Having a driving need to become more connected and contribute to her community, Sharon Pfeifer knew she would find her answer with the Rotary Club of Fonthill. In February, Pfeifer became one of the club’s newest members.
“The Rotary is a really good vehicle for contributing to your community but my connection to the club goes so much deeper than that.”
Pfeifer remembers attending Rotary lunches with her dad, where she learned about the organization. The club’s core values—service, fellowship, diversity, integrity and leadership—are values Pfeifer said she believes in.
One of Pfeifer’s first Rotary experiences was in her early 20s. She went on a three-week exchange trip to Japan in 1992 with the local Rotaract Club in Kenora, Ont. The club brings together people ages 18 and older to exchange ideas with leaders in the community, develop leadership and professional skills, and have fun through service.
“It was a real professional development experience where we prepared presentations about our particular Rotary district to share when we got there,” Pfeifer said. “When we were there it had been organized so that we toured the entire district and we stayed with people in their homes.”
Pfeifer recalls learning some Japanese phrases she might need, as well as customs and the culture.
“This was before Google, before having smart phones and we were just flipping through pages, using body language and just trying to communicate as best we could.”
The exchange was a once-in-a-lifetime experience that taught Pfeifer a lot about having confidence. After going to Japan, Pfeifer said she walked away with the knowledge that she could go anywhere, and do anything if she set her own goals.
“It was a real eye-opener and I think anybody who goes on any kind of exchange comes home more appreciative,” she said. “That trip was amazing by itself and the experience of being part of the Rotaract Club was great. It’s something that has stuck with me.”
In the years that followed, Pfeifer grew her family, and focused on her career in radio broadcasting and news that led her to live in various communities across Canada. During that time, Pfeifer continued to volunteer with her children’s schools, youth groups and sports teams.
“As a parent it was important for me to engage in the things that mattered most to my kids, to set an example and to help them get the most out of their experiences,” she said. It’s my turn now. Joining Rotary is something I do for me to meet new people, to give back to the community, to build connections.”
She moved to Pelham with her husband and children in 2019 and has since left her media career to work for the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Foundation (NPCF). Working for the NPCF has been a fulfilling opportunity for Pfeifer.
“Sustainability and nature have always been really important to me and in my heart I’ve always wanted to embrace and have an active role in caring for nature.”
For Rotary, she is currently leading the service club’s organizing team in preparation for Earth Day, and is implementing a Rotary project, the Pelham Rotary Tree Planting Initiative. As part of the project, the Rotary club will give residents trees to plant to improve the municipality’s tree canopy.
Pfeifer described the feeling of joining the Rotary as “a homecoming” after having had all those experiences with Rotaract.
“It fits. I belong. It is where I get to share my skills and interests to make a difference in the community.”
