The City of Kitchener welcomed Kitchener Rotary members to City Hall today as they celebrated the opening of Rotary Plaza along the Duke Street frontage of City Hall. Today’s dedication is part of the pandemic delayed commemoration of our community’s longest-serving Rotary Club, which celebrated its 100-year anniversary in 2022.
In December 2021, Kitchener City Council recognized the 100 years of community contributions from Kitchener Rotary through the renaming of the Duke Street Plaza at City Hall to the “Rotary Plaza”. This was part of the 100th anniversary commemorations that included the Kitchener Rotary Club donating $100,000 towards the Victoria Park Bandstand renovation, which will also be completed later this summer.
“For more than a century, the Kitchener Rotary Club has seen a dedicated group of dedicated community leaders and volunteers truly live the motto of “service above self,” said Kitchener Mayor Berry Vrbanovic. “The contributions of the club and its members to the City of Kitchener and our broader region reaches far beyond their financial contributions, and our City is proud to dedicate Rotary Plaza at Kitchener City Hall in commemoration of the 100-year anniversary of the Kitchener Rotary Club.”
The new Rotary Plaza features many opportunities for the community to gather and enjoy the grounds of City Hall. This includes benches, public art and new horticulture features. In recognition of the Kitchener Rotary Club’s 100th anniversary and their charitable and voluntary contributions, a permanent plaque honouring Rotary has been placed in a central area of the Plaza.
“For more than a century, Kitchener Rotary has strived to make a positive impact in our city through our members’ tireless service and also our commitments to supporting community infrastructure and organizations,” said Adrian DeCoo, Past-President of Kitchener Rotary. “Our club was honoured to receive this dedication of the Rotary Plaza at City Hall and to support the City of Kitchener and the Victoria Park Band Stand as part of our 100th Anniversary celebrations.”
The City of Kitchener welcomes our community to enjoy the Rotary Plaza features on the Duke Street side of City Hall when visiting Kitchener City Hall or Downtown Kitchener.
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For more information, contact
Bethany Rowland
Director, Corporate Communications & Marketing
City of Kitchener
bethany.rowland@kitchener.ca