Articles tagged "OC Foundation"
Giving Tuesday raises $12K for student food security
December 18, 2024
Thanks to a number of generous donations from OC faculty, staff and our community, the shelves in OC’s student union food banks and the KLO community fridge will be well stocked for the holidays. Okanagan College Foundation’s Giving Tuesday food drive inspired hundreds of donated food items and cash donations totalling more than $12,000 in support of student food security through November and December. This includes a $5,000 donation from the Okanagan College Faculty Association (OCFA). Donations made to the Student Food Sec...
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OC Foundation distributes over $500,000 in student awards for fall semester
December 4, 2024
For Lucas Weigert, receiving awards was the moment he knew he had made the right choice to pursue his dream of becoming a doctor.Weigert, a second year Associate of Science student, was a student speaker at Okanagan College’s (OC) Kelowna Awards Celebration November 21. The event was one of three held in November that saw more than $550,000 distributed to OC students across the region.Weigert is completing his first two years of his undergraduate degree at OC before pursuing medical school.“When you’re constantly studying you can have momen...
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Community rallies for recreation: Thrive Here campaign hits major fundraising milestone
November 27, 2024
Thanks to a number of passionate individuals and organizations, the finish line for the Thrive Here campaign to build a gymnasium at Okanagan College is now in sight.The Okanagan College (OC) Foundation is announcing it has raised $12 million towards its $14-million goal to build a Recreation and Wellness Centre on the Kelowna campus.“It is truly a team effort by our community to make this centre a reality,” says Helen Jackman, executive director of the OC Foundation.“We want to thank everyone who has selflessly donated to help us get to th...
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Vernon community help Sunflower Childcare Centre blossom into reality
November 13, 2024
When Clara Cheung gets ready to travel to Okanagan College (OC) each morning, she now is able to do so with her two-year-old son Pak Sen in tow.Clara is on her way to attend class at the Vernon campus; Pak Sen is about to enter the campus’s new childcare centre.The Sunflower Childcare Centre / smúkwaʔxn̓ scəcəmalla itskn snmaʔmayaʔtn on OC’s Vernon campus opened at the start of October, creating much-needed new childcare spaces for student parents, faculty and community members.“For me, this centre has made a huge impact on my life,” s...
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Okanagan College alum gives $25K to power of sport
November 8, 2024
‘Sport teaches you to handle any challenge,’ says Kelly LoudounKelly Loudoun has no regrets when he looks back at his decision to attend Okanagan College (OC) and study business, graduating with a Bachelor of Business Administration Honours.“You can’t deny the power of the OC business degree,” says Loudoun, who owns Loudoun Construction and Development, now in its fifth year.“Being an entrepreneur is difficult and it’s a lot of hard work. Having been through those challenging experiences and lean years, it becomes quite rewarding as you att...
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Local endurance athlete and OC grad shares insights on sport as keynote speaker at alumni AGM
September 10, 2024
OC Alumni Association kick-off new season with a $25,000 gift to new Recreation and Wellness Centre, encourage all alumni to pledge supportKELOWNA - For ultra-athlete Nick Pelletier, whose adventures have included everything from jumping through the sky to swimming for almost three days straight, if there’s one thing that’s shaped his life – it’s the power of sport.Pelletier, who studied Business and Marketing at Okanagan College from 2016-2019, will be sharing his personal story about the impact of sports for him at the upcoming OC Alumni ...
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Tom Dyck joins OC Foundation Board of Directors
August 20, 2024
The Okanagan College Foundation is pleased to welcome Tom Dyck, who is joining its Board of Directors for a four-year term. Tom is a retired senior executive who has worked in banking at a national and international level for a large part of his career. We asked Tom to share what motivated him to volunteer his time and how education has transformed his own life.What inspired you to join the Okanagan College Foundation board of directors?The types of skills people learn at Okanagan College are in such demand and are just not provided by...
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Paddle fundraiser raises over $29,000 for Sunflower Childcare Centre
July 25, 2024
On July 20th, Kristin (Postill) Holomis and her team paddled the length of Kalamalka Lake (18km) in support of the Okanagan College Foundation’s Sunflower childcare campaign, raising more than $29,000 in just a few weeks.“Stand Up For” is an annual local fundraising effort by Kristin Holomis and Brittney Page where they paddleboard the length of Kalamalka Lake in support of a chosen charity. This year they paddled for OC’s new Sunflower Childcare Centre, located on the Vernon campus. Scheduled to open in September, The Sunflower Childcare C...
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Community leader shares personal story of how sport transformed her life
July 23, 2024
Paula Quinn was only seven years old when she first stepped onto a running track but that experience with athletics dramatically changed her life.Quinn is the former Executive Director of the KF Aerospace Centre for Excellence and is active in the Kelowna community sitting on four volunteer boards including the Kelowna Chamber of Commerce, Regional District of Central Okanagan, B.C. Cancer Foundation and the Airport Advisory Committee.Quinn is now among a growing number of local residents putting their support behind the Thrive Here campaig...
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Okanagan College celebrates ‘construction kick off’ for Recreation and Wellness Centre
June 20, 2024
There was jumping, cartwheels and a full crowd of cheering spectators on Thursday at Okanagan College to mark an exciting milestone that will transform student life at OC for years to come.Kelowna Cheer Athletics was on hand to help the Okanagan College Foundation celebrate a major fundraising achievement - they’ve raised $10 million for the Thrive Here campaign, and construction can kick off for the future home of the College’s Recreation and Wellness Centre. “Today is a very meaningful day,” remarked Helen Jackman, executive di...
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Recsky gift to Recreation and Wellness Centre honours family passion
May 7, 2024
If there was anyone who would understand the need for a Recreation and Wellness Centre at Okanagan College (OC), it would be Alex Recsky.Recsky was hired as OC’s first recreation and intramurals programmer in 1986. It was a job he loved and pursued with passion until his retirement 10 years later, introducing thousands of students to sports and recreational opportunities.Now, Alex’s family are honoring him and his wife Ruth, who are both in their 90s, with a $30,000 donation to the Thrive Here campaign for the Recreation and Wellness Centre...
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Major gift from BMO to support community progress is worth smiling about
April 9, 2024
A major gift from BMO will support community dental care while making it easier for more people to train to become in-demand Certified Dental Assistants (CDAs).BMO is giving $250,000 to Okanagan College’s (OC) Our ɫɫɫƬ, Your Health campaign in support of the CDA program. OC’s state-of-the-art dental suite, used for training and as a community clinic, will receive $150,000. An additional $100,000 will be used to kickstart a hands-on learning pilot program that will enable people to become CDAs while they continue to work.In recogni...
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Thrive Here video celebrates lessons learned in a 'classroom like no other'
March 8, 2024
For 20-year-old AJ Nguoth, playing basketball is about more than jump shots and free throws.On the court, Nguoth says he works through real life struggles as he's putting his energy into the game. Playing basketball is also a reminder that he is on the right path. The sport has been his north star since he was 11, keeping him focused on school and inspiring him to dream big for his life.Nguoth, an Okanagan College Coyotes Basketball player and first-year OC student, is one of several student athletes featured in a new video by the Okanagan ...
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Highstreet champions careers in Trades with $1-million gift to Okanagan College to benefit students
February 28, 2024
Are you considering post-secondary? Kelowna-based real estate and development company, Highstreet, wants you to know that pursuing a skilled trade can lead to a rewarding career, full of growth, success and leadership opportunities.It is this message and a desire to support students that has motivated Highstreet to donate an astounding $1 million dollars to Okanagan College’s Trades and Apprenticeship programs.Their gift will focus on providing financial support to students starting an entry-level trades program. Thirteen annual bursaries o...
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Serwa Spirit Match to raise $1M for Thrive Here campaign for a Recreation and Wellness Centre
February 7, 2024
Cliff Serwa describes himself and his wife Lois as just ‘ordinary people with a fair bit of determination working to make things happen.’ That may be true, but the results and impact of their determination on the community, the province and beyond are far reaching and forever lasting. And now they are leading the way to a better future for students at Okanagan College (OC).When approached to support the Thrive Here campaign to build a much-needed Recreation and Wellness Centre at the College’s Kelowna campus, not only did Cliff and Loi...
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THRIVE HERE campaign kicks off with record-level support
October 25, 2023
Okanagan College Foundation launches campaign to build a new Recreation and Wellness Centre at its Kelowna campus; Folk family makes record-setting gift KELOWNA - It’s ‘Game Day’ at Okanagan College! Today, OC students, donors, leaders, staff and community members came together to celebrate the launch of the Thrive Here campaign to build a new Recreation and Wellness Centre on the Kelowna campus. Making the announcement to the approximately 100 people in attendance, including members from the OC Coyotes basketball and baseball teams, Okan...
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