A Night of a Thousand Dinners - in Oshawa - Another Successful Night - March 12, 2025 - Support the Canadian Landmine Foundation 

A Night of A Thousand Dinners event hosted by The Rotary Club of Oshawa on March 12, 2025 at 6:00 PM  (with Dinner at 7:00 PM)

In December 1997 the Ottawa Treaty banning the use of Landmines was signed by 122 countries on Parliament Hill. Since then, a further 40 countries have signed up making the current total 162 independent nations worldwide.

Following the signing of the treaty The Canadian Landmine Foundation was formed and Rotary became an unofficial sponsor as a few board chairs are reserved for Rotarians. Its role is to raise money to remove the mines and to educate children in dangerous areas as to what mines look like, to report them to adults and to never touch them.

Many Rotary clubs contribute directly to the Canadian Landmines Foundation from funds on hand. Others raise funds through a Night of A Thousand Dinners evenings and send these funds to the foundation. If you would like to join The Rotary Club of Oshawa for this year's dinner on March 12, 2025  (Cash bar at 6:00 pm followed by Dinner  at 7:00 pm in the Officer's Mess, The Colonel R, S. Mclaughlin Armoury of The Ontario Regiment, 53 Simcoe Street N, Oshawa.) 

This is the big event of the Oshawa social season, an intimate evening in elegant surroundings, a wonderful banquet, door prizes some of which are valued at over $100, and the speaker who is indeed an outstanding woman.  Imagine raising over 1.5 million dollars for charity by yourself.

This year's distinguished keynote speaker is Patti Lee . What a remarkable woman! . Patti is a member of the Toronto West Rotary Club and she is on the board of the Canadian Land Mines Foundation.  She is retired from IBM.  She and Barbara Seagram have raised over $ 1.5 million by themselves by running on line bridge lessons.  This money all goes to efforts in Cambodia with regard to gender equality, women's education, economic development and of course landmines.  She knows the country well having visited it many times and has seen what they have accomplished over there. She will give a dynamic presentation

Ticket price for a wonderful meal in the elegant and historic surroundings of the Officers Mess of the Colonel R. S. McLaughlin Armoury of Ontario Regiment will be announced soon with a tax receipt for the amount above cost.

Reserve your spot through Past District Governor, Ron Dick ( ron@rrdfsi.ca ) or Gordon Dowsley (gdowsley@yahoo.com 905-576-3636). Internet transfer payments can be made through oshawarotaryclub@rogers.com put one's name followed by NKD so the treasurer (Ron Dick) will know what the money is for.

If your club would like to partner with Oshawa Rotary Club for this year's dinner or would like a speaker on the program we would be very happy to talk about the possibilities.

Yours in Rotary,

Gordon

Gordon Dowsley

Rotary Club of Oshawa

Night of a Thousand Dinners (N1KD) is an event that helps to raise awareness of the global landmine crisis and to raise funds for mine action. N1KD began as a global campaign in 2001 and the tradition continues to this day among Rotary Clubs in Canada. Night of a Thousand Dinners is a wonderful opportunity for everyone to make a positive difference in the lives of those living in mine-affected communities, while at the same time sharing a meal with friends and family. Every contribution, no matter how small, will affect change on a global scale.

How are the funds raised for N1KD used?

Net proceeds from Night of a Thousand Dinners will be used to fund mine action programs in Cambodia. Our unSAFE campaign supports Cambodian Self Help Demining (CSHD), an organization that operates Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) teams which help rural Cambodians who come across mines and explosive remnants of war in their day-to-day lives. You can read about the unSAFE campaign HERE (see: canadianlandmine.org/the-projects/unsafe) .
In addition to demining, CSHD’s Risk Education Team travels from village to village teaching people how to identify an explosive and what to do if they find one.

The Canadian Landmine Foundation is a registered charity with a mission to raise awareness and funds to end human and economic suffering caused by landmines. We partner with other charitable organizations that meet our standards and help relieve the global and continued suffering of countries plagued with landmines and their victims.

The Canadian Landmine Foundation (CLMF) aims to realize the vision and goals of the Ottawa Treaty banning anti-personnel landmines by entrenching the norm, now established by 161 governments around the world, and also to meet the challenge of clearing mine-infested lands and to offer hope and practical support to mine victims in the world’s most mine-affected
countries/communities. Additionally, we aim to continue raising awareness about the consequences of landmines on the landscape, communities and families of countries around the world. We continue to support organizations that achieve these goals.

Since 1999 the Canadian Landmine Foundation and Canadians across the country have funded $3.7 million in mine action projects around the world, from victim assistance to the clearance of nearly 2 million square metres of land!

Here is a recent letter from Wilf Wilkinson, Past President, Rotary International:

Dear Rotarians,

When was the last time you stepped on a landmine? Probably never – aren’t we fortunate. If you live in Cambodia, Iraq or Syria, to name a few, you may have not been so lucky.

Rotarians have committed time and money to eliminate many ills that plague our world, including longstanding support of mine action. We at the Canadian Landmine Foundation (CLMF) are asking Rotarians to renew their commitment to eliminating these terrible weapons.

Rotarians and Rotary Clubs have been some of the largest financial contributors to the Canadian Landmine Foundation. 122 Clubs in 18 Districts coast to coast have contributed more than $260,000 to Canadian Landmine Foundation programs over the years. These funds went to projects that cleared mines and assisted survivors in places like Bosnia, Mozambique, Afghanistan and Cambodia.

Today the Canadian Landmine Foundation works to raise awareness at home and support mine action in Cambodia through partnerships with local organizations. Cambodian Self Help Demining (CSHD) operates demining and explosive ordnance disposal teams in rural Cambodia. When villagers find mines and other explosive remnants of war, one of five Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) teams are dispatched to neutralize the explosives and conduct mine risk education. The Canadian Landmine Foundation is proud to sponsor one of those EOD Teams.

To date, CSHD teams have cleared 3 million square metres of land. CSHD was founded in 2008 by an ex-child soldier named Aki Ra – who has personally cleared more than 50,000 landmines – with support from former Rotarian Bill Morse (Palm Springs).

It is now time for Rotarians to revisit their commitment to this worthwhile humanitarian cause. In keeping with this year’s Rotary theme, it is time once again for Rotarians “To Make a Difference.”

On behalf of the Foundation’s Rotary engagement committee, I thank you for taking time to consider supporting the Canadian Landmine Foundation. I believe it typifies the work of Canadian Rotarians during the 150 anniversary of our country.

Sincerely,

Wilf Wilkinson, CM, FCPA

President of Rotary International 2007/08

Chair of The Rotary Foundation 2012/13