In front of an audience of more than 700 business and community leaders and supporters at their April 6 Renaissance Gala, Niagara College president Sean Kennedy announced the school’s largest-ever fundraising campaign.
The multi-year Together campaign seeks to raise $50 million to support a wide range of projects and initiatives. Kennedy explained that the fundraising effort is aimed at addressing some of the most challenging issues and opportunities facing the entire Niagara region.
To address those needs the funds will be used to build new and expanded health and skilled trades facilities, new classrooms, alumni and student spaces and new housing units. In addition, increased scholarships and bursaries, more student services opportunities, expanded support for BIPOC students, new study-abroad opportunities and expanded applied research are all on the list of future needs.
“We live in a changing world marked by significant needs for frontline healthcare workers and skilled tradespeople,” Kennedy said. “Niagara College is uniquely positioned to address these challenges, but we can’t do it alone. We’re calling on our community to join us in embracing this historic opportunity to build a successful Niagara.”
To kick off the campaign, Kennedy announced what he referred to as transformational gifts from three organizations.
The Joyce Family Foundation has provided a gift of $1.5 million to create the Joyce Family Foundation Healthcare and Skilled Trades Bursary program at Niagara College. The program will provide tuition and ancillary costs for several skilled trades, nursing and healthcare students each year who come from the Niagara region.
The McCall MacBain Foundation has provided an undisclosed amount to graduate more nurses, personal support workers and paramedics. The gift will be used to launch the ConfideNCe program. This student-focused initiative will address anxiety and stress for students in applied health programs, while also providing new resources to help these students achieve success after graduation.
And a gift of $500,000 from The Embark Student Foundation will be used to launch an Indigenous Student Success Pathways project, which aims to support Indigenous students in their education and career aspirations before, during and after their post-secondary studies. Embark selected Niagara College as one of only seven inaugural post-secondary recipients across Canada, with all others going to universities.
“These are remarkable, transformational gifts,” said Gord Arbeau, the college’s vice president of advancement. “They come from donors within and outside of our community reflecting the reach of our College outside the boundaries of Niagara, and they create a tremendous momentum as we move forward with our ambitious campaign.”
Former Niagara-on-the-Lake resident and Niagara College graduate Krissy Van hosted the gala at the Fallsview Casino in Niagara Falls. The former broadcaster with the Weather Network, CBC News Network and CTV Vancouver now runs a media and public relations business in Vancouver, BC.
Two current NOTL residents also took the stage - Joe Pillitteri was the evening’s auctioneer and Mishka Balsom of the Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce, the current chair of the college’s board of directors, helped launch the new campaign.
During the auction, Pillitteri used his signature humour to squeeze out as much money from the audience as he could for items that were donated for the event, such as a pair of ticket to a Toronto Maple Leafs first-round playoff game and a one-week stay at a four-bedroom private villa in Turks and Caicos.
The gala itself is Niagara College’s premier fundraising event.
“Over the past three decades this gala has raised more than $3.5 million in support of students,” said Balsom. “Through scholarships and bursaries, these funds help our students pursue their academic goals and open the door to a Niagara College education for many who might otherwise be unable to achieve their dreams.”
The Together campaign is built on six pillars: solving the skilled trades crisis, solving the healthcare crisis, empowering students to achieve their dreams, advancing a more equitable and diverse college, graduating tomorrow’s global citizens, and closing Canada’s productivity gap.
To learn more about the Together campaign, visit niagaracollege.ca/together.
