Northern BC Friends of Children East Kootenay and Cranbrook Boys and Girls Club kick-off 2017 by investing in a sustainable financial future

The Cranbrook Boys and Girls Club and Northern BC Friends of Children East Kootenay Branch have each established a permanent endowment fund with the Cranbrook and District Community Foundation (CDCF). These funds will begin to earn a sustainable, permanent income returned annually to each organization to support its operations, projects, programming, and initiatives.

The Cranbrook Boys and Girls Club, a leading provider of quality after school and out-of-school programs in Cranbrook since 1970, endowed almost $12,000 in January with a goal their fund will reach $50,000 by their 50th anniversary in 2020.

Lynnette Wray, executive director of the Cranbrook Boys and Girls Club, said the organization is looking long-term to ensure it remains a strong, influential, supportive, and important part of positive childcare and child development in Cranbrook.

“The Cranbrook Boys and Girls Club is very proud of our 40-plus year history of providing excellent child and youth care in Cranbrook and our new endowment fund will help us continue to provide these important community services for many years to come,” said Wray. “We would like to share a heartfelt thanks with our staff team, board directors, and community members who made this possible. A special thank you to Zena Williams from Black Press and the very generous volunteers and donors who were involved in the recent Christmas Village fundraiser, which allowed us to reach our endowment goal.”

Northern BC Friends of Children East Kootenay Branch, a non-profit society assisting East Kootenay families who have children with extraordinary medical need, was endowed in December for just over $11,000.  Each year the organization receives and approves over 200 requests for assistance from families within the East Kootenay Health District, which includes the area west to Crawford Bay.

“Friends of Children is here to aid families with ill or injured children travelling to out-of-town medical appointments,” said Sheila Hall, East Kootenay Family Coordinator. “We provide assistance with fuel, accommodation, meal and parking costs and, in some cases, support can include therapies and specialized equipment related to a child’s medical condition. This endowment fund will contribute to the essential operation costs associated with this important work.”

Anyone interested in donating to either endowment fund can contact Carol Hatala of the Cranbrook and District Community Foundation at 250-426-1119 or email [email protected].

With the addition of the two new funds, the CDCF now manages 24 endowment funds worth more than $1.82 million. Every fund earns an annual interest income that is returned to the Cranbrook community through yearly grants to non-profit organizations, community programming, projects, and initiatives.

Lead image: (L-R) CDCF president Dave Struthers; Sheila Hall, Friends of Children East Kootenay family coordinator; Lynnette Wray, Cranbrook Boys and Girls Club executive director; Mike Paugh, Cranbrook Boys and Girls Club board chair.

Cranbrook and District Community Foundation

Article Share