Bill Rawlins received a Sovereign Medal for Volunteers award on Thursday, Sept. 5 in Victoria from BC Lt. Governor Janet Austin (Rachel Rilkoff)

By Ian Holmes

giving back

Nanoose Bay man honoured for providing hope in 3rd world countries

Sep 8, 2019 | 12:33 AM

PARKSVILLE — A Nanoose Bay man’s tantalizing retirement plans went out the window to instead help the desperately poor in central America and Mexico.

Bill Rawlins, a former Ballenas Secondary principal, had his life change forever during a second trip to the Dominican Republic (DR) in 2006 with a Canadian aid organization.

A memory of a mother cooking for two badly malnourished children is forever seared in his memory.

“For lunch they were having two fish heads that were being fried on a pan on a pile of sticks in front of their cement bunker that they were living in.”

Rawlins was shocked, saddened and sensed a call to action.

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He was hooked.

After 56 trips to DR, Haiti and Mexico Rawlins received a Sovereign Medal for Volunteers on Thursday, Sept. 5 in Victoria from B.C. Lt. Governor Janet Austin.

The endearing, energetic 70-year-old led numerous aid trips to the three nations with the Canadian organization Live Different.

He helped coordinate the construction of a new school in the impoverished city of Cap-Hatien, Haiti.

Bill Rawlins during one of many humanitarian build missions to Haiti. (Submitted photo)

The well-known Parksville Rotarian feels blessed his life continues to have significant value.

“Not just for me, but to be able to give back to other people who didn’t win the birth lottery, who have far, far less than I.”

When Rawlins retired from Ballenas Secondary in 2006 he told his staff he’d be golfing, fly-fishing and hiking the Rocky Mountains.

“In the past 14-years I’ve fly-fished half a dozen times, I haven’t toured the Rocky Mountains at all and I’ve golfed maybe 10 times.”

ian@nanaimonewsnow.com

On Twitter: @reporterholmes