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Interactor Has Date
with Royalty
Canadian
Interactor Kiara Vallier faced a dilemma: She could either go to her
high school prom as planned or attend an invitation-only barbecue
with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.
The event, held at Rideau Hall in Ottawa on 30 June, during the
visit of Prince William and Kate Middleton, was hosted by Governor
General David Johnston, a former Rotary Foundation Ambassadorial
Scholar, and Prime Minister Stephen Harper. The barbecue brought
together 120 young Canadians to celebrate their dedication to
service. It also gave participants the opportunity to tell the royal
couple, government officials, and other dignitaries about their
organizations and the work they’re doing in their communities.
Vallier was joined by other Rotary program participants, including
fellow Interactor Eui-Hyun Yang and Rotaractors Arooj Javaid,
Michelle O’Doherty, and Andrea Tirone.
“Rotary was well represented,” says Tirone, a member of the Rotaract
Club of the University of Toronto. “Many of the dignitaries had more
to say about our organization than I did. It was such a great
testament to Rotary.”
O’Doherty, a member of the Rotaract Club of Ottawa, was invited for
her volunteer work with LiveWorkPlay, an Ottawa-based nonprofit that
supports people with intellectual disabilities. She says she spent
several minutes talking to Kate about Rotary.
“She was very engaging and asked a lot of questions,” says
O’Doherty. “It was a little nerve-racking speaking with her, but it
was exciting to explain the good work of Rotary. She seemed very
interested in what Rotaract was all about.”
Photo:
A group of youth meet with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge on 30
June, 2011, in Ottawa. |
“I
was dumbfounded when the invitation came,” says Vallier, who was
invited because of her work as a member of the Interact Club of
Frontenac Secondary School in Kingston, Ontario. “I was so happy and
honored. It was definitely worth missing prom.”