RoTell - August 11, 2021
Rotary Club Ottawa South eBulletin
At Rotel
Editor: Scott Vetter, Assistant Editor: Rosemary Parker, Photographer: Robin Spencer
Meeting at Rotel
We were thrilled to meet on-site at Rotel this week. Not only was it wonderful to see real people, it was great to visit Rotel, our club's flagship initiative. Back in the early 1980s, then member, Dr. Roland desGrossiers realized there was a need for affordable accommodations near the hospital. Our club took on the initiative to create that accommodation and member Dr. Ian Warrack chaired the committee. All they needed to do was raise $1.5 million! Before the internet, this involved a lot of presentations to every Rotary and other service club, Legion and municipality within several hundred miles.
Many fundraisers, drives and meetings later, ground was broken and RCOS member Jim Sulpher's construction company started building the 51-room motel. It opened its doors in 1986. Other than several weeks at the beginning of COVID, Rotel has been continuously providing low cost accommodation to outpatients during treatment as well as family and friends of patients at Ottawa-area hospitals.
Rotary Club of Ottawa South has been involved with Rotel every step of the way, most of the members of the Rotel Board that guide the organization are RCOS members. Longtime Chair, Laird Rasmussen is a former member of RCOS and continues to dedicate time to ensuring that Rotel runs smoothly.
Previous member, Monique Warrack, managed the fundraising for Rotel and managed Rotel for several years as well. Not only did she excel at that, but she picked the ideal replacement in Suzy Harrison, who has managed Rotel ever since.
General Manager Suzy was happy to provide (masked) tours of Rotel to newer RCOS members who hadn't yet seen the motel.
Paul Harris Fellow Awards
The Paul Harris Fellow award is the highest honour that a club can bestow on someone. It was unanimous that Suzy Harrison and Laird Rasmussen are both very deserving of the honour for their decades of commitment and faithful service to Rotel.
Joan Hunter, past-President (x3) fittingly received her third Paul Harris Fellow, which has three red stones. (Sorry, Joan, they're not rubies.)
