesture entirely in keeping with everything she had just been recognized for. Congratulations, Corporal Karen, and thank you for your service.

The Paul Harris Fellowship is one of Rotary’s most meaningful recognitions, awarded to those who donate $1,000 USD to the Rotary Foundation and embody the spirit of service that Paul Harris himself championed when he founded the organization in 1905. This year, the Rotary Club of Barrie is proud to recognize four individuals whose contributions to community, both locally and internationally, reflect exactly what the award was built for.

Lieutenant Colonel (Retired) Bill Sergeant has spent nearly 40 years in service, first as an Aerospace Engineer in the Canadian Armed Forces, and then as a dedicated volunteer with organizations including the RCAF Association 441 Wing, the Veterans’ Club of Barrie, and the Royal Canadian Legion. Most recently, Bill played a key role in revitalizing the Club’s mass CPR training initiative in partnership with St. John Ambulance. He has also given internationally through the Sleeping Children Around the World program, travelling personally to distribute bed kits to children in need. Mark Mulder’s recognition is anchored in one extraordinary chapter: his work on the Youth Haven build project throughout 2025, where he dedicated upwards of 30 hours a week on site, working alongside trades, sourcing materials, and doing whatever it took to ensure vulnerable youth had a safe place to live before Christmas. Beyond that, Mark has a long history of stepping up for Redwood Park Communities, the Busby Centre, and his church, consistently showing up when leadership was needed most.

Kate Venn was recognized with her first Paul Harris Award, and Paul Markle received his Paul Harris Plus One. Congratulations to all four recipients, and thank you for the example you set for this Club and this community.

Every year, the Rotary Club of Barrie marks the transition of leadership with its Presidential Changeover, and this year’s ceremony was a fitting send-off for an exceptional year. On June 25, outgoing President Todd Tuckey passed the gavel to incoming President Jeff McCuaig, officially beginning a new chapter for the Club.

President Todd’s year was one to remember. Under his leadership, the Club saw strong fundraising results, meaningful community investments, new members, and a series of events and initiatives that kept the Club’s momentum going. At the Changeover, he was presented with his Past President plaque in recognition of a job very well done.

Jeff McCuaig steps into the role with the Club in great shape and plenty of runway ahead. Welcome, President Jeff, and thank you, Todd.

Every now and then, two new members arrive at the same time and the room fills up a little bit more. That was the case at our most recent meeting when Jatin Kumar and Aditya were officially inducted into the Rotary Club of Barrie. Kara Hoffsuemuer and Lawrence Vindum introduced them respectively, and Past District Governor Jim Williams led the induction ceremony with his trademark blend of Rotary history and genuine warmth.

Jim has a way of framing the moment not just as a welcome, but as an opening. What Rotary has built over more than a century, and what a new member now has access to, is a thread he carries well. Both Jatin and Adi have already been showing up faithfully to meetings and projects, so for many in the room, this felt less like an introduction and more like a formality that was long overdue.

When given the floor, both new members spoke with sincerity. Adi reflected on his father, a Rotarian who instilled the values of service in him long before he ever joined a club himself. Jatin thanked the room and spoke to his commitment to following through. President Todd offered a welcoming handshake, pins were attached, plaques were handed over, and the Club welcomed two members who already feel like they belong. Welcome, Jatin and Adi.

Spring Tonic has become one of those events that people look forward to well before the maple syrup starts flowing. What started as a partnership between the Rotary Club of Barrie and the Nottawasaga Valley Conservation Authority has grown into something that both organizations now consider a signature part of who they are. This year’s event brought in gross revenue of $55,000, with a net profit of $29,381 — a result that reflects a lot of early mornings, volunteer hours, and genuine community enthusiasm.

At a recent meeting, Darren Robinson, Special Projects Director, wrapped up the official recap and called forward NVCA representative Kyra Howes to accept a cheque for $14,600. Kyra spoke warmly about how Spring Tonic has become woven into the NVCA’s identity, not just as a fundraiser, but as a community gathering that people return to year after year. It is the kind of partnership that gets better with time, and the numbers this year reflect that.

President Todd thanked Darren Robinson for his leadership and tireless effort in making the event a success. The volunteers who showed up and made it all run deserve equal credit. Let’s look forward to what Spring Tonic 2027 brings!

Some awards recognize a moment. The Aber Award recognizes a career. Named after Jordan Abercrombie, a Rotarian whose hallmark was making everything around him run better without ever seeking credit for it, the Presidential Citation Award has always belonged to the people who show up quietly and make the Club’s work possible. Aber was the kind of person who hugged Princess Anne at the dedication of the Military Park and somehow made it feel completely natural. The award that carries his name was built for Rotarians cut from the same cloth.

This year, President Todd presented the 2026 Aber Award to Past District Governor and Past President Jim Williams. The list of contributions he read through was long: more than 30 years of membership, mentorship that has steadied presidents and boards through the inevitable ups and downs, and a calming influence that has shaped how this Club carries itself. Jim has never needed the spotlight to do his best work. The people around him have always known it was there.

When Jim was called forward, the Club rose to its feet. He was visibly moved, accepted with characteristic humility, and offered his thanks to a room that was already grateful. Congratulations, PDG Jim. Very well deserved.

The Doug Stewart Beacon Editor Award has been around long enough to mean something, and absent long enough that bringing it back felt like an occasion. Presented by Al Mallory on behalf of Club Service, the award recognizes the Rotarian who best captured the year in Beacon form — the right blend of fact and fun, week after week, keeping the Club informed and entertained in equal measure. After a lengthy hiatus, the award was dusted off this year and it went to exactly the right person.

Dave Mills, known affectionately as Millsy, took home the 2026 honours. Anyone who has read a Beacon he put together knows why. There is a craft to making a weekly club newsletter feel like something worth reading, and Dave has it. The facts are always there, but so is the personality, the wit, and the sense that the person writing it is genuinely enjoying themselves.

Congratulations, Millsy. The award is back, and it found a worthy home.

t took 20 weeks, 17 envelopes, and a lot of anticipation, but Catch the Ace has found its winner. On the night of the Week 20 draw, Bill Gow’s ticket was pulled, he chose envelope #17, and inside was the Ace of Spades. The weekly prize of $10,810 combined with the progressive jackpot of $254,503 made for a grand total of $265,313. Not a bad Thursday night.

This version of Catch the Ace was the Club’s strongest yet. Growth over previous draws was significant, profits improved substantially, and the result will mean close to $100,000 for the Rotary Club of Barrie to put back into the community. That is the kind of number that funds real projects, supports local causes, and keeps the Club doing what it does best. Since partnering with the Barrie Legion in 2022, the two organizations have together distributed over $2.1 million to winners and donated over $850,000 to local charitable organizations.

Catch the Ace is expected to return as early as September. Stay tuned for details on when the next round kicks off and start thinking about your envelope!