IMFR (The International Marathon Fellowship of Rotarians) was formed after a group of French Rotarians developed the idea of having at least 100 Rotarians competing in the Paris Marathon during Rotary’s Centennial year in 2005 and have since met annually. President Kester Baines (Rotary Club of Kardinia, Geelong, Victoria, Australia District 9780) decided that he would like to take this event to New Zealand in general and Queenstown in particular.
A travelling group of 31, their tour starts in Auckland on 3rd November and arrive in Queenstown via the West Coast on Thursday 15th November and will participate in the Air NZ Queenstown Marathon. From Queenstown they travel to Milford Sound and overnight on the Milford Mariner return to their native homes on Thursday 22nd November.
SO WHAT’S OUR PART IN THIS EVENT?
We are arranging a Pasta Night for them on Friday 19th November at Wild Thyme and on Saturday 20th November a Dinner for them, most likely at Copthorne Lakeside where they are staying. Both nights will of course be open for our club members and partners so that we can offer the hand of friendship and hospitality and make sure that their stay in Queenstown becomes a very memorable one for them. I believe that this is a great opportunity for us to ‘Show Case’ Queenstown and Queenstown Rotary and at the same time experience another International Rotary Event, on this occasion in our own back yard.
Please note your diaries accordingly and I trust that I have your full co-operation to making this one timer for Queenstown a great success. Go to www.rotarianrun.org for further information.
Russell