Dick Drew (2004-05) District 5020
Aline & Dick Drew
Dick Drew joined Rotary in Hamilton, Ontario in 1975.
He transferred to Duncan B.C. in 1979 when he bought the Duncan radio station which he owned and operated until 2002.
Dick served as Governor of Distinct 5020 during Rotary's Centennial year (2004-05). District 5020 is one of the largest International Districts in Rotary with 87 clubs and 5200 members. It includes 35 clubs on Vancouver Island and 52 clubs in Western Washington, stretching to the Oregon border.
During the Rotary Centennial year, District 5020 received a total of eight Rotary International Zone awards for chartering three clubs, recruiting 500 new members, and exceeding several levels of Foundation giving - the largest number of Zone awards ever awarded to one District.
Dick is a multiple Paul Harris recognition recipient. His wife Aline, daughter Louise, and sons Mitch and Cam, are also Paul Harris recognition recipients.
While attending the Rotary International Conference in Australia in 2002 he saw a display for Shelterbox. He immediately recognized its value for rebuilding shattered lives and providing dignity and hope to enable displaced persons to rebuild their lives. Shelterbox had no representation in Canada or the Northwest USA. Upon his return to Canada he convinced Ladysmith Rotarian Alan Lomax to become the volunteer executive director of Shelterbox Canada, and the rest is history.
In private life Dick is president of Drew Marketing Ltd with clients in Australia, the US and across Canada and is a best-selling author of two books.
In 2008 he launched across Canada a weekly syndicated newspaper column tilted ‘Canadian Achievers.’ It is the title of a syndicated radio program he created and hosted from 1984-99 and title of his best-selling, self-published book "The Canadian Achievers."
Dick and his wife Aline are the proud parents of three children and five grandchildren.
In 2006 they moved from District 5020 to Maple Ridge in District 5050 to live near their five grandchildren.