The 2026 Ajax Rotary Club Small Business of the Year Award
 
The Rotary Club of Ajax is excited to announce the launch of the Small Business of the Year Award. This award will recognize SBE leaders who have demonstrated core elements of the Rotary 4-Way Test through leadership, community engagement, and outstanding business practices in the town of Ajax. For information click on the link below.
 
 
 
 
The 2026 Ajax Rotary Club Youth Citizen of the Year Award
 
The Rotary Club of Ajax is excited to announce the launch of the Youth Citizen of the Year Award.
This award will recognize outstanding youth who have demonstrated the core elements of the Rotary 4-Way Test through leadership, community service, integrity, and positive citizenship within the town of Ajax.
 
This award celebrates young individuals who go above and beyond to make a meaningful difference in their school and community, and who serve as role models to their peers.
 
For more information and to submit a nomination, please click the link below.
 
 
 

Our Stories

What The Rotary Club of Ajax is doing in our community

Feed the Need Food Packing Event 
 
Our club members participated in or supported the 'Feed the Need' Food packing event in Oshawa on November 1, 2025
 
Some 120 volunteers from six clubs packed 35,000 meals on eight 'assembly lines', of which an estimated 3,672 were packed by the assembly line staffed by members and volunteers from our club, including Past President George's widow and daughter. 
 
In addition to giving back to the community, it was also a chance to meet or catch up with members of other clubs. 
 
    
 

Great Pajama Project a Success!

"The Rotary Club of Ajax thanks all those who brought kids' and young adult pajamas to the main branch of the Ajax Public Library on November 8, 2025.  We collected well over 100 pairs, all of which will be sent to the Durham Children's Aid Foundation 'Holiday Hope' Campaign.
 
The club will continue to accept gifts of new pajamas through the beginning of December 2025, please contact us at Info@ajaxrotary.org to arrange for delivery or pickup."

   

 
At SPRING CREEK GOLF CLUB
2425 9th Concession, Claremont
 
Another successful event and the perfect weather certainly helped!! With 40 golfers participating in the event, and others who joined us for the dinner that followed, over $7,000 was raised. 
 
Many thanks to our organizers, event volunteers and generous sponsors without whom this event would not be possible.
 
 
Audley Road Cleanup Completed!
 
Thanks to our members and community volunteers who joined us on Saturday, September 27, 2025 to perform our semi annual cleanup of Audley Road in Ajax. 
 
 
 
 
Ajax Public Library Ribbon Cutting Ceremony
 
The Rotary Club of Ajax has made a multi year commitment to the Ajax Public Library to fund in part the acquisition of a 'book vending machine' which will expand the library's ability to serve clients in South Ajax. On 17 July 2025, there was a ribbon cutting ceremony at the Ajax Community Centre where the machine is located. 
 
 
Congratulations to the 2025 Student Bursary Recipients
 
 
     
 
    
 
 

2025 High School Bursary Dinner

 
On 10 July 2025, eight of this year's 14 high school bursary recipients joined club members for dinner at Parkland. 
All the students gave background on themselves, including all the ways that they gave back to their schools and the community. 
Here are some pictures from that event, along with a few pictures from graduation ceremonies themselves.
 
   
2025 Annual President's Dinner
Awards Ceremony
(video courtesy of Jeeva from Creative Media) 
 
THE ROTARY CLUB OF AJAX AWARDED 
DON TERRY
 
WITH THE HIGH HONOUR OF A PAT BAYLY AWARD
FOR OUTSTANDING COMMUNITY SERVICE
 
Don Terry’s decades of volunteer work have enhanced the lives of families in Ajax and throughout Durham Region.
 
 
 
 
Thank You to our 2025 Ribfest Gold Sponsors
 
   
    
 
 
  
 

Come and see what it's all about

 We meet monthly, 1st & 3rd Thursdays @ 11:45am
Parkland Retirement Centre, 2nd Floor
3 Rossland Rd W, Ajax
All are welcome!
 
We meet monthly, 2nd Thursday @7pm on Zoom 
Click on this Zoom Link
Meeting ID: 861 5162 2579
Passcode: 115522
The Passing of Past President
George Okurapa
 
We are very saddened to pass along the news that Past President George Okurapa passed away suddenly at home from a cardiac arrest on Saturday January 11th 2025.
 
 
While George had only been a club member for 4+ years he has already had a great impact on the Club and the community it serves. George was a proud Rotarian.  He and Edidah always volunteered for Club activities and he frequently attended training on behalf of the Club and for his own personal development. 
 
George was a loving and proud family man who cared about, and for, his extended family in Uganda. He was a gentle soul and a true gentleman.  You  never heard critical words from him and he seemed to exude positivity. He will be sorely missed by all who knew him.  He has gone far too early.
 
 
 
It's Back... Rotary Club of Ajax Ribfest 2025
 
Ajax Public Library 
 
On 19 December two employees from the Ajax Public Library joined us at our weekly meeting to thank us for our multi year commitment to help fund the purchase a book lending machine, to be located at a Community Centre in South Ajax.  This is yet another example of the Rotary Club of Ajax making a difference in our community.  
 
Inline image
Donation & Time
Durham Children's Aid Foundation
 
The Rotary Club of Ajax is proud to donate funds to the
Durham Children's Aid Foundation in support of the Holiday Hope campaign.
 
The Foundation and its community partners, bring joy to families at Christmas with donations of gifts and clothing.
 
 
Pictures from Packing Food
@ Kids Against Hunger 2024
 
 
   
Rotary Club of Ajax Awarded Rotary Citation
 
Our club was recently awarded a 'Rotary Citation', which is the most significant award a Rotary club can achieve, for 2023-24.
 
In its accompanying email Rotary International stated that  "this past year, our club demonstrated a commitment to achieve its goals, which ultimately helps strengthen Rotary and shape its future". Congratulations to all of our members who made this achievement possible.
 
Past President Rene Soetens - A History Story
 
Rene regaled club members about his relationship with Rotary, both prior to being a member and during his many years as member, providing many anecdotes about the history of the club.
 
Camp Maple Leaf
 
Marci Shea-Perry is the Executive Director of Camp Maple Leaf founded in 1955. Their focus is on children aged six to sixteen whose parents are in the military, as well as children whose groups are so small, they don’t fit into other programs: examples are children whose parents are grieving, have cancer, limb differences, short stature, facial difference and skin conditions to name a few.  Children in military families have unique challenges, including long deployments of their parents, and frequent moving from one base to another making it challenging to form and maintain social connections.
 
   
Adopt a Village in Laos
 
Our guest speaker, Steve Rutledge, reported this has been a very busy year for ‘Adopt a Village in Laos’.  Fund raising was way up, including some substantial donations, and much more activity than previous years, with more than 300K raised last year.  Thousands of villages housing 60,000 people now have clean water, and for each village so supplied it is a milestone event. Steve hopes that members and the club will continue financial support of his project.  He invites members to go to their website to get more information.
 
We Grow Food
 
Thanks to Delta Bingo funds the Rotary Club of Ajax donated $2,500 towards the parent organization "We Grow Food" to buy garden kits. Below is one of some 70 community gardens in the Durham region.
 
    
 
    
2024 President's Luncheon & Awards Recipients
 
First row right to left: Jim Hinnecke (Paul Harris Award), Ken Hurst (President's Award), Brian Edwards (Paul Harris Award), Myrna Picotte, David French
Middle row right to left: Randy Slemin (Paul Harris Award), Bruce Green (President's Award), Marsha Jones-Dooley
Back row right to left: Kevin Brown & Darryl Wilson (more below), Keica Campbell, Ron Larock (Paul Harris award), Donna Bright (President Elect), Dr. Romas Stas (more below), Rene Soetens, Dale Pratt, George Okurapa (President & Paul Harris Award)
 
Winner of the 2024 Rotary Certificate of Appreciation
Waste Connections of Canada (Ajax)
Back row right to left: Representing Waste Connections of Canada Kevin Brown (District Manager) & Darryl Wilson (Operations Manager)
 
Winner of the Pat Bayly Award
Back row, fourth from the left: Dr. Romas Stas
Website Sponsors
Upcoming Events
Upcoming Meetings
Deborah Nurse
Feb 19, 2026
The Youth Village
Niecy Dillon
Feb 26, 2026 12:00 PM
Update on District events
Bruce Gravel
Mar 05, 2026
Is There Rotary in Heaven?
Sheri Ferko
Mar 19, 2026 12:00 PM
Music 4 Life
Lon Harnish
Apr 02, 2026
Ajax Rotary Laugh In
View entire list...

February 2026

S
M
T
W
T
F
S
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
01
02
03
04
05
06
07
08
09
10
11
12
13
14
Connect With Us On...
 
 
 
 
 
Club Information

Join us for our weekly meetings.  Each meeting features lunch and an interesting speaker.  All are welcome!

Ajax

Service Above Self

We meet In Person
Thursdays at 11:45 a.m.
Parkland Retirement Centre
3 Rossland Rd W
Ajax, ON L1Z 0V1
Canada
Monthly on the 1st & 3rd Thursday
District Site
Venue Map
Club Mailing Address
 
314 Harwood Ave. S.
P.O. Box 21022
Ajax, ON  L1S7H2
Club President 2023-2024

Jim Hinnecke

member photo
Club Executives & Directors
President
Jim Hinnecke
President Elect
Dale Pratt
Secretary
Paul Egli
Treasurer
Keicia Campbell
Fundraising
Dale Pratt
Immediate Past President
Donna Bright
Director
Ken Hurst
Director
Bruce Green
Director - Technology
Ron Larock
Director
Stephan Barg

We're looking for your support.

 
For almost 70 years volunteers with the Rotary Club of Ajax has donated over $1 million to hundreds of groups, organizations and not-for-profits. We've purchased and donated lakeside parkland, housed the needy, fed the hungry, helped eradicate polio, funded life saving hospital equipment, educated our youth and taken part in countless other projects and initiatives that help those in need.
 

Please support the Rotary Club of Ajax today so that we can continue doing the work YOU enable us to do.

                                              

Organizations We Support: