Thanks to the generosity of the businessmen and women of North Down, Bangor Rotary Club raised more than £3,500 at its annual Charity Breakfast. The money is to be split between the Alzheimer’s Society, Macmillan Cancer Support and other Rotary Charities.
Thanking everyone involved, the Club President Gavin Walker, said he was grateful to all those who attended for donating both their time and money to help people they didn’t know and probably would never meet.
“At a time of uncertainty for all those in business your support for our breakfast will directly assist the work of these charities”, he said.
Encouraging people to get involved in Rotary the President invited everyone at the breakfast to sign up to a “One & Done” scheme where they could identify just one project and give some time to help with it.
He said it was an opportunity for them to continue being part of something extraordinary throughout the year.
Guest speaker was Shane Logan, Chief Executive of Ulster Rugby.
In an inspiring address he said Ulster Rugby’s vision was to be the best in the world.
“It doesn’t matter”, he said “whether that takes 5 years, 10 years or 20 years. It is that everything we do, we do to the best of our ability.”
Explaining that Ulster Rugby is owned by the 54 clubs that make it up he said it existed for the goodness of the game.
He said in every walk of life it is important to have a clear galvanising inspirational vision and in Ulster Rugby each player is made constantly aware of the set targets and vision.
In sport as well as business, he said, people chase pipe dreams or the brand new idea that no one has ever thought of before instead of doing the basics excellently.
“In the business world, in the family world, in all society if you pursue the natural path you will do far better” he added.
Shane went on to explain why he thought the morality of sport was every bit as important as winning trophies.
He said one of the most important things that had happened since he joined Ulster Rugby was the staging of the world’s largest disability rugby event at what was then Ravenhill.
To see life limited children being wheeled around the pitch with their parents in tears passing the ball for them and thousands of spectators cheering them said much more about the morality of Ulster Rugby than winning trophies.
He also added that in the last three years he had seen lives turned around as the result of a scheme that had involved 20,000 children and young people from the poorest backgrounds from both communities engaged in a Rugby programme.
He concluded by saying that Ulster Rugby existed to be a major catalyst for good for all the people of Ulster.
Thanks to Past President Bill Aiken for providing all of the photography and David Sloan for the editorial.