Rotary Youth exchange Saturday night

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Published on Wednesday, October 11, 2017

Micah Waddell
Neepawa Banner & Press 

On Sept. 30, the Rotarians of Neepawa had a barbecue bash with all of the exchange students in the district. The annual event was hosted by the Neepawa Inner Wheel, which is made up of the spouses of Rotarians. With wagon rides and hotdogs, it was fun for everyone.

This event has been hosted by the Neepawa Inner Wheel for 40 years and has been a wonderful event for everyone involved. The Neepawa weekend brings together all of the exchange students from in District 5550, which stretches from North Western Ontario to the Alberta-Saskatchewan border. The exchange this year has gathered students from Japan, Sweden, Netherlands, Brazil and other countries.

The students typically range in age from 15-19. These young people are sponsored by a local Rotary Club and stay in the host country for up to one academic year. The program allows the students to develop leadership skills, learn a new language, experience a new culture and create lasting friendships with people around the world. The students are provided room and board as well as any school fees. Travel expenses and spending money though are the students’ responsibility. All in all, the program is a wonderful thing that can be very rewarding for the people involved.