Lochaber Rotary welcomes Canadian visitor

Lochaber Rotary Club members enjoyed the long-awaited visit of their most distant honorary member, Faye Steel, of Elliot Lake, in Ontario.

 

Faye is the widow of the late Charlie Steel, one of the club’s founding members who was president in 1953/4.

 

Rotary President Simon Hardiman said: 'Throughout Covid, Faye harboured her desire to visit us and it says a great deal for her determination that she travelled from Canada on her own. It was wonderful to see her again.'

 

During the visit, Faye gifted the silver box that had been presented to Charlie when he left in 1957, an item of historical significance since it was engraved with the signatures of Rotary members at that time.

 

In other business, many families will have experienced the worth and dedication of Macmillan Nurses and will wish to donate to the work of Macmillan Cancer Support.

 

To support this, Lochaber Rotary will be running a coffee morning tomorrow (Friday) in the Nevis Centre, Fort William, from 10am to 12.30pm to which everyone is welcome.

 

A memory tree is now in place where people can pin their own tributes in green or purple for those who have died from cancer and survivors.

 

Heart-shaped memory cards can be bought for a donation at the reception desk at the centre. All proceeds will go to Macmillan Cancer Care.

 

Plans are also progressing for the Christmas Festival, Craft and Food Fair to be held at the Nevis Centre in Fort William on Saturday November 26. The support of the Lochaber Times and Ferguson Transport and Shipping is much valued.

 

The Lochaber Times will partner Lochaber Rotary Club in the competition to select the Little Elves to accompany Santa on his sleigh, pulled by the Cairngorm reindeer, from Cameron Square to the Nevis Centre. Competition details will be published in late October.

 

Crafts, including jewellery, artwork, photography, calendars, knitting and crochet, food and produce will be available on the day. There will be a bouncy castle and local bands and the Ben Nevis Allstars will be entertaining.

 

Lochaber Rotary is part of Rotary International, one of the biggest humanitarian service organisations in the world with 1.2 million members in 35,000 clubs in

 

more than 200 countries. Contact the club at www.lochaberrotary.org.uk or through the Alexandra Hotel, Fort William.

 

CAPTION: Faye Steel, left, gifts the engraved silver box presented to her late husband 65 years ago, with Lochaber Rotary Club president Simon Hardiman and president-elect Flora McKee.