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September 8, el A Douglas College ater |

 

 

Foundation on Track

At the completion of its second year, the Douglas College Foundation is proving an invaluable resource for many
students--including those already graduated.

One of the many recent accomplishments is the establishment of an Alumni Association for the over 15,000 grads. "For the
first time in the nearly twenty year history of the college an organization will exist to reunite and serve graduates,” said Foundation
Executive Director Randi Duke.

"In the future we believe our alumni will substantially add to the financial support base of the college."

This past year the Foundation directly assisted over 160 students requiring assistance, a 31 percent increase over the previous
years’ distribution. According to Chairman Peter Webster, the Foundation made substantial progress, with over $138,000 awarded

in scholarships and bursaries.

Furthermore, to better meet future
financial assistance demands, the
Foundation’s fundraising efforts
increased ccontributions to the
Endowment Fund by 60 percent this
year. As of March 31, the contributed
principal in the Endowment Fund stood
al $529,753, representing a growth of
49 percent during the past year.

Webster thanks Douglas College
Board members, employees, local
businesses and college-community
members for these contributions as well
as some funding by the Provincial
Government.

Crucial to the Foundation’s
fundraising efforts, in terms of raising
money as well as boosting school spirit,
were the internal Douglas College
campaigns. These included: "The
Foundation Fair," a week-long series of
events shared among the various
College departments.

During this week Brendan Behan’s
play, "The Hostage" was performed by
the Douglas College Theatre; and a
“Wild and Wonderful" auction, flea
market and bake sale combined to raise
over $30,000 for the Foundation.

The Douglas College Jazz Band
raised another $7,000 through their own
fundraising efforts, including sales
from their third album "At This Point in
Time" which was produced with the
help of Foundation funds.

The Foundation also co-sponsored
the "Writer-in-Residence" program,
and a special summer issue of
photographs for the Event Journal.

 

Student awards established over the past year include:
a $16,000 athletic scholarship endowment from
Athletics and Intramurals (the Foundation also
helped this department acquire skill development

equipment);

The Mary Fewster Memorial Nursing Scholarship;
The University Women’s Clubs of New Westminster

Bursary.

 

To better serve disabled students’
physical education needs, the donation
of a wheeler exercise machine from
B.C. School Sports was received by the
Foundation.

And for the print shop, a Xerox
copies by Royal Printers and Stationers
Limited was donated.

According to Duke, the Foundation
must also be acknowledged for its’
non-financial successes. “Great strides

were made in communicating the
financial plight of Douglas College
students through the efforts of Bill
Hughes of CKNW, a Director of the
Foundation," she said.
"Mr. Hughes

brought his

long-standing aware-winning Roving
Mike Show on campus to document the
stories of some of the students in
financial need."

 

 

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