The celebration was attended by WSR Rotary members and friends of Rotary, alongside esteemed guests including Ken Smith (District Governor) and Hywel Bowen (Area 1 Community Leader). Di was supported by her husband Russ, sister Lynne, and many other members of her whānau, making the occasion even more special. A huge thank thank you goes to Raewyn Kirkman for being the MC for the event.

A particularly moving moment occurred when Di was presented with a beautiful kākahu. This stunning piece, lovingly made for her by her sister Lynne and other family members, represents identity and heritage and can be worn by generations to come at special occasions – a truly unique and heartfelt honour.

Paul Harris Fellows

The Changeover also provided a fitting platform to acknowledge two special Paul Harris recipients for their community contribution:

PHF Second Sapphire Recognition: Dick Breukink
Dick Breukink was honored with a PHF Second Sapphire recognition. Dick’s influence has been felt across numerous community projects and within Rotary itself. While his contributions are too many to list exhaustively, some highlights include:

• Dedicated volunteering at Rugby for WSR.
• Planning, directing, and participating in the Christmas tree installation in Garden Place.
• Volunteering at Mystery Creek.
• His efforts in the popular Run the Runway Events.
• Serving as a former president and board member of our club.
• Significant fundraising for the Red Cross.
• Being a committed blood donor, with dozens of pints of blood and plasma to his tally.
• Serving on the Board for Cambridge Tourism.
• His amazing involvement with Kids in Need.

Dick, your dedication is truly inspiring! Congratulations on this well deserved recognition.

PHF Community Award: Ana-Maria Richardson
We were also delighted to present a PHF Community Award to Ana-Maria Richardson. Ana-Maria was an active and positive contributor to our club for several years, always impressing with her organisational skills and kind manner. Although the growing demands of her work as a Funeral Director led to her difficult decision to resign from Rotary, her commitment to the community has not wavered.

Anyone who has had the privilege of Ana-Maria as their funeral director will attest to her extraordinary compassion and strength, going above and beyond to create truly special services. Despite her resignation, Ana-Maria, along with her husband Peter, has continued to be a very active “Friend of Waikato Sunrise Rotary,” consistently supporting our fundraising events. A truly well-deserved recipient of this PHF!

“Cans for a Cause” – A Community Success!

Our members once again demonstrated their incredible generosity with the “Cans for a Cause” initiative at the changeover. We are thrilled to report that 100 cans and 20 other items of non-perishable goods were donated! These much-needed contributions were dropped off to Pukete Neighbourhood House, part of the Hamilton Food Bank, desperately in need of donations. A huge thank you to all members who contributed!

Finally, a heartfelt thank you to Chris Dare for all his hard work and leadership over the last year as club president. Your dedication has been invaluable. We now extend our warmest wishes to Di Pollard-Williams as she embarks on her year as President, and we look forward to an exciting year ahead under her guidance!