Friends of UPEI Gather in Calgary
Bill LeClair is a successful Calgary real estate lawyer who has never forgotten his Prince Edward Island roots. Although it is 35 years since he graduated in Business from UPEI, he is still immensely proud of the institution that gave him his first degree. So much so that for the past eight years he has been energetically raising funds to support UPEI students.
"I've been working with Islanders who want to give a little back to the place they came from," Bill explains. "They're not all UPEI alumni, but they are all proud of PEI and proud of what is happening at our University. Two of our biggest supporters have been Lou MacEachern, who is a member of the board of governors of UPEI, and Bill Andrew who is the Chancellor."
The Friends of UPEI, as they are called, have raised over $520,000 so far. The money is invested through the Calgary Foundation, a community foundation that links donors and charitable organizations. The investment will fund UPEI scholarships and bursaries in perpetuity. This year alone, they gave out $33,000 to 23 students, 10 from Calgary and 13 from PEI.
"We're aiming some of our scholarships at Calgary students who already recognize the value of attending a smaller university. We want to encourage them to attend UPEI because we know they'll have an excellent experience there," says Bill, whose daughter, Carly, is now in her fourth year at UPEI.
Their main fundraiser is an annual dinner and silent auction held at the Glencoe Club in Calgary on the first Saturday of November. This year it took place November 5. The guest speaker was Dr. Tim Ogilvie, Dean of the Atlantic Veterinary College. When the Friends of UPEI first organized the event, a hundred people showed up. Now the attendance has doubled.
"We raise money for scholarships, we have a really enjoyable time, and we get to renew old friendships and make new ones. What could be better than that?" says Bill. He adds that they are always looking to make new connections with Islanders who have moved out west. "I'm sure there are many more people from PEI in Calgary, especially younger people, who aren't aware of the Friends of UPEI. I'd like them to know that we'd be delighted to hear from them."
Although the organization's main objective is to raise funds, there have been other positive spin-offs from the networking that takes place. Bill cites the example of Dr. Carolanne Nelson, whose parents attend the Friends of UPEI fundraising dinner. As a result of information shared at the dinner, Carolanne learned about opportunities at UPEI, and eventually moved to the Island to become a researcher and professor in the Family and Nutritional Sciences Department. "It's the synergy that's happening that I really get excited about," says Bill. "UPEI is reaching much further afield than a lot of people think."
Anyone interested in finding out more about the Friends of UPEI in Calgary should contact Bill Leclair at (403) 245-3500, or leclair@calgarylaw.com.
