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Darcy Long makes Rotary history

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Excitement is riding supreme for a Sunshine Coast woman after making history on June 16. My good friend Darcy Long, a long-time Coast resident, is the first District 5040 governor to hail from the Sunshine Coast. 

I got to know Darcy and her husband Doug during my wonderful years as a member of the Rotary Club of the Sunshine Coast-Sechelt. The Longs joined in 2005 and have been powerhouses for the club ever since. 

Many of you know Darcy and Doug from their many years as the faces of Stephanson Bulk Fuels. Darcy’s parents began the business in 1974 and the Longs retired when they sold the business in 2016. For those who don’t know this gregarious couple, here’s a brief history. While Darcy wasn’t technically born on the Coast (her mom went home to Salt Spring Island to have her daughter), she has essentially spent her entire life on the Coast. During her brief sojourn in Vancouver, after high school Darcy met Doug, a transplanted Welsh chef. He was smitten, and in 1981 the couple wed in the Stephansons’ yard in Selma Park. Since that time they’ve been confirmed Coasters. Over the years the duo also ran a bed and breakfast in Halfmoon Bay. So in addition to the fuel needs of the Coast, the Longs became well versed in the tourism business here. 

But longevity in the business world wasn’t the only thing Darcy learned from her parents. Her mom and dad, Ralph and Wilma, were also great community supporters. Both Stephansons belonged to the Kinsmen/Kinettes organizations. Their participation taught Darcy and her elder brother the importance of giving back to the community. 

So why Rotary? When the horrific tsunami struck Thailand in 2004, the Longs saw firsthand the power of Rotary in action. The pair was awed by the way the six local Phuket Rotary clubs worked together in Kamala Bay restoring the locals’ fishing boats. In 2005 friends invited them to join their Rotary club, and the Longs never looked back. 

Darcy was the club’s president in 2009/10 and kept looking for more opportunities to serve the organization she’s so passionate about. Fast forward a few years and the chance came to lead the 5040 District in the 2018/19 year, no small job. The District ranges from Prince Rupert in the northwest to Vancouver in the south. Altogether there are 50 clubs in the District. During her governing year, Darcy will visit all the clubs at least once as well as host a spring conference at Sun Peaks in 2019. Her only regret in the whole experience is not being able to have the conference on the Coast because of a lack of a big enough venue. 

Each year the incoming international Rotary president chooses a theme. For Darcy’s year the president picked “Be the inspiration.” I can’t imagine a better person to bring this slogan to life. With Doug’s ongoing support and the firm backing from the four clubs on the Lower Sunshine Coast, Darcy will set the standard high for all Rotarians. I’m proud to call her friend.