On Monday 1 June 2026, we had the pleasure of welcoming two Ignite Club members to our noon meeting: Michelle Haukeness and Pamela Schwengler.
Michelle was our guest speaker, filling us in about the history and development of this, the fourth Rotary Club (albeit a satellite club) in Medicine Hat.
The Rotary Club of Medicine Hat - Sunrise - Ignite, began meeting informally in 2020. It is a small club, but the members think big and are planning to make a significant impact in the community of Medicine Hat over time. We think they have done so already!
A characteristic of this club is that, while they have the same passion for serving the community as all other Rotary clubs, they are exploring new ways of doing Rotary. Their focus is, for example, more on projects than on meetings. Their prime focus is to seek to connect with the local community and to promote wellness.
They became a non-profit under the Societies Act in February 2025.
Their past projects include a Rotary Christmas convoy, Christmas cards, Dine Arounds, Christmas caroling for seniors, cotton candy sales at the annual Rise Up Hot Air Balloon show in Medicine Hat, and Canada Day volunteering.
Ignite Club values working with the other Rotary Clubs in Medicine Hat. They have, for example, joined forces for the Terry Fox Run, the Hospital Flower Bed, and the Why Rotary event.
The main current fundraiser of Ignite is the ‘Fabric, Yarn & More’ sale - formerly organized by the Hat Grannies for Africa. This year, $14,000 was raised at a sale in April at the Curling Centre, where 143 people lined up, waiting to enter the building before opening time! It was a huge success!
For this main fundraising project, Club Ignite looks for donations - fabric plus anything related to sewing. Donations are sorted, priced and organized. The sale of all these goods raises revenue that is then spent in the community.
Recent recipients of donations from Ignite Club include the Medicine Hat Health Foundation and the Hospital Garden. They were present at the 2026 Hot Air Balloon Festival, raising funds, same time marketing Rotary and seeking new members.
In the longer term, Ignite members are planning to organize events that highlight women's issues.
Read more about Ignite Rotary Club on Facebook: /rotary/ignite or on Instagram /rotaryignite.
We salute you, members of the Ignite Rotary Club! Count us in to partner with you, as appropriate and possible, on any of your ventures that promote the wellbeing and health of the residents of Medicine Hat!
