The Rotary Club of Whitby Sunrise is a young, dynamic, fast-pased club located in Whitby , Ontario Canada. Whitby is a small town east of Toronto on the shores of Lake Ontario.

Dedicated Rotarians meet weekly on Wednesday mornings for fellowship, leaning and practicing the Rotary motto of "Service Above Self".

Taking part in both local and International projects, every member can find a way to take part and "give back" to the community.

20th Anniversary

Members of the Rotary Club of Whitby Sunrise are celebrating 20 years of local and international service. Since they received their club charter on February 2nd 1988, these Rotarians have been actively making a difference at home and around the world. Highlights of the past twenty years include:
 
- Construction of gazebos at Rotary Sunrise Lake Park and Fairview Lodge
- Creation of the Whitby Sports Hall of Fame
- Hosting of Rotary Youth Exchange students from around the globe
- Donation of scholarships for local high school students
- Support for the Sunrise Youth Group
- Provision of “Smart Walkers” to enable children with muscular dystrophy to walk
- Development work in the Dominican Republic including the provision of bio-sand water filters, playground equipment, medical and school supplies and the construction of classrooms at the La Loma adult training school
- participation in Rotary International’s campaign to end polio

Not content to rest on their laurels, Whitby Sunrise Rotarians continue to be active in all four Rotary Avenues of Service – Club, Community, International and Vocational.

Club Service includes the day-to-day operations of the club including great opportunities for fun and fellowship, such as weekly breakfast meetings with fantastic speakers, an annual golf tournament, a Valentine’s Dinner Dance and even,  Rotary Night at the Track.

Family members of Rotarians are encouraged to participate in both social events and service projects. Rotarians know how to have fun! Community Service involves donations of time, money and expertise to many community groups. Current projects include the “Partnership in Service” initiative to provide people with special needs within the Region of Durham with financial assistance in cooperation with other local service organizations.

Community groups, such as the Muslim Welfare House and Thickson’s Woods, benefit from the hands-on efforts of Rotarians.

International Service activities include a wide variety of projects in the Dominican Republic (with Rotarians traveling there each year as volunteers) and are expanding to include educational projects in Thailand. In June of 2008, a group of 5 Rotarians and 4 others, along with an essential support team, will ride their bikes from Vancouver to Calgary as part of the “Viva La Loma” project to raise $100,000 to build a second storey at the La Loma Adult Training Centre in the Dominican Republic.

Vocational Service includes the provision of scholarships as well as support for the programs of Junior Achievement (JA). In the coming months, members of Whitby Sunrise will be found in local grade 8 classrooms delivering JA’s  Economics of Staying in School (ESIS) Program. Also under the banner of Vocational Service, the club recently provided $3,000 worth of books for children in aboriginal communities in northern Ontario.

All of the projects of the Rotary Club of Whitby Sunrise are made possible by the fundraising efforts of its energetic, passionate, community-oriented and service-driven members. Wherever possible, the club develops mutually beneficial partnerships with a variety of individuals, organizations and businesses in order to carry out its service projects.