Jubilee beacon for the Queen
Governor for Rotary District 9920 Steve Chaney awards the Rotary Paul Harris Fellow to Health Ministry permanent secretary Dr James Fong.
FIJI was one of the first countries in the world to light a platinum jubilee beacon, marking Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s accession at an event hosted by the Rotary Club of Suva East on Friday night.
Rotary members from clubs around the Capital City and their invited guests gathered on the lawn at the Grand Pacific Hotel as governor for Rotary District 9920 Steve Chaney and deputy British High Commissioner Paul Welsh lit the beacon.
While addressing the participants prior to the lighting ceremony, Mr Welsh said he was honoured to represent the United Kingdom and the Queen at the event.
The lighting of the beacon kicked off the lighting of similar beacons across 54 cities in the Commonwealth.
Rotary coordinator in Fiji Erica Lee from the Rotary Club of Suva East said she was contacted by Rotary District assistant governor Sreetharan Vallipuram of Rotary in London — who was in charge of coordinating with Rotarians in the Commonwealth and former Commonwealth countries to participate.
Ms Lee said the beacon lit in Fiji would join those lit in 54 cities and create a peace wave across the globe.
Mr Chaney said he was amazed at the number of projects that the Suva clubs were engaged in and acknowledged the members for their efforts.
At the event, the Ministry of Health’s permanent secretary Dr James Fong was awarded the Rotary Paul Harris Fellow.
He was nominated for the award by Suva East Rotary Club immediate past president Ashika Devi for his service to Fiji during the COVID-19 pandemic.