Greetings, fellow members, associate members and friends of Surfers Sunrise Rotary,
Another week has passed and on a personal my right knee was replaced on the 6th, so far so good and I discovered the real meaning of pain, but will hopefully be back in action as soon as possible. PP Andy is standing in in my absence.
Ingenia Resorts have requested Surfers Sunrise Rotary to produce an article about the Wheelchair project for their monthly magazine to be distributed throughout all the sites in Queensland, an ideal opportunity for fundraising and maybe some new volunteers. Franz is currently liaising with Ingenia about scope of the article.
A big 'Thank You' to Kane Chiswell from Kieser Bundall, who is offering our club to run a Sausage Sizzle at their major corporate promo day at Bundall on Saturday 13th September 2025, 08:00 - 3:00 pm. This will not only be a fundraising opportunity, but we also can "wave the flag" about our club and our signature project, the wheelchairs.
Fundraising Director Ross Augustine has submitted for a Gold Coast City Council grant of $3,000 towards the School Mates programme.
A reminder that the next Bunnings BBQ is on Saturday, 30 August 2025 at Bunnings Nerang. For those who have not attended before or been unavailable, here is a great opportunity to raise some worthy money as well as a great social network opportunity with fellow Rotarians. Contact Ross to get on the Roster.
We are aware of the new 7 am – 7 pm paid parking restrictions near the Surf Club, but we are working with the council to see if we can get members’ free parking on Wednesdays up to 9:00 am. Yet we have not had a response to our request. We will keep you up to date. Meanwhile, we'll continue to hold our 'Social' meetings (as this week's) at the Surf Club, but the 'Formal' meetings will be held at the TRYP by Wyndham Hotel (where we had the Changeover Lunch and the meeting of 23rd July). Always check the club bulletin and the website Events section for details.
Remember, don’t put off till tomorrow what can be done today.
This coming Wednesday we'll have our usual alternate weeks' Social Meeting at the Surfers Paradise Surf Life Saving Club. We understand that major renovations are planned for the downstairs bistro, but we don't know at this stage when it will start. So, if you can't find us downstairs, look upstairs for us (where the public will be directed to as well). Usual time: 07:00 am onwards. Note: next week's 'Formal' meeting will be at the TRYP by Wyndham Hotel in Southport.
At this morning's meeting, the 10th Annual Lutzy Award was presented to Noah Siladyi. The award is in memory of our late member Keith Lutz, who not only was a leading light in our club but was one of the major leaders and sportsmen of the Surfers Paradise Surf Life Saving Club.
Every year, the awardee is nominated by the Surf Club, not on the basis of being the best surfer (he/she can be, though!) but to be an emerging leader of the Surf Life Saving Movement. Congratulations, Noah!
Photo shows Noah (second from right), with (l - r) Immediate Past President Andy Bell, Ray Higgs, and Pierre Trapper, Vice President of the Surfers Paradise SLSC. Watch this space - a photo album of the event will be published within the next couple of days.
If you noticed an unusually large number of vehicles parked at the Wheelchair Shed in Arundel in recent weeks, the reason became quickly apparent: It's been rather hectic lately! The previous Saturday, a container bound for South Africa was loaded with some 300-odd wheelchairs. Then last Saturday, a recently arrived container with components for 400 wheelchairs (new bike wheels, tyres, swivel wheels and all sorts of other paraphernalia) needed unloading. And as they always do, our volunteers answered the call to "put the shoulder to the wheel" and got the job done.
Not only that, as soon as it was emptied, completed wheelchairs ready to ship were loaded into it (yes, even after shipping over 300, we still have some more ready to go!). Thank you all (you know who you are). And then, all gathered for some fellowship to enjoy a cuppa or two of Lionel's fabulous, traditionally brewed coffee or tea and some good ol' fellowship (picture).
And then it was back (literally) to the grinding wheel, paint brushes, sandblasting, sprayguns, plywood routers... Heaps more pictures on our Facebook page www.facebook.com/rcsurferssunrise
'99 Bikes', A major national bicycle retail chain, with stores throughout Australia has entered into an arrangement with our Wheelchair Project to supply discarded bikes that were donated at their stores in Tweed Heads, Burleigh, Ashmore, Coomera, Ipswich and Browns Plains. The company currently runs a promotion for the month of August, where a "sweetener" is offered to people who want to upgrade (see image). The arrangement should provide us with a steady supply of bikes. They will call us whenever a store has a ute and/or trailer load of bikes to collect.
Our Wheelchair Trust charity is also promoted on their website, together with a link: "We are proudly trialling a partnership with the Sunrise Surfers Wheelchair Trust an Australian registered charity based on the Gold Coast that transforms donated bicycles into “rough-terrain” wheelchairs for disadvantaged people—particularly children—in under-resourced countries". Thank you, 99 Bikes!
Duty Roster - note: subject to change - please check every week. Note: Fellowship duty also is expected to be at the Project Shed on the Saturday following the meeting
I hate it when you give somebody a sincere compliment on their moustache, and suddenly she is not your friend anymore.
By lack of understanding they remained sane. They simply swallowed everything, and what they swallowed did them no harm, because it left no residue behind, just as a grain of corn will pass undigested through the body of a bird. George Orwell - Nineteen Eighty-Four
Kid: "Grandma would say yes."
Me: "Well, looks like my mum is much cooler than yours!"
This coming Wednesday we'll have our usual alternate weeks' Social Meeting at the Surfers Paradise Surf Life Saving Club. We understand that major renovations are planned for the downstairs bistro, but we don't know at this stage when it will start. So, if you can't find us downstairs, look upstairs for us (where the public will be directed to as well). Usual time: 07:00 am onwards. Note: next week's 'Formal' meeting will be at the TRYP by Wyndham Hotel in Southport.
At this morning's meeting, the 10th Annual Lutzy Award was presented to Noah Siladyi. The award is in memory of our late member Keith Lutz, who not only was a leading light in our club but was one of the major leaders and sportsmen of the Surfers Paradise Surf Life Saving Club.
'99 Bikes', A major national bicycle retail chain, with stores throughout Australia has entered into an arrangement with our Wheelchair Project to supply discarded bikes that were donated at their stores in Tweed Heads, Burleigh, Ashmore, Coomera, Ipswich and Browns Plains. The company currently runs 
