Woodstock Man Receives Major Rotary Award

John Slipp, a member of the Rotary Club of Woodstock, New Brunswick is the winner of the 2016 Donald MacRae Peace Award for his work as co-chair of the Friends of Mark Gallagher.

The Woodstock-based coalition helped to build the Sgt. Mark Gallagher Vocational School in Rivière Froide, Haiti, which opened in the fall of 2014. Slipp was presented the award during a special ceremony Saturday at the Rotary District 7810 conference in Presque Isle, Maine.

The Donald MacRae Peace Award is presented annually to an individual or organization who has made an outstanding contribution to advancing international goodwill and understanding through humanitarian or peacekeeping efforts of international significance.

Past governor of Rotary District 7810, Michel Leger said that, “By bringing together Canadians from across the country to support a humanitarian project which responds to the needs expressed by a Haitian community, John Slipp and the Friends of Mark Gallagher have done much to foster goodwill and understanding between the peoples of Haiti and Canada. The Sgt. Mark Gallagher Vocational School will provide Haitian youth the opportunity to learn a trade, earn a better income and to help with the reconstruction of their country. In this way it can make a positive contribution to a more peaceful and prosperous Haiti.”

“The leadership, compassion, commitment and perseverance that John demonstrated as Co-Chair of the Friends of Mark Gallagher, in bringing this project to fruition make him a truly worthy recipient of the Donald MacRae Peace Award,” Leger said.

Dave McCain, president of the Rotary Club of Woodstock said, “Our club applauds John and this great achievement. Rotary Zone 24 includes all of Canada and parts of several states in the U.S. and has over 30,000 Rotarians. The award winner personifies Rotary’s dedication to international service. Our club invested $25,000 in the Mark Gallagher project and we are very proud to see the school up and running.”

Ginny Joles, District Governor of Rotary District 7810 said, “On behalf of all the Rotarians in our district, I congratulate John on his outstanding accomplishment in winning the Donald MacRae Peace Award. This year Rotary is celebrating the 100th anniversary of its charitable arm, the Rotary Foundation. One of our members winning this award for helping to advance goodwill and peace in the world, which is truly the engine that drives the Foundation, gives our district one more reason to celebrate in this centennial year.”

The award commemorates the work of Halifax Rotarian Donald MacRae, who had a vision for Rotary as an agent for the promotion of peace and good will among nations. In 1921, MacRae successfully proposed that the Rotary Constitution be amended to include the Fourth Object of Rotary: The advancement of international understanding, goodwill and peace through a world fellowship of business and professional persons united in the ideals of service.

John and Darla Slipp and their two children reside in Woodstock. They own and operate the Atlantic Travel Centre/Woodstock Duty Free Shop in Belleville on the Maine/New Brunswick border.

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