The Whitby Rotary Club turns 75 this year. It has a very rich history of achievement, one well worth celebrating.

Rotary in Whitby kicked off back in the unlikely year of 1933 when the inaugural members met at what was then known as the Ontario Ladies College (now Trafalgar Castle School) on Feb. 16. It was the depths of the Great Depression and surely those founding Rotarians realized the need to help their fellow men and women was great.

Over the years, in addition to the countless projects they've taken on, the Rotary Club helped save the Town's lawn bowling and tennis club and raised money to build the seniors residence that now stands behind the club. In 1953, Whitby Rotarians founded the Whitby Figure Skating Club and in recent years, they came through with an impressive $100,000 contribution to the fabulous new Whitby Central Library branch.

In the past three quarters of a century, the club has been an essential part of the community. Highlights include the purchase of a house and raffling it off in 1985 for charity and the sponsoring of a second Rotary club in Whitby, Sunrise Rotary, in 1988.

The club also had a central hand in starting the children's safety village and has actively participated in Rotary International's goal of eradicating polio all over the planet.

From its inclusion of seven mayors of the Town to the many Peter Perry award winners who have been proud Rotarians, the Rotary Club has been a vital part of Whitby's history, one we can all be proud of.

The club will help mark the milestone on May 2 when it holds a fundraiser at the Class Act Theatre. A $75 ticket will help provide proceeds toward Rotary's projects for children. To purchase a ticket for the Class Act fundraiser, call Marian Irwin at 905-668-2283. It will be followed up by a gala event at Trafalgar Castle School on June 19. For tickets to the gala, call Joanne Ashley at 905-571-4829.