Philanthropy mattersto TRU alumni
Business grads back Norm Daley Initiative
THE POSITIVE IMPACT OF FINANCIAL support on students is far reaching, but it can’t happen without donors — the more donors, the greater the impact. With that in mind, Kamloops philanthropist Norm Daley started an initiative to increase the number of scholarships and awards for students at TRU.
The Norm Daley Initiative invites 30 donors to contribute $35,000 each to establish their own endowed award at TRU. With a fundraising goal of $1 million, this fund is opening doors for TRU students and ensures support for generations to come. Rob Williamson and business partners Mike Macphee and Clayton Burkatsky, all TRU alumni, decided to join the initiative to give back to students while bolstering the university’s reputation.
“We’re big fans of TRU graduates,” Williamson says, adding that 19 alumni work with them at LMG Finance. “I think Norm’s idea of developing a goal to offer more financial assistance to students is fantastic. It aligns perfectly with what we are trying to do in terms of supporting the university as well as recognizing how we are beneficiaries of the university’s talent and graduates.”
Williamson has maintained his connection to the university since his days at UCC. He served on the alumni board for several years, acted as a career mentor and has regularly hired TRU graduates. Along with his family and business partners, Williamson created the LMG LoanLink Fintech Award, slated for third-year business or computer science students with financial need as one of the main criteria.
Williamson says he benefited from financial aid as a young student-athlete and knows how much of an impact support can have on a student. More than just the financial boost, he says the mental encouragement it provides is incalculable. He encourages other alumni and TRU supporters to consider being part of the initiative.
“The idea was to get behind something that’s bigger than us,” Williamson says. “It’s about us wanting students to have better opportunities, enhancing TRU and definitely showing our gratitude. This initiative is here to help make the university the best it can be and the most accessible it can be.”
Alum secures modern equipment for RT program
SOMETIMES SUCCESS IS A MATTER of being in the right place at the right time — something TRU alum Wendy Marlow (RT diploma, UCC ’85) is a big believer in.
Before Marlow became the executive director of the Kamloops Hospice Association, she had a storied career in respiratory therapy (RT), taking on leadership positions with Associated Respiratory Services (ARS), becoming a shareholder in the company and forming a foundation to give to respiratory projects.
That foundation — the Associated Respiratory Holdings (ARH) Healthcare Foundation — donated $55,000 so TRU could purchase a cutting-edge Servo-u ventilator. The ventilator is helping students in the RT program practise current modes of ventilation in its simulation labs so that they’re more prepared when they go into clinical training. Marlow remembers the equipment she learned on in the ‘80s and it pales in comparison to what TRU has today.
“It’s amazing. It’s state-of-the-art. The advancement of technology has happened so fast.”
