President's Report

As we wrap up another reporting year, it gives me great pleasure to celebrate our many accomplishments of the past year despite the challenges of COVID. Our club has remained active through lockdowns and other pandemic control measures and adapted well to the online meeting platform and electronic communication, transactions, and event hosting. The Club held the first virtual International Women’s Day event with great success. There were about 56 participants which included District Governor, Area Director and other leaders from the organization. The Club plans to host other online events to help with fundraising. We are making great progress in increasing our social media presence, currently the website is being updated and access to other platforms are being aligned to increase the visibility of Club activates.

We are also very excited to have launched our Book Club this year and it is progressing in full swing. The selection of books alternates between fiction and non-fiction each month and the plan is to continue through the summer months as well.

We held a very successful 31st Annual Car Rally on Oct. 31st. It took place on a gorgeous fall day in Southern Ontario and a beautiful scenic route, total donations raised at the rally was $6843. On behalf of our Club - Lois Spencer and Nita presented a cheque for $5500 to Times Change. We will also donate $1300 to the White Ribbon Campaign. Surplus from the Car Rally and donations from our previous members and attendees $1000 in total were donated to Women’s College Hospital Sexual Assault and Domestic Abuse Care Centre. November dinner dues of $35 went to the Yonge Street Mission for their food bank last winter. Club members also donated this year’s Dickens Dinner dues to the Zonta Foundation for Every Member Every November, which was a very successful campaign.

The Scholarship and Awards Committee was very active this year and created a database of local education institutes that will be very useful in the coming years. This years Young Women in Public Affairs Award winner is Teresa Siby, from St. Robert’s Catholic School in Thornhill. Jane M Klausman Scholarship is progressing well, the committee has already received 3 applications.

Last year, some of our long-term members retired. we have learned so much from them and they are dearly missed. We celebrate and acknowledge their dedication and service to our Club. We also have new members who joined us in the past year include our very first male member.

I want to thank each member for your dedication and service in a very different, exciting and unforgettable year! I am grateful for the opportunity to serve you as your President and look forward to an exciting year ahead. I wish to thank-you all for your efforts.

Warm Regards,
Faria Latif
President, Zonta Club of Toronto
May 11, 2021