The Rotary Club of Port Harcourt Airfield held its first-ever National Night celebrations on 26th March 2023 in pursuit of its commitment to support Rotary International in its efforts for valuing-adding and living the principles of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). As one of Rotary’s core values, Diversity occupies a distinct pride of place and is clearly one of its greatest strengths.
Although the event had been organized previously as the International Night, the innovative Rotary Club of Port Harcourt Airfield decided to celebrate the unique tribes in our Nation in this year’s edition, thereby delivering a “National Night” event to the utmost delight of Rotarians, their families and guests who attended who added color, pomp and circumstance to the spectacular event. Also in attendance were Rotary International District 9141 leaders including Past District Governor Nze Anizor, District Governor Nominee Chinedu Ikegwuani and Assistant Governor Sandra Akarolo-Nmeni.
The event featured a cultural dance parade, exhibition of local food delicacies, dramatized cultural attire display, recitation of Rotary’s 4-Way Test in several languages, and so much more fun! The club also inducted new members to the club while friends who donated to the Rotary Foundation (TRF) also got decorated with their Paul Harris Fellow (PHF) pins. The club also launched its 3rd Environment project which is an advocacy drive for the use of biodegradable bags as a means of reducing plastic Usage.
The Club President, Rtn Happy Iyomi, in her opening speech, thanked all those who graced the event. She explained that there was no better time to celebrate our diversity as a nation than now when the just concluded presidential election is giving some people concern probably because their preferred candidates didn’t win. She encouraged all to focus on issued that unite rather than those which divide us as a nation. On his part, the Chairman of the National Night Planning Committee, Rtn Hammed Ganiyu, thanked everyone in attendance and encouraged them to support the environment project.
In a dizzling display of culture and creativity, the various cultural teams competed in the cultural display which saw the Yoruba team winning the coveted trophy to the admiration of other tribes. During the presentation, the grand dance was jointly performed by all. Doing it the Rotary Club of Port Harcourt Airfield way is indeed Blazing the Trail with so much fun along the way.
