Career educator Ann Harrison has lived in Pelham for the past three decades, and decided seven years ago it was time to join the ranks of the Fonthill Rotary Club.
“With retirement from the DSBN [District School Board of Niagara] approaching, I started thinking about community service opportunities,” she said. “As an educator, I recognized that the local community is critically important for helping kids, and with Rotary’s emphasis on youth, decided to make the formal connection with Rotary. I was a classroom teacher for many years — including an eight-year stint at E.L. Crossley — and then transitioned into administration as a school-based principal. Finally, I became a Student Achievement Leader for the DSBN. I had linked up with Rotary in a number of different ways over the years through education, and had been asked to become a Rotary member, but the pace of life was such that it just didn't work for me at that time. You can only have so much on your plate at once.”
Since becoming a Rotarian in March of 2016, Harrison has served in a number of senior roles, and has been honoured as a Paul Harris Fellow. She has been involved in the organization’s Great Lakes Cleanup, and a similar program along the Steve Bauer Trail in connection with Earth Day. Rotarians are always there for community events like Summerfest and Summer Chill, she said, and with their Smart Serve qualifications, are happy to assist keeping the partying responsible.
But Rotary is just one of the retirement gigs Harrison has embraced. She currently serves as the Chair of the Program Advisory Committee of Leadership Niagara, a non-profit organization which identifies and nurtures future leaders within various sectors of the community. Harrison is a volunteer educator with Osteoporosis Canada, and is also the board vice chair for RAFT, an organization focused on diverting kids away from shelters by addressing the underlying cause of youth homelessness: relationship breakdown.
With roots in Toronto, Harrison attended McMaster University in Hamilton, where she met her husband, who was a Niagara native. When he secured a job at General Motors in St. Catharines, the couple settled to Fonthill.
“My husband has Ukrainian ethnicity, so we have done a lot of work sponsoring support for Ukraine,” said Harrison. “But it’s the community connection that's most important to me, because there’s so much local need. We have plenty to do right here in our own backyard. Doing things that give back to our community, and especially the youth demographic, has really been a personal priority. I remember the Interact Club — a junior Rotary program — being active at Crossley in the past. They put on an event called Holiday Cheer in the school cafeteria, which was a December spirit-lifter for families in need. I also work with the team that provides two scholarships each year to Crossley students.”
The Harrisons have two grown children, both Crossley graduates.
“Our daughter lives out in Esquimalt, British Columbia, working for a not-for-profit environmental group, and our son is currently finishing up work with an architectural firm in downtown Toronto, before going back to university to complete his masters,” she said. “My mom still lives in downtown Toronto, so I have a weekly drive into the city for a Thursday lunch date with her.”
Love of the outdoors, both locally and far-flung, is a Harrison family tradition.
“My husband and I love to travel, and now that Covid restrictions have ended, we pack our bags as much as we can,” said Harrison. “Last fall we were in Portugal and Spain, hiking the Camino de Santiago trail between the two countries, dotted with tiny villages where we sampled the culture, traditions, and cuisine. We were in BC for a while this summer, and did some exploring, hiking, and camping. We're also fortunate to be able to spend time at our cottage in Muskoka. But you’ll see me a lot around Fonthill, walking all over the place.”
The main Rotary event currently on Harrison’s radar is a purse bingo slated for November 10 at the Meridian Community Centre.
“Tickets are $45 each, with all proceeds supporting the Pathstone Mental Health Clinic at the MCC, and the Niagara Nutrition Partners,” she said. “Last year, the purse bingo raised funds for the nutrition programs at Wellington Heights, St. Anne's, A.K. Wigg, Glynn A. Green, and St. Alexander's, and we also gave money to Crossley for their nutrition program because the need was so great.”
Local businesses can buy advertising and support the event by sponsoring a purse for $250.
“The purse bingo sold out quickly last year, and we expect the same on November 10. Information with be on the Fonthill Rotary website soon,” said Harrison.
Information on purse sponsorship can be obtained by emailing [email protected].
