By Chris Conway/e-KNOW

The Columbia Valley Community Foundation (CVCF) recently selected 57 recipients for student awards totalling over $57,000.

“We are excited to help open doors of the future to so many students” says Barb Kloos, Chair of the foundation’s grants and student awards committee. “Through the generosity of these donors, we have awarded 91 students over $118,000 in the last two years. This is an exceptional example of how we connect donors with causes that inspire them.”

This year’s awards were made available through three funds managed by the foundation which supports the education and career goals of local young people.

The Arnold Ellis Scholarship Fund was established in 2004.  At that time, the fund contained $5,000, an amount that kept the awards amounts modest. When Arnold Ellis passed away in 2012, he bequeathed $1,475,000 to the Community Foundation; the largest donation received to date. Arnold Ellis had a Grade 8 education and his wish was to give Columbia Valley youth the opportunity to further their education at a post-secondary level at trade school, technical, college and university institutions.

Arlene and George Loewen established the Opportunities for Youth Fund in 2006 as a way of expressing their support for youth initiatives in the Columbia Valley. This fund supports youth under 21 to expand their social, career and personal skills.

The Bidder Bursary Fund was established in 2006 in memory of Robert Bidder. This bursary provides funds to youth from Canal Flats to Spillimacheen for their education at trade schools, technical schools, and college and university institutions.

“The foundation is so pleased to support students aged 17 to 35 years pursuing post-secondary education and training all across the country and in such a wide variety of studies,” stated the foundation’s chair, Roberta Hall. “These students have attended our valley schools for at least five years and are outstanding citizens in so many ways. We are proud of them and wish them every success in their educational pursuits.”

The foundation will award grants to community initiatives and projects in the fall of 2015. More information is available on the foundation’s website at www.ValleyFoundation.ca.

The 2015 student awards list is as follows:  

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