Thank You to our 2025 Ribfest Gold Sponsors
2025 Annual President's Dinner Awards Ceremony
Join us for this momentus event when we look back at how Rotary supported the community over this past year and we celebrate those who will be recognized for their contributions.
When: Monday, June 16 from 6:00pm to 8:30pm
Location: Ajax Convention Center, 550 Beck Crescent, Ajax
Cost: $74 per person
Payment: in-person or online (just click on this link)
Come and see what it's all about
We meet monthly, 1st & 3rd Thursdays @ 11:45am
Parkland Retirement Centre, 2nd Floor
3 Rossland Rd W, Ajax
All are welcome!
We meet monthly, 2nd Thursday @7pm on Zoom
Click on this Zoom Link
Meeting ID: 861 5162 2579
Passcode: 115522
Meeting ID: 861 5162 2579
Passcode: 115522
Our Stories
What The Rotary Club of Ajax is doing in our community
The Passing of Past President
George Okurapa
We are very saddened to pass along the news that Past President George Okurapa passed away suddenly at home from a cardiac arrest on Saturday January 11th 2025.
While George had only been a club member for 4+ years he has already had a great impact on the Club and the community it serves. George was a proud Rotarian. He and Edidah always volunteered for Club activities and he frequently attended training on behalf of the Club and for his own personal development.
George was a loving and proud family man who cared about, and for, his extended family in Uganda. He was a gentle soul and a true gentleman. You never heard critical words from him and he seemed to exude positivity. He will be sorely missed by all who knew him. He has gone far too early.
It's Back... Rotary Club of Ajax Ribfest 2025
Ajax Public Library
On 19 December two employees from the Ajax Public Library joined us at our weekly meeting to thank us for our multi year commitment to help fund the purchase a book lending machine, to be located at a Community Centre in South Ajax. This is yet another example of the Rotary Club of Ajax making a difference in our community.
Donation & Time
Durham Children's Aid Foundation
The Rotary Club of Ajax is proud to donate funds to the
Durham Children's Aid Foundation in support of the Holiday Hope campaign.
The Foundation and its community partners, bring joy to families at Christmas with donations of gifts and clothing.
Pictures from Packing Food
@ Kids Against Hunger 2024
Rotary Club of Ajax Awarded Rotary Citation
Our club was recently awarded a 'Rotary Citation', which is the most significant award a Rotary club can achieve, for 2023-24.
In its accompanying email Rotary International stated that "this past year, our club demonstrated a commitment to achieve its goals, which ultimately helps strengthen Rotary and shape its future". Congratulations to all of our members who made this achievement possible.
At SUNNYBRAE GOLF CLUB
1430 King St. Prince Albert
(905) 985-2234
Registration starts at 1:00 pm
9 Hole Shotgun Tee Off @ 2:00 pm -- Open to the first 72 Golfers
Dinner @ 6pm with choice of Steak or Chicken
$125 per golfer includes golf cart and meal.
$60 per person for meal only
Greatest Live Auction and Prizes
Click on the following link to download the registration form 
Past President Rene Soetens - A History Story
Rene regaled club members about his relationship with Rotary, both prior to being a member and during his many years as member, providing many anecdotes about the history of the club.
Camp Maple Leaf
Marci Shea-Perry is the Executive Director of Camp Maple Leaf founded in 1955. Their focus is on children aged six to sixteen whose parents are in the military, as well as children whose groups are so small, they don’t fit into other programs: examples are children whose parents are grieving, have cancer, limb differences, short stature, facial difference and skin conditions to name a few. Children in military families have unique challenges, including long deployments of their parents, and frequent moving from one base to another making it challenging to form and maintain social connections.
Adopt a Village in Laos
Our guest speaker, Steve Rutledge, reported this has been a very busy year for ‘Adopt a Village in Laos’. Fund raising was way up, including some substantial donations, and much more activity than previous years, with more than 300K raised last year. Thousands of villages housing 60,000 people now have clean water, and for each village so supplied it is a milestone event. Steve hopes that members and the club will continue financial support of his project. He invites members to go to their website to get more information.
We Grow Food
Thanks to Delta Bingo funds the Rotary Club of Ajax donated $2,500 towards the parent organization "We Grow Food" to buy garden kits. Below is one of some 70 community gardens in the Durham region.
2024 President's Luncheon & Awards Recipients
First row right to left: Jim Hinnecke (Paul Harris Award), Ken Hurst (President's Award), Brian Edwards (Paul Harris Award), Myrna Picotte, David French
Middle row right to left: Randy Slemin (Paul Harris Award), Bruce Green (President's Award), Marsha Jones-Dooley
Back row right to left: Kevin Brown & Darryl Wilson (more below), Keica Campbell, Ron Larock (Paul Harris award), Donna Bright (President Elect), Dr. Romas Stas (more below), Rene Soetens, Dale Pratt, George Okurapa (President & Paul Harris Award)
Winner of the 2024 Rotary Certificate of Appreciation
Waste Connections of Canada (Ajax)
Back row right to left: Representing Waste Connections of Canada Kevin Brown (District Manager) & Darryl Wilson (Operations Manager)
Winner of the Pat Bayly Award
Back row, fourth from the left: Dr. Romas Stas
Rotary Club of Ajax wins two awards
At the District awards dinner and District Governor hand over in Whitby, our club was delighted to learn that The Rotary Club of Ajax was the winner of two awards namely:
(1) The Devon & Linda Biddle Annual Fund award. This award is given to clubs with the highest per capita contribution to the Rotary Foundation Annual Fund.
(2) The Bill and Delphine Patchett Polio Plus award. This award is given to clubs that have the highest per capita contribution to the Rotary Foundation Polioplus Fund.
Congratulations to the Rotary Club of Ajax!!
End of Year Social Get Together
To wrap up the Rotary fiscal year, President George and his wife Edidah graciously hosted a BBQ at his home.
Thanks for a great year George!
New Rotary Club of Ajax Members
Rotarian Randy Sleiman (center) processes the Induction of two new members to our club: Cam Muscroft (right) and Olu Egbeyemi (left). Welcome Cam & Olu!
Congratulations to our 2024 Bursary Award Recipients
Presented by President George Okurapa
Recipients (left to right): Phillip Nguyen, Janet Sofo and Kindra Zuwirai.
2024 Rotary Ribfest
The Rotary Club of Ajax held it's annual Ribfest fundraising event the weekend of May 24, 25 & 26. With eight ribbers, twenty one food vendors and twenty three craft vendors, not to mention amazing venues such a live music stage, kids carnival, rock climbing, Reptilia (new) and Foam Party (new - see picture below), the successful event drew more than 35,000 visitors. Truly amazing outcome and only possible with the hard & dedicated work from our club members.
Durham Family Cultural Centre (DFCC)
Former Ajax Rotarian Debbie Miles-Junior made a presentation about the non-profit that she founded - Durham Family Cultural Centre (DFCC) - https://durhamfcc.org/
Durham Family and Cultural Centre is a non-profit organization, established in February 2019. DFCC is a Durham-based organization that provides a space for members of the Black community, and other racialized and diverse groups to engage in programming that empowers their lives.
Rotary Club Varanasi Downtown - India
Guest Rotarian Prahsant Nagar, President of his Club (2017/18), Past Assistant Governor (2021/2022) and District Governer's Representative (2024/2025), with his wife he is currently seeing family in Ajax. He is taking the opportunity visiting local Rotary Clubs in order to gain support for a Global Grant his Club is pursuing.
Kids Against Hunger Event
What an amazing event! The event goal of packaging 50,000 meals was exceeded. Working alongside other community organization our club packed 52,488 meals! Congratulations to everyone who made this happen.
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Service Above Self
Ajax, ON L1Z 0V1
Canada