MEMBER SPOTLIGHT: Denis LeFebvre! IN HIS OWN WORDS:
I have been a Rotarian for over four years now. My initial contact in Rotary was with the most dedicated Rotarian in the entire district, Kevin Crosby (not just my opinion!!). He introduced me to Buffalo Sunrise and it was an instant fit! Since joining this diverse group of individuals I have had the privilege of being the President of our group and I am now an active member on our Board.
I joined Rotary to meet like-minded people who are committed to making a difference. I have been part of an organization called the Niagara Warehouse of Hope since 2005, and I have recently taken charge of Project Africa. I have been involved with this program since 2005 and have spent 4-6 weeks every year in Uganda building infrastructure such as schools, orphanages, medical clinics, water and sanitation projects and most recently, food programs for students. During my visits to Uganda, I was constantly bumping into Rotarians and my interest was piqued.
Buffalo Sunrise Rotary is a very unique blend of motivated individuals who also have projects in Africa and one program in particular also based in Uganda, Let There Be Light. I joined Rotary to meet people and network, and this has exceeded my expectations. It seems strange to work with new people here who have the same insight and motivation that I do, and actually meet up with them in Uganda and move our programs forward. Our current club president recently joined me in Uganda to learn how to replicate our development program in his native country of Ghana.
Our club also has many local programs such as volunteering at the Food Bank, Kevin’s Guest House, The Niagara Greenway Project, and The Ride for Roswell. We also have The Buffalo Sunrise Bicycle Revival program which is a personal favorite of mine. We collect and refurbish donated bicycles and donate them to Journeys End which is a refugee assistance organization headed by another member of our club. To date we have collected more than 400 Bikes!! {UPDATE: over 500 bikes!)
I was born in Canada, but at an early age found myself in exotic places like Jamaica and Kenya. My father was a school teacher who worked with the Canadian Government through an organization called The Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA). My parents took the time to expose my siblings and I to every possible foreign experience possible. It was with these experiences, later on in life, that I felt that I needed to make a difference in this world, especially somewhere remote and in need of assistance.
I have a son who lives in Florida, and a daughter who lives in Buffalo. My son recently spent a month with me and my father in Uganda; it was his first trip, and my father’s last (he is 87). I currently live with my girlfriend Maria, who coincidently, I met at my first Rotary meeting. She is also a member of the Buffalo Sunrise, and a past president of our club. We live with Lily Bean, an eight year old French Bulldog, and a two year old feline named Hogart , and anyone from our club who has been to our house can attest to the fact that they are best friends!!
My time is divided between work (I am a site coordinator with a small construction company), family and friends, bike riding, bike repair, bike collecting ….. anything “bike related”, coin collecting, and most importantly, community service. I look forward to the diverse opportunities different Rotary clubs and members offer. In the last month we have had two great social gatherings for outstanding meals, a riverside cleanup, and two different bike rides on the Greenway path which stretches from Buffalo to Youngstown.
The key to success in any organization is participation. Rotary has such a diverse agenda, and with that it encompasses many of my interests, and sparks new ones. The people I have met and the programs I have been invited to par-take in are what Rotary is all about.
Cheers.