Penticton Sunrise Rotary

Our guest speaker on Tuesday was our amazing exchange student Anna, who spent a year on Rotary Youth Exchange in Finland. Anna was introduced by her Mom, Aaryn, a member of Penticton Sunrise Rotary. Anna shared her experiences in Finland, her four host families, the friendships she made in school and with other exchange students. Highlights were the beautiful Northern Lights in Lapland, Finnish celebrations and traditions, and learning the language. Thank you Anna for being a wonderful representative of Rotary, Penticton, and Canada! Best Wishes for Grade 12 and beyond!

Rotary Youth Exchange offers the experience of a life time! If you or someone you know is interested in learning more, watch for more information on school presentations in the fall.

JCI and Rotary Club of Penticton have a booth set up at the PTCC to offer hot dogs, snacks, coffee and water and basic supplies. Penticton Sunrise members have been helping both here and at the registration center. More volunteers are needed. If you are able to do a shift or donate snack items please do so.

Here is the link to sign up for shifts at the PTCC booth.
https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fsignup.com%2Fclient%2Finvitation2%2Fsecure%2F1001421876099%2Ftrue%3Ffbclid%3DIwcGRvZgFleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEeEulumyYXON95we0B6aHpCBOrGOEigFtmLh-lXYdgeqfh2HltANDRNM0NrRA_aem_PxatV-qhVOHf-EGm01kHcw%23%2Finvitation&h=AUD2Nb2_0NZdk0vnl3ViYsDnvPxqOaSKkeOcmlACLIcJVYbwlNt3VZC4WHuWnYyrT8EgxKOPJoY2VcrNifGpE2PzxX5UktUX0DFvnH9RUopa0EzTqnx37-RLPxlHJ9bePNvPfCdEvRI_PabKIgxcjQ0PiHYilw&__tn__=H-y-R&c[0]=AUCusDkUnd3O6lJ-wEmxWLZrN_f4z2B6EdvZrSwfXKkPfF7PpOMltyEeL47NCkssrUq4lbWbHZ-w4k8PCYPaswn1aJsCb3KQS0Is1IRW9LxR54_WZgiM7UIbv824bRf8PnZUdQF8pUjGECJdy6MQab2u6j9By_DYvZvpY7ofnWvUXluHAgu_SnF41AjX6hU0QKU_ISkvw95zfXAFp0VADbhu-ey_OgLc3rPgqJT9IHlcxXyR8w

Head down to Skaha Beach today and sign up for the Sandcastle Contest! Great family fun and support Rotary Clubs of Penticton Charitable Society!

The countdown is on! Penticton Rotary Clubs’ Annual Sandcastle Competition hits Skaha Beach tomorrow!
Bring a lawn chair, grab a burger or hot dog, and watch the sand creations come to life.
Family prize packs, kids prize packs, and a $500 charity donation for corporate entries are up for grabs!
Don’t miss it!

Interested in giving back to your community and making friends?

Consider Rotary, a service organization dedicated to improving lives locally and globally.

There are two clubs in Penticton -
Penticton Sunrise Rotary - a morning club
Penticton Rotary - a lunch club.

Attend a meeting to learn more!

Contact us via Facebook or our websites:
Sunrise Rotary - pentictonrotary.com
Penticton Rotary - rotarypenticton.com

🇨🇦 Join Us for an Inspiring Morning! 🇨🇦

The Rotary Club of Penticton Sunrise is pleased to welcome Helena Konanz, MP for Similkameen–South Okanagan–West Kootenay, as our guest speaker on Tuesday, August 4.

Helena has lived in the Okanagan Valley for 25 years. She attended UCLA for her undergraduate degree where she was a member of their National Championship Tennis Team. After graduating with a degree in Political Science, she spent time travelling the world as a professional and world ranked tennis player.

After retiring from the tennis circuit, Helena worked for Nike at its corporate headquarters in Portland, Oregon where she met her husband, Adam. They then moved to Vancouver, where she worked as a manager for Sportchek and Superstar Athletic companies.

They moved to Penticton and have two children, Zakary and Zoe. She ran successfully for a seat on Penticton City Council in 2011 and again in 2014. She was on the board of directors at the Regional District, Okanagan Similkameen and the Southern Interior Local Government Association. Her portfolio concentrated on economic development, and she was the council liaison to organizations such as the Penticton Industrial Development Association and The Chamber of Commerce.

She received her masters degree in Interdisciplinary Graduate Studies from UBC Okanagan November 2018. Helena ran for Member of Parliament for the Conservative party in the South Okanagan-West Kootenay riding in 2019 and 2021, and was successful in the 2025 federal election and now represents the riding of the Similkameen, South Okanagan, West Kootenay.

📅 Tuesday, August 4
🕗 8:00 a.m.
📍 Fraternal Order of Eagles Hall, 1197 Main St, Penticton

Guests and members of the public are welcome!
Register here: https://www.ismyrotaryclub.org/Register/Index.cfm?EventID=77939947

💙💛 Why did YOU join Rotary?

Every Rotarian has a story.

Maybe you joined to give back to the community. Maybe it was to make new friends, grow personally, support local projects, or simply because someone invited you to a meeting.

Whatever brought you to Rotary, we'd love to hear your story!

Share in the comments:
👉 What inspired you to join Rotary?
👉 What has kept you involved?
👉 What has been your most memorable Rotary experience?

Your story might inspire someone else to discover Rotary and become part of something truly meaningful.

Service Above Self starts with people who care. 💙

If you've ever wanted to be part of something bigger than yourself, Rotary might be exactly what you're looking for.

Come for the service. Stay for the friendships. 💙💛

Lobster Feast is back on September 12th, a fundraiser of the Rotary Club of Penticton. Every ticket sold helps support the Starfish Pack - Penticton! Tickets at eatlobster.ca Plan to attend for a delicious meal and enjoyable evening!

Lobster Feast is back on September 12, 2026, at the Penticton Yacht Club, and this year's feast is all about making a difference close to home.

Every ticket helps support the Penticton Rotary Starfish Pack Program, providing weekend food packs to local children so they can return to school on Monday with full stomachs and ready to learn.

And we've got something new this year... Steak is on the menu! You can choose a delicious Steak Dinner or add a steak to any full meal for the best of both worlds.

Great food. Great people. A cause that matters.

🎟️ Early Bird pricing is available now through Aug 12. Grab your tickets before prices go up, and before we sell out.

Get your tickets today: www.eatlobster.ca

Penticton Sunrise Rotary members were pleased to have as our guest speaker, Fred Harbinson, GM and Head Coach of the Penticton Vees and Natalee Campbell, Vees Ticketing Manager. Visting Rotarians included George and Blaine from the Penticton Rotary Club, and guest Walter, retired longtime Pen-Hi teacher.

Fred gave an overview of the organization, discussing the strong work ethic, competitiveness, and community connection of the Vees players. They have had an outstanding first year in the WHL, setting a record for the most wins in an expansion team and also a 14 game winning streak, a record in the CHL, which put them at the top of the BC division.

The Vees have a new mural, "Making History" by Andrew Lopez, an Osoyoos artist. The mural showcases some of the great moments in Vees history. Ivan McClelland, goaltender for the 1955 Vees team that won the World Championship, portraits of Fred Harbinson and current team members, the iconic structure on Vees Drive, honouring the 1955 team and 44 for the number of wins in the BCHL. The mural is in the players lounge at the SOEC.

Season tickets are on sale and purchasers will receive a Vees Blue Card, giving discounts at over 100 businesses in town. Great way to support our local hockey team and our business community!

What a special moment at our July 14 meeting! We were delighted to celebrate Jean Jacobsen, whose unwavering commitment to Service Above Self earned her the honour of being the first recipient of District Governor Jill Leonard's SuperStar! Award. Jean's dedication, compassion, and commitment to Service Above Self make her richly deserving of this honour. Congratulations!

Not long ago, Paula was sharing Canadian experiences with us in Penticton. Now she's back home in Madrid, proudly watching Spain compete in the FIFA match! ⚽🇪🇸

Rotary Youth Exchange creates lifelong friendships and unforgettable memories that span the globe. We're so happy to see Paula enjoying every moment back home.