The donation was made up of a $5000 from the club and $1000 collected through the annual donor appeal which has been operating in the city for more than 50 years.

Cessnock Wine Country Rotary Club has been helping with the donor appeal collections for more than a decade after offering to help the then donor appeal coordinator, the late Mrs. Olive Drayton.

Donor appeal coordinator, Bruce Wilson, who is also the Rotary club’s treasurer, said many of the donors have been supporting the appeal for a long number of years and their generosity never wanes.

Childrens’ Medical Research Institute community relations manager Jennifer Philps was at the club’s changeover dinner last Monday to accept the donation and talk about advances being made in the institute’s research projects.

A highlight of the changeover function was the presentation of a Paul Harris Fellow award, highest honour Rotary can bestow, to member Kevin Morris.

Mr. Morris joined the club in 2008 and continues to be a tireless worker for the organisation. He said it was a wonderful honour and came as a complete surprise.

Another award the club made on the night was bestowing honorary membership on Mrs. Gail Ellis. Honorary membership is among the highest awards Rotary can make and was made in recognition of Mrs. Ellis’s voluntary work for the club during its fundraising campaigns.

Capping off a memorable night for Mr. Morris was his induction as president to lead the club over the next 12 months.