Flagship project - Model United Nations Assembly in Old Parliament House - August 2024.
We are a small and motivated breakfast club with members drawn from a wide range of vocations. Our goal is to serve our local community with a strong focus on youth. Our two primary activities are the Model United Nations Assembly (MUNA) which is an event for high school students held annually at the Museum of Australian Democracy and DreamCricket, which provides opportunities for primary school children with disabilities to play cricket. We enjoy the friendship and fellowship associated with Rotary service.
You can get full information on what we do and who we are in this leaflet
Why not join us at Canberra Sunrise Rotary and help us improve our great community here in Canberra. Drop an email to canberra.sunrise@gmail.com We'd love to meet you.
On Saturday 24 May 2025, the Rotary Club of Canberra Sunrise once again, lit the barbeque burners, this time in support of the National Archives of Australia’s Exhibition Camel Trains to Steel Wheels – Life on the Trans-Australian Railway.
Rotarians and friends of Rotary attended to serve up sausages from 10am until 2pm in support of this community event. We set up shop right at the front entrance to the building and managed to raise $650.
Thankfully the rain held off and the NAA team expressed their gratitude for our support for this family activity.
Special thanks to Roger, Peter, Rosemary, Helen, Kim, Yohan, Ray and Randal and to those that supported us throughout the day.
On Tuesday 6 May 2025, members of the Rotary Club of Canberra Sunrise (Peter, Neil, Helen and Greg) and a small band of other volunteers, assembled at Buk bilong Pikinini Headquarters in Fyshwick to assist in stacking boxes of donated books on 5 pallets and then wrapping the pallets ready for shipment to school libraries in Papua New Guinea.
Buk bilong Pikinini, a not-for-profit organisation co-founded by Anne Sophie Hermann, provides schools in PNG with a range of books which enables greater opportunities for their students to learn more about the world, including more about diet and well-being, hygiene, diversity, inclusiveness of those with disabilities, and aims to improve literacy. 
Buk bilong Pikinini, a not-for-profit organisation co-founded by Anne Sophie Hermann, provides schools in PNG with a range of books which enables greater opportunities for their students to learn more about the world, including more about diet and well-being, hygiene, diversity, inclusiveness of those with disabilities, and aims to improve literacy.
On Sunday 23 February 2025, volunteers from the Rotary Club of Canberra Sunrise gathered early to prepare yet another barbeque, this time in support of Dementia Australia's Memory Walk and Run event.
Commencing preparations at 6.30am were Barbeque organiser Roger Crosthwaite and his nephew Nic, who towed the BBQ trailer and helped to set up. Nic is a former Rotary exchange student and is very supportive of Rotary’s work and the Dementia Australia cause.
Over 1500 participants registered for the event and there were over 50 volunteers on hand to assist.
We served our first sausage sandwiches and egg and bacon rolls at 7.30am and there were a few keen to taste Kim's and Yohan's fine cooking. Neil and Helen were there to get things ready and handle the gradual influx.
The first runners and walkers started after a few formalities on site. Surprisingly, quite a few wanted a pre-run/walk snack! The busy period was 9.30 - 10.30am when the crowd returned and thanks to David and Randal we had it all in hand.
We were well prepared, even providing a vegan sausage option – unfortunately, this wasn’t popular with the majority of diners! With lots of children in attendance, the juice poppers rapidly disappeared!
While it somewhat difficult to know how to cater for the demand, we had plenty of supplies and had a few leftovers which the ground crew appreciated.
In addition to raising over $500 for Dementia Australia, the remaining bread at the end of the day was donated to St John's Care.
On Saturday 1 February 2025, Defence Member and Family Services hosted a carnival at the Royal Military College (RMC) Duntroon, with an afternoon of carnival fun, including rides, food, entertainment and opportunities to meet.
The Rotary Club of Canberra Sunrise supported this event through the provision of a delicious barbeque stall staffed by club volunteers.
The organisers of the day were delighted with Rotary’s contribution – of the 1200 attendees, 416 stopped to enjoy a sausage sandwich, 167 for a drink, and 53 for a bottle of water.
Business was booming for most of the afternoon.
The RCCS coordinator, Roger Crosthwaite praised the RCCS team for their enthusiastic contribution - Peter, Margaret, Gabi, Yohan, Akain, Rosemary, Suzanne, and Kim.
“Without the support of Peter as our club President, and the stalwart members (and their family members) who contributed on the day, we would not be able to continue to conduct these vital fundraising activities," Roger said.
On Thursday 30 January, volunteers from the Rotary Club of Canberra Sunrise (Peter, Neil, Helen and Greg) and members from other Rotary clubs in the region, including Weston Creek (Tony, Malcolm and others), assembled at Fyshwick to assist in stacking boxes of donated books on pallets and then wrapping the pallets ready for shipment to school libraries in Papua New Guinea.
Buk bilong Pikinini, a not-for-profit organisation co-founded by Anne Sophie Hermann, provides schools in PNG with a range of books which enables greater opportunities for their students to learn more about the world, including more about diet and well-being, hygiene, diversity, inclusiveness of those with disabilities, and aims to improve literacy.
On 15th November 2024, the Rotary Club of Canberra Sunrise ran a Dream Cricket event for selected schools in the ACT region.
A group of Club members, other Rotarians, and BbP volunteers today helped Buk Bilong Pikinini load approximately 300 boxes of donated books onto seven pallets ready for shipment to PNG. The books will be used to set up school libraries across the country. Thank you Ainslie, Kim and Ray. I hope your muscles aren't too sore.
On Monday 9 December 2024, the Rotary Club of Canberra Sunrise joined forces with Canberra Grammar School to provide a barbeque lunch for the Sony Foundation’s Children’s Holiday Camp Program.
This program is a unique respite activity that sees high school and university students take on the responsibility for the care of children with disability, allowing their families to have a valuable weekend off! The program began in 1998 with one camp in one Sydney school. Since then, it has expanded to 30 camps in 50 schools and universities.
Annually:
- Sony Foundation funds 29 Sony Foundation Camps across Australia, with:
- 50 schools and universities involved.
- 670+ children enjoying the holiday of a lifetime.
- 1150+ student carers take part in a formative and eye-opening experience as a carer.
- $1.8 million – the value of respite care provided free of charge to families every year.
The Rotary Club of Canberra Sunrise's Kim, Rosemary, Greg, Roger (Coordinator) and Neil were happy to lend a hand and provide the barbeque lunch for the participating Canberra Grammar School students and their special guests.
