The Rotary Club of Fonthill was chartered in 1991, and is part of an international district that includes 66 clubs in western New York and southern Ontario. In its early years, the club helped build the Steve Bauer Trail, and assisted with the construction of the Fonthill Bandshell and funded its sound system.
More recently, local Rotarians mounted campaigns to benefit Pelham Cares, Wellspring Niagara, the Meridian Community Centre, and the Fonthill Arches. Rotarians have organized and participated in numerous festivals and special events in Pelham, as well as donating more than $300,000 to community and international projects. An environmental cleanup of the Great Lakes Watershed is yet another recent project.
Each month Rotary honours a current member. For April, it was Janet Cripps.
Janet Cripps likes to tell students and parents that she’s something of a lifer at E.L. Crossley.
“I arrived here as a Grade 9 student in 1984, came back in 2003, and never left,” she said with a laugh.
She started off teaching business subjects at Crossley, but transitioned into guidance counselling in 2005, and has spent the past dozen years as the head of the department.
September 2023 enrollment at the Highway 20 school, which buses over 90 percent of its students in every day, is expected to be about 850, she said, which suits Cripps just fine.
“It’s a perfect number … we're large enough to offer a wide variety of courses, but small enough that we know all the kids really well,” she said.
A Rotarian since 2019, Cripps has been active in the organization’s many events, serving on committees and volunteering for Family Funfest, the TV auction, Purse Bingo, student scholarships, and Farmfest. She also leads Crossley’s Interact Club, which is a high school version of Rotary.
“The Family Funfest last year attracted 1500 people and raised $18,000,” said Cripps, “which was directed to the good work being done by Pathstone Mental Health, and Big Brothers/Big Sisters.”
Cripps’ primary focus these days, however, is working with the E.L. Crossley 60th Anniversary Organizing Committee, as the school makes plans in 2023 to welcome back more than 500 graduates to a gala on June 17 at the Meridian Community Centre in Fonthill.
“I started a campaign for sponsorships to provide seed money to get this off the ground,” she said. “Thankfully, there is a strong community connection to Crossley in Pelham, which is great. I wouldn't be surprised if we easily surpass 500 alumni at the reunion, because we already have thousands of social media hits on LinkedIn. We've got grads contemplating coming in from California, even the Philippines.”
Cripps describes the relationship between E.L. Crossley and the local Rotary Club as “very synergistic … Rotarians mentor and provide leadership opportunities for our students. We partner with them for the annual Rotary Holiday Food Drive, and our own Christmas Cheer for local families in need. Rotary provides scholarships for Crossley graduates, and offers a youth exchange program which sends a Crossley student abroad, and an international student to attend Crossley and stay with a local host family. I really enjoy my role as the liaison or conduit between the school and the club.”
Rotary’s emphasis on youth was demonstrated by a fundraising effort in 2005, which raised $100,000 for the provision of new uniforms and musical instruments for the E. L. Crossley Marching Band.
Cripps advocates that new families moving to the area should receive a formal invitation to immerse themselves in Pelham.
“If you're looking to establish yourself here, why not join one of our amazing service clubs, where you can contribute to the region, and meet some awesome people in the process? You’ll feel a part of the community must faster when you get involved.”
Healthy communities all boast high levels of volunteerism, stressed Cripps.
“We have great service clubs here in Pelham, like the Fenwick and Fonthill Lions, the Kinsmen, and of course, Rotary. The people in these organizations put in the time and raise the money to offer important programs and services. Our community sports teams are all dependent on volunteers. The Thursday Night summer concert series at the Fonthill bandshell would be impossible without volunteers. Active citizens create thriving communities,” she said.
