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Kiwanis club honours three with Zeller awards

Gordon Galey, Fred Cornborough and Gerry Adam honoured for contributions to community

When the Kiwanis Club of Oak Bay installed its next board and president at its Rose Manor in Victoria last week, members took the time to recognize a trio of men with a Zeller Award.

The kudos is named for Canadian businessman Walter Philip Zeller who founded the Zellers retail chain and it comes with a medal and certificate.

Gordon Galey of Morning Fresh Egg Farm earned the Zeller award for contributions to his community.

Among those offerings, he has donated eggs during summer months and in the winter, Sunday breakfasts in the tearoom at Willows Beach.

“We must go through at least 15 to 18 dozen a week with breakfast at the tearoom and he donates everything,” said Wanda Watson. “It’s a big help to us because that’s our main fundraiser. We give back an average $40,000 to $50,000 a year.”

He also supports Santa’s Anonymous, Victoria Figure Skating and minor lacrosse alongside other community fundraisers.

“We are all very aware of how difficult it is nowadays to be a successful farmer. They are the people we need the most and yet they seem to be at the bottom of the ladder when it comes to receiving help and recognition,” Walker said. “Somehow Gordon Galey has been able to develop and run a very successful egg farm and has also managed to give back to the community.”

A longtime member of the Kiwanis of Oak Bay, Fred Cornborough joined Kiwanis in 1980 and has served on all three boards – Rose Manor; the Pavilion, for 22 years; and on the Housing Society Board which manages Milton Manor. He continues on this board and this year took over as chairman. He has served as club president, treasurer and treasurer at the tearoom.

“And of course, he has held down the afternoon shift every Thursday there for many, many years,” Watson said of the man who was once manager of the Bank of Montreal in Oak Bay. Cornborough has been Kiwanian of the Year and is on the Board of Honour.

Gerry Adam, who joined 31 years ago in 1983, is another who has worked very diligently over the years for the club. Adam has worked with the the Youth Services Committee, has served as club director and president.

“He helped renovate the tearoom in the early ‘80s to make it more productive and later on he was chairman of the Tearoom committee for four years,” Watson said.

Adam has served on the Pavilion Board, the Pavilion Foundation Board; Rose Manor and remains on the Housing Society Board and the tearoom committee.

“Just to show his many talents, this summer he constructed the beautiful wooden arbor leading into the rose garden at the Kiwanis Pavilion,” Watson said.