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Daylesford Rotary Club is celebrating its 70th year of service to the community this year and what better way than teaming up with Creswick Woollen Mills to distribute 50 warm woollen blankets to those in our community who will be feeling this early onset of cold weather.
 
Families and individuals on low incomes are also finding it harder to make ends meet with the effects of rising inflation, higher rent, and a shortage of housing for rent in our Shire – some are homeless, living in their cars or couch surfing. These people are often overlooked as they are almost ‘invisible’ to most others. These blankets will go to people in the community who really need them, especially as the weather is getting colder.
 
Creswick Woollen Mills have been operating and supporting the community for 75 years. Their core values of commitment to family, community and quality built on original foundations of flexibility and resourcefulness are demonstrated in their generous donation of 40 blankets for Rotary to distribute along with the 10 blankets that we have purchased.
HERITAGE SIGN UPGRADED AT DAYLESFORD STATION
 
The Heritage sign outside the Daylesford Railway Station highlights the Avenue of Honour together with the efforts and sacrifices that so many local men and women made during and after World War One. The sign and surrounds have been upgraded by Daylesford Rotary volunteers at a recent working bee.
 
Daylesford Rotary President, Terri Oprean commented: “This sign was organised by Daylesford Rotary a decade ago, working with the Historical Society and other organisations. A number of Rosemary plants were planted around the sign structure. We would like to thank Daylesford Garden Supplies in Mink Street for donating and delivering the mulch. Also, thank you to Rotarian Lesley Hewitt together with Denise Purdey and Wendy Hogben who looked after the sign and Rosemary for several years.”

“Rosemary is an ancient symbol of fidelity and remembrance. The aromatic herb grows wild on the Gallipoli peninsula in Türkiye, where the original Anzacs served in World War I. Australians traditionally wear sprigs of rosemary as a symbol of remembrance on Anzac Day or Remembrance Day.”

Terri added: “We encourage locals and visitors to have a look at this heritage sign and appreciate the efforts of locals during a terrible time of conflict. The sign is located just past the entry to the Railway Station coming from town. The text on the sign lists one hundred names of locals who went to support the war effort. A number of those never came back and some were injured physically and mentally.”
 

The Heritage sign and Rosemary plants adjacent to the Daylesford Railway Station.
 
 
Daylesford Rotary Club has made a $1,000 donation to send a Shelter Box to help earthquake victims in Turkiye/Syria. A Shelter Box contains a family-sized tent that protects people from the elements and provides a safe space in which they can start to recover from the physical and emotional trauma.
 
Other contents vary depending on the disaster and the climate and typically include - solar lights, water storage and purification equipment, thermal blankets and cooking utensils.
 
Shelter Boxes have been sent to more than 97 different countries around the world over the past 22 years directly helping more than 1.5million people. The Shelter Box project was started 22 years ago by a Rotary Club in England and now there are Shelter Box organisations in many countries, including Australia, sponsored by Rotary.
Daylesford Rotary Club President Terri Oprean stated: “Our Club is a group of dedicated volunteers who carry out many projects and also raise funds. The greater proportion of funds we raise go to supporting local community groups and projects. We also support a range of projects and causes more widely in Australia such as flood victims and then elsewhere in the world with disaster aid and community projects.”
 
“The Shelter Boxes are a practical way of quickly supporting people who have experienced disasters. Our Club has sponsored several Boxes over recent years. Rotary being an international organisation has extensive networks and respect from most world governments allowing aid to get to all sorts of places as quickly as possible.”
 
“Terri Oprean added: “Many charities take a considerable time to decide how to help communities affected by disasters such as storms, wars, earthquakes and floods. Rotary Shelter Boxes are prepared well in advance, stockpiled and can be flown to almost anywhere in the world in a matter of days reaching people who urgently need shelter and basic equipment.”
 
“Other international support we are currently providing include: sponsoring a student in Vietnam to achieve a higher level of education than they would otherwise be able to receive and Days for Girls an international project providing reusable menstrual hygiene products.”
 
“If anyone would like to find out more about what Daylesford Rotary does, assist us, or would like to make donations via our Rotary Club you can approach us for banking details with the reassurance that 100% goes to the cause.”
 
Please contact:
Terri Oprean: opreanterri70@gmail.com or
 
On July 7, the 2022 Presidents' Changeover for the Rotary Club of Daylesford took place at the Convent Gallery, Daylesford. Attending were outgoing Rotary District Governor, Dale Hoy, Khurram Khan, incoming Assistant District Governor for the Calder Cluster of Rotary, Outgoing President, Pat Groenhout, Incoming President, Terri Oprean, and a multitude of Community Partners, Daylesford Rotarians and partners and guests.
 
You can read the addresses of the Outgoing and Incoming Presidents, which outline Club activities and success of the previous year, awards presented to Daylesford Rotarians and future direction for the Daylesford Rotary Club by clicking on the Read More button below.
 
Daylesford Rotary thanks Tina Banitska and the staff of The Convent for hosting the event.
 
Photo: Incoming Rotary Club of Daylesford President, Terri Oprean (left) with Outgoing President, Pat Groenhout, at Convent Gallery, Daylesford
Cr. Tim Drylie, Mayor of Hepburn Shire (left) awarding 2020 
'Citizen of the Year' to Rotarian Danny Moynihan (centre)
Danny with his very proud family after the awards
ceremony held at the Hepburn Springs Mineral Reserve
  
On Australia Day eve, Hepburn Shire Mayor, Tim Drylie, named long-time Daylesford Rotarian Danny Moynihan as 2022 ‘Citizen of the Year’ in recognition of his service to the wider community in many roles over the past 37 years. “He is a quiet achiever. Once he makes a commitment to be involved in a community cause or project he is there for the long haul,” remarked Cr Drylie at the Community Awards and Civic Ceremony held on 25 January 2022 in the Hepburn Springs Mineral Reserve.
 
Danny Moynihan has been involved in at least 24 community organisations and causes, and he is still actively involved in 11 of these. His volunteer commitment has been and continues to be immense, as confirmed by the seven Referees who have provided written references.
 
Danny and his late wife, Roz, ran the Daylesford Post Office from 1984 till 2006. They both were heavily involved in many community roles and causes. With Roz passing in 2013, Danny continued and increased his involvement in a diversity of voluntary community roles and causes.
 
Danny has been a member of the Daylesford Rotary Club for the past 36 years and was elected as President for one term, Secretary, Treasurer, International Service Director and other roles many times. He received the Rotary Club Service Award twice, honoured as the Paul Harris Fellow and serves as a member of Daylesford Art Show Committee.
 
His other community service activities include many years’ active involvement in the following:
  • Hepburn Regional Community Cheer Committee
  • ChillOut
  • Daylesford Good Grub Club
  • Hepburn Shire’s White Ribbon campaign against Family Violence
  • Daylesford Hepburn United Soccer Club Junior group
  • Hepburn Shire Neighbourhood Watch
  • Daylesford Agricultural Show
  • Daylesford Community Op Shop
  • Daylesford Indoor Recreation Facility Organising Committee
  • Community Based Bushfire Mitigation Group
  • Daylesford Hospital Redevelopment Fundraising Committee
  • Member of Daylesford Hospital Redevelopment Committee
  • Daylesford Scouts Management Committee member
  • Daylesford Girl Guides Management Committee
  • New Year’s Eve Parade
  • Daylesford Speedway
  • Salvation Army Red Shield Appeal local organising committee
  • Daylesford RSL
  • Very Special Kids Annual Appeal helping to raise funds and awareness for children with life threatening health conditions
  • Daylesford Probus
  • Daylesford Gift run on New Year’s Day to raise funds for Camp Quality
  • Royal Children’s Hospital Appeal street collection
“Danny Moynihan is someone who, when he sees a need in the community, he then gets involved on a long-term commitment. He takes many lead roles as well as mentoring others. He is an amazing role model for others,” wrote Victor Szwed in the nomination document.
 
In accepting the Hepburn Shire 2022 ‘Citizen of the Year’ award, Danny thanked the Hepburn Shire and Mayor Tim Drylie’s for the community award day, the Hon Catherine King MP and Mary-Anne Thomas MLA for attending, Victor Szwed for nominating him and all those who contributed to the application.
 
Danny thanked his “family, Justin, Natalie, Joel and Wynter, for their love and encouragement over the past 38 years here in Daylesford. To my late wife Roz, who was a partner in most or all of the organisation previously mentioned.
 
"It has been a pleasure to work alongside so many terrific volunteers, on too many organisations to mention here. To any young persons who have thoughts regarding volunteering, I say ‘go for it’. You always get back much more than you put in.
 
Daylesford is a wonderful town to find friends through the community volunteering and unfortunately some are getting older now, so it’s a good time to step up, if you can.
 
Lastly Happy Birthday for tomorrow to my son Justin, who happens to be an Australia Day birthday boy.
 
Thank you all today,” concluded Danny in accepting his award.
 
CONGRATULATIONS DANNY on your well-deserved award!