January 18, 2020
The four Rotary Clubs of Guelph proudly came together as a Diamond Sponsor of the Beyond Borders Charity Gala for 2020. With Rotary celebrating 100 years in Guelph, it was a great opportunity to showcase Rotary in the Guelph community.
Beyond Borders is a unique one-semester program offered to Grade 12 students in Guelph. The program focuses on leadership development, business, math, and global development and sustainability. There is a strong emphasis on team-building, skill development, and experiential learning. This inspiring program is led each year by teacher Mike Parsons, in the Upper Grand District School Board.
This year, around 50 students participated in the Beyond Borders program, culminating with their Charity Gala at the River Run Centre on Saturday evening, January 18, 2020. All 750 show tickets were sold out, and they also had a wonderful silent auction with over 100 items, plus exceptional food treats for guests in the lobby.
The students are only given about 6 weeks to prepare this huge Charity Gala event, and each year, the students do an amazing job. It's hard to imagine how each gala could possibly be better than the one before, but somehow they continue to raise the bar with their amazing effort and talent. The 2020 gala was called "Illuminate: Be The Light". And wow - these students shone in a big way, raising $114,500 for charity!