Rotary International in Great Britain and Ireland is welcoming a familiar, furry friend as an honorary member.
Winnie-the-Pooh, the character created by author A. A. Milne has been given the honour by the Rotary Club of Oxford Spires, who organise the annual World Poohsticks Championships. Poohsticks is a game featured in Milne’s stories, where contestants drop sticks from a bridge and see whose reaches the finish line downstream first.
Today is Winnie-the-Pooh Day, which kicks off a special year for the characters from the Hundred Acre Wood, as the first Winnie-the-Pooh story celebrates 90 years since its publication.
Milne’s stories were inspired by the toys his son, Christopher Robin, had as a child and club member Lesley Adams (pictured left) travelled to the New York Public Library, where the original toys now reside. Pooh, along with Tigger, Kanga, Eeyore and Piglet, were receiving some much needed restoration at the time of her visit, so Louise Lareau (pictured right), Managing Librarian at the Children’s Centre, accepted the award on behalf of the famous bear.
Lesley commented: “The World Poohsticks Championships, which have been run in Oxfordshire since 1984, have raised thousands of pounds for various charities around the world and the Rotary Club of Oxford Spires wanted to recognise that in some way. I contacted the Library to ask their permission to visit and present the award and was delighted when they accepted.”
The provisional date for the World Poohsticks Championships this year is Sunday 5 June at Langel Common, Witney, Oxfordshire. For more information, visit their website.
Published: 18th January 2016
