One of the best parts of attending a Rotary Internation Convention is getting to see a new area, so Rebekah and her husband, Sean, into Calgary a few days ahead of time and when she arrived in the airport she asked herself, “Have I left Austin?”. They were greeted by a cowboy singing and playing a guitar and also Rotary International signs everywhere.
They first visited Golden, British Columbia. Surprising, it was filled with Rotary things, such as the Rotary Loop which is similar to the Violet Crown Trail or the hike and bike trail around Lady Bird Lake. They also visited Yoho National Park and Wapta Falls which freezes over in the winter but has wonderful temperatures in the summer.
Next was Emerald Lake which is a beautiful emerald green/blue color from the sediment of the glaciers on the surrounding mountains. They saw glaciers melting and running down to Emerald Lake and Kicking Horse River. Yoho means “amazement”.
At the convention all the events took place in the BMO Convention Centre in Stampede Park in the heart of Calgary. There was a DJ, music, great speakers and lots of opportunities to meet others from around the world. Rebekah met and got to know a family from Nigeria who had a young son with them. She is staying in touch with some of those she met. She showed us several photo collages from the convention including one with the actress, Geena Davis, who was a featured speaker. She spoke drawing from her experience with the Geena Davis Institute on Gener in Media. Her final slide was one saying
“Thank You” with a photo of their dog, Bork!
“Thank You” with a photo of their dog, Bork!