May 30, 2017
Gift creates lasting legacy
A legacy gift can be a meaningful way to contribute to the future of the ݮƵ.
It is an expression of your life — a way to be remembered. For the last 50 years, an extraordinary community of donors has given more than $40 million to ݮƵ through legacy gifts. These gifts have funded scholarships and bursaries, contributed to life-changing research and have helped build innovative teaching and learning spaces on our campus.
Arlene Bourassa is one alumna who has decided to give now – and in the future.
Arlene Bourassa and husband Bruce Newton pose with canine companions, Sarge and Willow in Kamloops.
“My dad was a successful Alberta farmer who was a very generous man, and his propensity towards his many charities led to my interest in philanthropy,” says Bourassa, a 1969 BEd graduate, who now lives outside of Kamloops.
“Over the years, I taught kids whose families were enduring the heartache and struggle of childhood cancer – it was such a hardship on them. I got to thinking about what works – what kind of help is given to the whole family and I was concerned there wasn’t enough focus on that part. So I did some research and found that the ݮƵ’s Faculty of Nursing was working on this issue.”
After a trip to Calgary clinched her resolve, Bourassa decided to leave a legacy gift in her will to support the burgeoning area of paediatric oncology research at the Faculty of Nursing.
“Then I started thinking ‘well, that’s no fun – what I can do now?’” she says with a laugh. The result is a $5,000 scholarship each year for the next 20 years for a graduate student working in the area of paediatric oncology.
“It’s set up, it has happened, it’s real and I feel so good about it," she says. “It is wonderful that you can do something that makes you feel good about your life and has a benefit to others.”
The ݮƵ Legacy Society celebrates donors who want to make a difference beyond their lifetime and leave their mark for future generations.
On June 22, the Faculty of Nursing is hosting a Donor Appreciation Evening at Hotel Alma to celebrate extraordinary philanthropic support for nursing students.
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