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Wednesday, February 12, 2025
NOTL Rotary honours three with Paul Harris Award
Laurie Harley, one of three recipients of the Paul Harris Award this year, was named NOTL's Citizen of the Year in February. DAVE VAN DE LAAR

Bill French
Special to The Lake Report

The Rotary Club of Niagara-on-the-Lake has honoured three people with the club’s highest honour, the prestigious Paul Harris Award.

The NOTL club singled out Rose Campbell, Laurie Harley and Ken Schander for their work and presented the awards at a gala ceremony on June 11 at the NOTL Community Centre.

“It was a great celebration of our success this year and it was wonderful to recognize the outstanding contributions of Rose, Laurie and Ken,” said gala chair Greg Fedoryn.

“They inspire us to continue doing good work around the world as people of action.”

Campbell was recognized for her contributions to organizations such as Autism Ontario, the United Way, World Wildlife Federation and Brock University’s Coalition Against Antisemitism.

Campbell is also one of the founding members of the Rotary Holiday House Tour committee, having served in multiple roles over the event’s 25-year history.

Harley, named NOTL’s Citizen of the Year in February, has a long track record of serving Niagara-on-the- Lake.

She has been a volunteer with the NOTL Museum, president of the NOTL Hospital auxiliary and held a number of volunteer positions with the Shaw Guild (greeter, docent, events chair, vice-president and president).

More recently, she led the development and introduction of the town’s Ambassador program.

Schander was recognized for his many contributions to the NOTL club, having been secretary, president and past-president.

He also has served on the International Service Committee, Rotary Foundation Committee and the Holiday House Tour.

He also volunteers for the museum and works tirelessly helping the unhoused in the Niagara region. Schander has led delegations to Andhra Pradesh, India, and Western Tanzania, East Africa (twice) where they did structural improvements to local hospitals.

The award is named for lawyer Paul Harris, who started Rotary in Chicago in 1905 so professionals from diverse backgrounds could exchange ideas and form meaningful, lifelong friendships.

Over time, Rotary’s reach and vision gradually extended to humanitarian service involving members from all walks of life. 

Harris said, “Whatever Rotary may mean to us, to the world it will be known by the results it achieves.”

The organization is a global network of 1.4 million neighbours, friends and leaders who volunteer their skills and resources to solve issues and address community needs.

Rotarians volunteer about 47 million hours each year and award $333 million to global service programs and projects.

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