Directors: Henny Boeters, George Oduro, David Klatt and Judie Wigcherink
Attendance:
Members:
.Guests: John Thompson, Speaker, Anita Holmes
Birthdays: Judie Wincheink, Oct. 11, 2026
Anniversaries:
Meeting Date: Monday, Oct. 5 2026, Anglican Parish Hall. After a wonderful dinner prepared by the ACW, Kees started the meeting by thanking the ladies in the kitchen.
Correspondence: None
Program: Paul introduced John Thompson, from Hope Air
John told a story about getting lost on Lake Erie in a boat and deciding that flying was a better option for getting around
This program started in the 1980s and became called Hope Air
It provides air, accommodation and food for patients in need all over Canada
He is part of a volunteer program called Volunteer Pilots Program
They bring patients who have a hard time to a hospital due to travel difficulties such as very long bus rides or no access to travel and expensive accommodations
8.2 million people in Canada live below the poverty line, with 1/3 needing medical care and 1/3 of those need help from Hope Air
They make 37392+ travel arrangements+, from 792 +communities across Canada
It’s a bit of a difference in each case
He works with Sick Kids in Toronto and other hospitals with most of his patients from NWOntario
The goal is to give better health, poverty reduction travel support for their patients
John started flying at 18 years of age, flew for about 10 years and decided he needed a purpose for his flying and heard about Hope Air
As he flies these patients, it gives them a few hours to focus on something other than their medical problems
In answer questions he mostly flies patients to the hospitals, not as much home again as this can sometimes be less positive, there are approximately Hope Air pilots across Canada
He gets all kinds of stories, such as the patient not know about Toronto Island and the CN Tower
This is a national charity and Hope Air gets funds for aircraft fuel and pilots expenses
John flies generally at about 8000 ft altitude, mostly in the spring and summer, out of the Chatham airport and covers all of his own costs
He showed a short video of a 12 year old girl who told how much of a difference Hope Air has made in her life
This was an extremely interesting program and the Ridgetown Rotary Club will be making a sizeable donation to Hoppe Air
Other Business
1. Kees: Results of corn stalks
Kees thanked all those who helped cut the corn stalks, put them in bundles of 12 and then put them up on the lamp posts along Main St in downtown Ridgetown
Thanks to Boonzaijer Farm, Pinnell’s Pastry’s for coffee and donuts before the corn stalks went up and to Henny and Kees for making the new bow to attach to the stalks
2. Kees: Request for in winter lunch meetings
Kees had had a suggestion from the ladies in the kitchen to have lunch meetings in in Nov, Dec and Jan
After some discussion, M/S Pau Bl/Bob W: that the club have 1 lunch meeting and 1 evening meeting CARRIED
3. Kees: Friday, Oct. 23 to be Donuts for Polio at Pinnell’s Pastry’s
Kees asked for some help to make and clean up the tables on the morning and early afternoon: George and Paul will help
World Polio Day is on Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026
4. Kees: Help was requested for help clean and organize the Home medical equipment Room
Paul B, Ron B and Tom Stewart
5. Kees: We still need a president-elect
Whoever wishes to be the president-elect could go to the PET training in Sarnia
6. Kees: Scrap metal
It is going well
Police caught who has been stealing from the trailer
7. David B: Result from Rotaract club meeting
Beatrice went to the recent meeting
There were 4 members at this meeting
They now have a president, VP, secretary and treasurer
Happy Bucks and 50-50.
Brian P put in $2 because he has made it through his bypass surgery.
President Kees asked if there was “Anything for the good of Rotary?”
President Kees closed the meeting unofficially at approximately 7:55 pm
The next meeting is on: Monday, Oct. 19, 2026 with George Oduro doing his personal presentation at the Anglican Parish Hall
The theme for the 2026-27 Rotary year is“Create Last Impact”
l-r: Rotarian Paul Brown, Speaker John Thompson
and Rotarian President Kees Boeters
l-r: Rotarians: Joel Van de Hogen, Ron Bolohan, Judie Wigcherink, George Oduro,
Jeff Geddes, Reinout von Martels, Kees Boeters Ben Van Heeswijk and David Klatt
