Honorary Parade Marshall, Raymond July 1, 2025

For Immediate Release

ROTARY CLUB OF RAYMOND HONORS HUMANITARIAN FAMILIES

Dr. Monty and Mrs. Elizabeth Audenart
The Rotary Club of Raymond is delighted to announce that Drs. Monty Audenart and Drew Cahoon are being honoured as posthumous Honorary Parade Marshals for the 2025 Raymond Rotary Canada Parade. Monty and Drew have been exemplary members of their Rotary Clubs and have represented their southern Alberta roots to the world as global ambassadors.
 
Their wives, Elizabeth (Gibb) Audenart and Joanne (Jensen) Cahoon, will represent their husbands during the 2025 Raymond Day celebration's parade and activities.
Dr. Monty Audenart spent his youth earnestly engaged in the youthful activities of all Raymond children in the 1950s and 1960s.  He graduated from the School of Dentistry at the University of Alberta in 1977 and began practicing family dentistry in Vermillion, later relocating to Red Deer, where he continued his practice, making multiple trips to Nunavut until his passing in January 2015.
Early on, Monty discovered a love for serving those in need throughout the world, taking his dental skills to Jamaica, Bangladesh, the Philippines, Thailand, Mexico, Russia, and the Amazon. Each experience provided needed care and a grand adventure for the Audenarts. Selflessly providing unpaid services, funded by his own means, he has helped hundreds of patients worldwide receive critical dental care.
 
Monty joined Rotary in 1987 and experienced a life-change that enhanced Rotary through his leadership, serving as Club President, District Governor, Rotary International Vice President, and as a Trustee of the Rotary Foundation. Throughout his Rotary service, Monty and his wife Elizabeth travelled the globe, serving Rotary Clubs throughout Canada and the World. Elizabeth continues to be active in her local Red Deer club, providing leadership to women of Rotary locally and throughout the nation. District 5360 awards the “Dr. Monty Audenart Inspirational Award” annually to an individual who has been inspired to demonstrate outstanding achievement in Rotary, both within the community and internationally.
 
Dr. Drew and Mrs. Joanne Cahoon
 
 
Dr. Drew Cahoon grew up in Cardston and Edmonton, making everyone a best friend along his life journey. Drew graduated from the School of Dentistry at the University of Alberta in 1976 and began service in the Canadian Armed Forces as a Dental Officer.  Upon his mustering out of the service, he practiced in Penhold, Three Hills and Raymond until his retirement in 2012.
 
During a 2005 trip to Africa, out of curiosity and concern, Drew met with the leaders of Mulago Dental School in Uganda, which trained most of the country's dentists for its 45 million residents. He became critically aware that dental students in Uganda were receiving inadequate training due to the lack of equipment and deficient facilities. He invited the leaders of the Dental School in Uganda to dream together about what their needs were and how to achieve them. After several hesitant starts, leaders envisioned additional dental chairs, much-needed maintenance for existing equipment, and a makeover for the dental school. Dr. Cahoon promised a new dental school, complete with ample chairs to train the many dental students that Uganda requires.
 
Just two years later, the renovated and revitalized school was opened, featuring over 20 modern, fully functional chairs that replaced the two that had been in operation prior to the dream. Drew witnessed at least 2 dental students at each of the new, modern chairs, one operating and one observing.  Hundreds of North American dentists, hygienists, assistants, friends, and families travelled to Uganda and later to Rwanda, where similar marvels would unfold as they applied their efforts and experience to the dental school and clinics.  Each person was promised they would experience a miracle a day, and they did. Many North American-based dentists adopted rural clinics in Uganda. Dr. Cahoon is known for his efforts in Central Africa.
 
Rotary and Rotary International were forthright in supporting the promise of dreams in Africa, assisting through manpower, donations, and numerous members who visited Africa.
 
Thank you to Dr. Audenart and Dr. Cahoon for their determined support of Rotary’s goal of Service Above Self.
 
For further information, contact Val Boehme, Rotary Club of Raymond, 587-370 9761