Patrick Ewing Career Public Servant, Past Kiwanis Governor, and Candidate for International Trustee (2013-16, US and Pacific Canada Region)								Pacific Northwest District United States and Pacific Canada Region Kiwanis International
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Contact: Patrick Ewing c/o PNW Kiwanis, 10184 S.W. Laurel Road in Beaverton, OR 97005 patrick.ewing@shaw.ca
“It is important to believe in what you do. We strive to help others and to make our communities better places to live. Don’t be afraid to let your passion – and your compassion – show.”
GALLERY: COMMUNITY SERVICE A project of the Kiwanis Club of Sidney & Peninsula projects that had a major impact on Patrick was a Kiwanis-sponsored concert held on Sunday, September 16, 2001, less than a week after the terrorist attacks of September 11. On September 12, it was announced that the Kiwanis International Foundation had set up a fund for the children of 9/11 victims. The Sidney club met that evening and immediately decided to hold a community event to support the fund. The project was the brainchild of Bruce Carson, as well as his children who performed as The Carsons. The whole club came together to make the event possible. A number of musical acts performed, and speeches were given by politicians at the local, provincial, and federal level. Patrick served on the committee that organized the concert. He secured a letter from the Premier of BC addressing the attendees, and arranged for speeches by the local Member of the Legislative Assembly and the local Member of Parliament. He designed posters and donation cans and got permission to put them in local stores. During the concert itself, Patrick collected donations from attendees and gave a well-received speech (see photo, below) on behalf of Kiwanis. In a community of about 10,000 residents, the event raised over $10,000 for the Kiwanis 9/11 Victims’ Children Fund. More importantly, it provided a way for members of the community and stranded tourists from the United States to come together to find comfort and hope. The event received national and international media attention, including radio and television news. One particularly striking photo from the event was featured in books about 9/11, on the front cover of Victoria’s daily newspaper, and on the cover of Kiwanis International Magazine; the photo showed two young Canadian girls who attended the concert with US flags painted on their faces (click on photo below to enlarge). (Click on photo above to enlarge)
“Everyone is a leader, whether they intend to be or not. What you do sets an example for others – especially children – so an important question that each of us needs to ask ourselves is: Are you setting an example you would want others to follow?”
GALLERY: PROFILES IN THE NEWS Over the years, Patrick has had a lot of success in promoting Circle K and Kiwanis events, but sometimes members of the press have chosen to focus on him instead. As a CKI Member: Below is a picture of Patrick after a University of Victoria Circle K Halloween Food Drive in October 1994. The food in the back of his car was collected for a food bank run by the Shelbourne Street Church of Christ. He put over 100,000 kilometres on that car; it took him and other Circle K members to every UVic Circle K project and every district event, becoming known within the UVic club as the “Circle K Taxi”. Since then he has travelled hundreds of thousands of miles throughout the Pacific Northwest and beyond as a member of Kiwanis. As a Kiwanis Member: Below is a newspaper profile of Patrick in October 2000, when at 30 years old he was starting his year as Division 17 Lieutenant Governor (click on article below to read). (Click on article above to enlarge)
“Skills that are gained in Kiwanis have value far beyond our own organization. For example, a friend once remarked that being a Club President in Kiwanis gave him the confidence to speak on an important issue at a meeting of city council. Kiwanis helped him become a more engaged citizen.”
GALLERY: AT WORK
Patrick is currently Director of Intergovernmental Fiscal Relations at BC’s Ministry of Finance. The picture below was taken as part of a feature profile that was done on him for an internal publication called “The Quarterly” (click on picture to read).
(Click on photo above for article)
“The support of family is important in all things, including Kiwanis membership.”
GALLERY: FAMILY PHOTOS
Patrick and Kristina grew up just across the water from each other and celebrated their birthdays on the same day. Patrick first met Kristina Thalacker in 1994, when they were on the CKI District Board together. Kristina had been a HOBY participant (Hugh O’Brien Youth) and a Key Club president. They lost touch, but Kiwanis brought them back together when they met again at a Kiwanis District Convention in 2006. Patrick and Kristina remained friends until he asked her out on a date in March 2009. Just one year later he proposed to her in front of their Kiwanis friends at the 2010 Midwinter Conference. She accepted and they were married in June, on a Victoria hillside overlooking San Juan Island, where she grew up. They invited the whole District to their honeymoon: International Convention in Las Vegas! There they were married once again – but this time by Elvis.
“Milestones are important; without them we may never truly appreciate how far we’ve come.”
GALLERY: THROUGH THE YEARS
Graduation Photo				Photo for Tobacco Enforcement ID
“It is dangerous to label people or think of them solely as homogeneous members of larger groups. Each individual leader has strengths and so do those they serve. The key is identifying how best to use those strengths for the good of the organization.”