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!

The 39th annual Barrie Fun Run is in the books, and by all accounts, it was a night to remember. On May 27th, the Barrie waterfront came alive with runners, walkers, volunteers, and supporters who showed up to do what this event has always done best: bring the community together around something that matters. The kids’ race drew its usual crowd of smiling faces, the waterfront energy was electric, and the spirit that has kept this event going for nearly four decades was very much present.

None of it happens without the people behind it. Bob Greer and his team were thanked at a recent Club meeting for another job well done, and the appreciation was well earned. Organizing an event of this scale takes months of planning, a small army of volunteers, and the kind of commitment that doesn’t show up in the race results but makes everything else possible.

Every dollar raised goes directly back into local programs and causes right here in Barrie. Thirty-nine years in, the Fun Run is as much a part of this city as the waterfront it runs along. See you at number 40!

The Rotary Club of Barrie recently welcomed Shelly-Ann Skinner and Randy Saint from the UPlift Black Centre for Social Justice and Inclusion for an insightful presentation highlighting the organization’s growing impact across Simcoe County.

During the presentation, Shelly-Ann explained that while many of the Centre’s programs are designed to support Black communities, UPlift serves a broad and diverse membership made up of individuals from many backgrounds who may be navigating systemic exclusion, racism, homophobia, transphobia, or other barriers to opportunity and belonging.

A major focus of the Centre’s work is supporting older youth between the ages of 16 and 29, helping them work through important life transitions through mentorship, leadership development, and community connection.

Members learned about several key programs offered through the Centre, including the Artist Collective, which connects award-winning creatives with emerging artists, and YOUth by UPlift, which focuses on leadership building and self-esteem support for Black and intersectional youth. The Centre also operates “You Belong Here,” a settlement support initiative for LGBTQI+ newcomers, refugees, and asylum seekers throughout Simcoe County.

Weekly drop-in sessions provide members with safe and welcoming spaces to connect, access mentorship, and build supportive relationships through shared lived experiences. Shelly-Ann emphasized the importance of creating environments where people feel seen, supported, and included.

The presentation also highlighted partnerships focused on economic empowerment and long-term independence, including entrepreneurship initiatives with the Canadian Queer Chamber of Commerce, Georgian College’s Henry Bernick Entrepreneurship Centre, and the Small Business Centre Barrie.

Rotarians appreciated the opportunity to learn more about the organization’s work and the positive impact being made throughout the region. Kate Venn thanked the speakers on behalf of the Club for an informative and meaningful presentation.

For more information about the UPlift Black Centre for Social Justice and Inclusion, visit UPlift Black Centre’s Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/upliftblackorg/.

The Rotary Club of Barrie is proud to celebrate another successful year of the Festival of Trees, with Bob Greer recently presenting a cheque for $40,000 to the Club in support of local community initiatives.

For many Barrie residents, the Festival of Trees has become a familiar part of the holiday season. Each year, the waterfront along Lakeshore Drive is transformed into a festive display of lights enjoyed by thousands throughout the winter months. What many people may not know is that the display is organized through the Rotary Club of Barrie in partnership with generous community sponsors.

The lights are officially turned on during the Santa Claus Parade and remain illuminated well into the winter season. Beyond creating a festive atmosphere, the Festival of Trees also plays an important role in supporting Rotary’s charitable work in Barrie. Sponsorships throughout the park help fund community projects and programs that make a direct local impact.

With approximately 16,000 vehicles travelling Lakeshore Drive daily, sponsor signage receives significant community visibility throughout the display period, making the initiative both a meaningful community partnership and a successful fundraising effort.

The Rotary Club of Barrie would like to recognize Bob Greer and all volunteers, sponsors, and organizers whose time and dedication continue to make the Festival of Trees possible each year. Their efforts help turn a holiday tradition into lasting support for the Barrie community.

The Rotary Club of Barrie recently enjoyed an engaging presentation from Rotarian David Taylor, introduced by PP Deb Decaire, who highlighted David’s strong values, energy, and natural connection to Rotary.

David Creighton Taylor V shared stories about five generations of the Taylor family and the longstanding jewellery business that has served communities across Ontario for more than a century. He also reflected on his own journey, growing up on a farm near Owen Sound, beginning work at an early age, backpacking across Europe, and gaining business experience while living in Toronto.

A lifelong sports enthusiast, David also spoke about his passion for hockey, soccer, football, golf, and snowboarding. Today, he is helping lead the next chapter of the family business alongside his cousins, Paige and Kieran Taylor.

David’s presentation was a thoughtful reflection on family, hard work, adventure, and community. Steve Blanchet thanked David following the presentation, noting how meaningful classification talks are in helping Rotarians get to know one another beyond business and service projects.

The Rotary Club of Barrie recently enjoyed a memorable classification talk from Al Jones, whose presentation combined humour, storytelling, music, and reflection into an engaging look at his life and experiences.

Al, a Wealth and Estate Planning professional, shared stories from both his personal and professional journey while bringing his usual enthusiasm and energy to the meeting. The presentation included music, tea drinking straight from a flask, and plenty of laughter along the way, but underneath the humour was a genuine message about the importance of family, community, and country.

Al spoke proudly about his wife Sue and his two sons, Adam and Connor, while also reflecting on the experiences and values that have shaped his career and community involvement over the years.

The meeting was also well supported by guests attending to hear Al’s presentation, including Honorary Lieutenant Colonel Kenn Voss, Commanding Officer Lieutenant-Colonel Mike Lacroix, Sarah-Jane Taylor, Donna Neal, and Colleen Lorimer.

Al later shared his classification talk with the evening meeting, where members once again enjoyed hearing about his life, career, Rotary experiences, and ongoing commitment to the Rotary Club of Barrie. Tea, naturally, remained part of the presentation.

When kids show up to school hungry, everything suffers — their focus, their energy, their ability to learn. The Barrie Food Bank’s School Fuel program exists to change that, and the Rotary Club of Barrie is proud to be one of the sponsors helping make it happen.

School Fuel delivers healthy snacks to school-aged children across Barrie every two weeks, with participating schools ordering food at a discounted rate made possible through sponsorships. The selection is practical and nutritious: cereals, bread, yogurt, milk, cheese, eggs, fresh fruit, and more. Schools choose what works best for their students, and Barrie Food Bank volunteers handle all the ordering, procurement, and delivery. Right now the program reaches 8,578 children across 34 local schools. That’s a lot of kids starting the day with something good in their system.

This year brought a milestone worth celebrating. The Barrie Food Bank unveiled a brand new refrigerated van, supported in part by the Rotary Club of Barrie alongside the Rotary Club of Barrie Huronia, Kempenfelt Rotary Club, The Pavlik Foundation, Food Banks Canada, Canada One Auto Group, the Faris Team, RBC Foundation, and others. The van strengthens the Food Bank’s ability to deliver fresh, perishable food directly to students, while also expanding their capacity to recover food from 14 local grocery partners six days a week. In 2025 alone, the Barrie Food Bank recovered over 1.8 million pounds of food, including more than 800,000 pounds of nutritious perishables diverted from waste.

Three vans. Six days a week. 8,578 kids. That’s what united for good looks like.

On March 7th, the General John Hayter Southshore Community Centre hosted one of the most exciting Saturdays in the Rotary Club of Barrie’s fundraising calendar. By the time the euchre winners were announced at 10:30 PM, the club had raised $19,000 for wellness-related projects and charities in our community — powered by 100 cyclists, a room full of card players, and a lot of community spirit.

Wheels for Wellness is exactly what it sounds like: teams of up to seven members on spin bikes and bicycle trainers, pedalling from 10 AM to 5 PM with DJ music, fitness challenges, and healthy snacks keeping the energy up. The format is simple — ride hard, compete as a team, and raise money for causes that matter. With 100 riders on the floor this year, the room had the kind of energy you can’t manufacture.

Running alongside it was the Charity Euchre Tournament. Players registered for a Grand Prix-style tournament — six 25-minute games, with the team accumulating the most wins taking home first place cash prizes. Check-in opened at 5:30 PM, the cards hit the table at 6:30, and a buffet dinner, music, and cash bar made it a proper night out. First place walked away with $720. The consensus at the April meeting when the cheque was presented: the euchre was better this year than last. Not that anyone’s keeping score. (Everyone’s keeping score.)

Every dollar will be directed toward wellness-related charities and projects right here in Barrie. These are the funds that support fitness access, mental health programs, and the community infrastructure that keeps people healthy and connected.

Thank you to everyone who supported these two events!