A Drumheller woman who has dedicated more than three decades to the service of girls and women is set to take an excursion to New Zealand.

  BJ Gallagher has been a member of the Soroptimist International of the Americas for 31 years. She said last summer she learned the Soroptimists on the South Island of New Zealand were offering a Grant of Friendship. This is an opportunity for a member to travel to New Zealand and be hosted by the local club.  She, along with  Soroptimists from all over the world applied and she learned in November she was selected.

Gallagher and her partner Alexander Herdman will be leaving March 3 for three weeks.

Gallagher has done her fair share of international travel, including other excursions as a Soroptimist including trips to South Africa, France and Turkey, to name a few, but this is her first time going to New Zealand.

“It’s a great opportunity to travel because there are people there on the other end that meet you and know you just because you are a Soroptimist. It is a friendly organization,” she said. “There are four federations, so it is really interesting seeing what other federations do.”

She said while in New Zealand they will be volunteering for a Wild Food Festival and will also attend a Conference in Wellington, on the North Island.

She has enjoyed her tenure with the group. She has filled virtually all of the positions in her Edmonton club and was casino chair for 15 years.  She was chair of the Soroptimist Foundation of Canada for six years

“Everything we do is to help women and girls. We work to educate and empower them however we can. We also work really hard against trafficking,” said Gallagher. “The Edmonton Club Supports an orphanage in Ukraine, we supported a school in Malawi, we sent money over to a member who was in Mongolia,” she said. “The Foundation gives out four grants a year of $7,500 for girls in Ph.D. and Masters programs and the clubs give out smaller amounts to younger women.”

It has been an exciting year in The Village of Rockyford as the community has made progress on some exciting projects, infrastructure and of course its centennial celebrations.

The Mail caught up with Mayor Darcy Burke to look back on 2018 and the strides the community has made, as well as to look ahead to 2019 and what is coming on the horizon.

One interesting project in 2018 was the addition of Prairie Ridge Park. The Village took possession of the former Rockyford School and have created a community space. Right now there is a play school in the building and the opportunity for the community to use the facility. Already there is a robust pickleball league using the building and office spaces available for businesses or community organizations.

“The Wheatland  Regional Water Corporation has moved in, that’s our major tenant,” said Burke. “The community is really making use of that building, I am glad to see that.”

Speaking of the Wheatalnd Regional Corporation, the water utility began delivering water to the Village last spring and has an application in for the next phase of the water project.

“It was a great partnership to take place and I am very proud to see Rockyford as a part of it,” he said.

One of 2018’s largest projects will come to fruition in 2019, and that is Rockyford’s Centennial celebration. While the party is coming up at the end of June. There are many elements that will leave a legacy on the community.

“We are doing the rededication of the Union Cemetery. We had a group of volunteers install the crosses that will permanently mark the gravesites that never had a marker before, and a plaque with the names we were able to gather of folks that are buried at the gravesites,” he said.

Another project will be a branding wall at the community centre where families will be able to place their brand on the wall as a legacy and fundraiser. They are also planning a mural and an upgrade to Main Street including a boardwalk, turn of the century style lighting and a guided historic walk.

“The community has done a fantastic job looking after our historical sites and part of the 100-year celebrations, those historical sites and recognizing the pioneers of Rockyford,” he said.

The Rockyford Centennial Celebrations are on June 29 and 30.