by PP Frank Chan, Rotary Clean Day Organizing Committee Chair, Rotary Club of Kwai Chung, District Preserve Planet Earth Committee Vice Chair
Rotary Clean Day, held on April 20th, 2024, coinciding with Earth Day weekend, marked a significant milestone as Rotary International District 3450 united our entire district, including Rotary clubs in Hong Kong, Macau, and Mongolia, for a momentous one-day environmental clean-up.
With great pride and enthusiasm, we are delighted to share that more than 80 Rotary clubs and over 1,000 people participated in this extraordinary initiative, carrying out clean-up activities in more than 50 different locations across our district. Together, they dedicated their time and efforts to restore the beauty of our seabed, shorelines, hiking trails, country parks, cycling trails, and elderly housing. Our collective efforts resulted in the collection of over 4 tons of refuse, highlighting the impact that can be made when we come together for a common cause.
The day began with a memorable kick-off ceremony held at Rotary Park in Tai Mo Shan, where the picturesque backdrop of nature and the Rotary monument served as the stage, in line with our commitment to being environmentally friendly. We were honoured to have esteemed guests join us, including our District Governor, Andy Li, and the Guest of Honour, Mr. WONG Kam-sing GBS, JP, Former Secretary for Environment and Ecology of Hong Kong. Their presence and support added a significant touch to the event.
We were also privileged to have Mr. LO Pui-lam, Acting Deputy Chief Commissioner (Programme & Training) of the Scout Association of Hong Kong, Ms. Money Shui Fung Ip, Chairperson of Green Peng Chau Association, Ms. Debbie Lee, Operation Director of A Drop Of Life, Mr. Eric Ng Ka Lok, Curriculum Director of Seaman Diving Centre, and Mr. Kent Wong, Chief Executive Officer of Go Green Travel (HK) Limited, as our esteemed officiating guests. They are also the supporting organizations for the event, and their presence at the ceremony truly exemplified the spirit of Rotary Clean Day.
During the kick-off ceremony, comic painter Mr. Kit Law painted a beautiful artwork portraying the essence of our clean-up activities. We were honoured to have DG Andy, GOH WONG Kam-sing, and all officiating guests add their unique touches to the painting, representing their commitment to our cause and signifying the official start of Rotary Clean Day.
We envision a future where more people and organizations respond to our call to participate in Rotary Clean Day and join us in creating a lasting impact. Our message of “Create Hope for a Cleaner Environment” resonates deeply with our commitment to protecting the environment, and we are determined to spread this message far and wide.
We extend our heartfelt gratitude to all the Rotarians, Rotaractors, Interactors, RCC members, volunteers, and service partners who contributed their time, energy, and resources to make Rotary Clean Day a resounding success. As we reflect on the incredible achievements of Rotary Clean Day, we are filled with hope and inspiration for the future. Together, let us continue to strive for a cleaner, greener, and more sustainable world.
Rotary Clean Day in Mongolia
by PP Narantuya Demberel, Rotary Club of Niislel, District 3450 Preserve Planet Earth Committee Vice Chair
This year, on April 20th, Rotarians of Mongolia organized at National Park of Ulaanbaatar a “Rotary Clean Day” in collaboration with the Caritas Czech Republic (CCR) NGO, the EU project SWITCH-Asia for Sustainable Plastic Recycling in Mongolia (SPRIM) and Alliance Française d’Oulan-Bator. The aim of this year’s activities is to clean the green area, bicycle and running track of National park of Ulaanbaatar city. This location is one of the most important target areas of the city due to its only one green park in the city with more than 1.3 million population.
The event consisted of 4 parts:
- Clean and repaint the Rotary playground.
- Cleaning the green area, bicycle and running track of National park of Ulaanbaatar.
- Present the activities of Rotaract and Interact clubs.
- Introduce the national game of France Pétanque from the Alliance Française d’Oulan-Bator
More than 350 people attended the event, 247 of whom were Rotarians, Rotaractors, Interactors and Rotary club members families. On this day, Rotarians and their partners collected 130 bags of trash.
Thank you to all Mongolian Rotarians, Rotaractors, Interactors, Rotary club members family and friends for attending the Rotary Clean Day!
Special thanks to Youth Committee team, YSCVC Ariungoo.Kh, A9 DDRR Azbileg.T, A10 DDRR Nomin.G, A9 DDRRE Munbish.B, A10 DDRRE Solongo.T, ICVC Dashdulam.A, Tsetsee Gun RC member Ichinnorov. S, Tsetsee Gun RC member Solongo. T for participating in the rganization and supporting our activities!
