St. Catharines May 21 2025 — The Rotary Clubs of St. Catharines; St. Catharines South and
St. Catharines Lakeshore were pleased to recognize seven local community leaders at their
Second Annual Paul Harris Celebration Evening held at Amici’s Banquet and Conference Centre.
Five (Dr. Robert Cooper; Marko Bukovec; Ron Matsushita; Mario Divitiis and
Korey Rorison) were recognized as Community Paul Harris Fellows (for individuals) and two
(CAA Niagara – accepted by Marianne Wilson, Vice President of Marketing, Strategy and
Member Engagement; and Start me Up Niagara – accepted by Board Chair Paul Miller and
Executive Director Laura Dumas) were recognized with Community Certificates of
Appreciation (for organizations) for their meritorious service.
About Rotary
People of Action, Rotary is where neighbors, friends, and problem-solvers share ideas, join
leaders, and take action to create lasting change. Rotary connects 1.2 million members from
more than 45,000 Rotary clubs in almost every country in the world. Each day, our members
pour their passion, integrity, and intelligence into completing projects that have a lasting
impact. For more than 110 years, we’ve bridged cultures and connected continents to champion
peace, fight illiteracy and poverty, promote clean water and sanitation, and fight disease. Rotary
has been working to eradicate polio for more than 30 years. As a founding partner of the Global
Polio Eradication Initiative, we've reduced polio cases by 99.9 percent since our first project to
vaccinate children in the Philippines in 1979.
About Paul Harris and the Award
Rotary started with the vision of one man — Paul P. Harris. In 1905, after setting up his law
practice in Chicago, Harris gathered several business associates to discuss the idea of forming an
organization for local professionals. He envisioned a place where professionals of diverse
backgrounds could exchange ideas and form meaningful, lifelong friendships. The first Rotary
Club was born. Harris died in 1947 in Chicago at age 78 after a prolonged illness. Before his
death, he made it known that he preferred contributions to The Rotary Foundation in lieu of
flowers. His passing prompted an outpouring of contributions from around the world. In the 18
months following his death, The Rotary Foundation received $1.3 million, which helped support
the Foundation’s first program — scholarships for graduate study abroad.
The highest form of recognition a Rotary Club can bestow, established by Rotary International
in 1957, is the Paul Harris Fellow. It is presented to a Rotarian or a member of the community
who has made an outstanding contribution to the community in the spirit of Rotary’s motto of
"Service Above Self".