Almost 200 guests gathered for the Thompson Rivers University Gala in Williams Lake Saturday night, Oct. 14 helping raise more than $33,000.
It was also announced at the gala that Mark and Sally Nairn have pledged $100,000 to the TRU Williams Lake Endowment Fund.
The fund will be used to draw scholarships and bursaries from.
After a four-year hiatus it is nice to be back, said TRU president and vice-chancellor Brett Fairbairn as the night unfolded.
“I was here at the last one we had in 2019. I’m really pleased and excited. It’s a big event for us,” he said.
The campus in Kamloops has a gala as well, but there are special things about the one in Williams Lake, he added.
“There are so many people from the community here. They are such strong supporters of the campus.”
He also commended the staff and volunteers who organized the event.
“Even the way the gym is decorated. It’s amazing.”
Fairbairn, who became president in 2018, said he is pleased with the enrolment in Kamloops and Williams Lake this year.
“There have been some disruptions since the pandemic and I don’t know that everything is entirely back to normal, but I am pleased with the numbers.”
Each year the gala supports the TRU Grit Student Awards program and to date the galas have raised more than $150,000.
Bachelor of Nursing student Amrik Faloure has been a Grit Award recipient and thanked everyone for coming to the gala.
“The donations made by you are helpful as they benefit students like myself who need that extra cash and funding to continue our education,” he said. “The funds I received from a TRU Grit award will help me out.”
Originally from Surrey, Faloure said he was inspired to go into nursing because of the care his late grandmother received in the hospital.
“When she passed I realized I wanted to help people during the toughest times of their lives as well,” he said.
Dean Baldev Pooni thanked everyone for their support and said education is an investment that students make for themselves.
“It’s their passport to personal and career success,” he said. “Students face complex lives and many hardships in their personal educational journey.”
He said events like the gala are an opportunity for people to pay it forward or to be able to give back to the community so the students can fulfill their educational dreams.
TRU academic director Kylie Thomas, who joined the Williams Lake Campus in the middle of August, said the first 60 days have been a pleasure as member of the TRU team.
“It’s fabulous to come together this evening in support of the TRU Williams Lake learners and meet the community members that in my short duration I have heard so much about.”
She encouraged anyone she has not met yet to reach out and connect with her.
“I genuinely don’t know what I don’t know and I ask for your participation in my critical learning journey,” she said. “It’s inspiring to join a compassionate community. A community that is passionate about its people and passionate about creating opportunities to thrive.”
After dinner, Canadian Country Music Award winner and Juno nominee Aaron Pritchett, performed on the stage joined by his bandmate Shane Hendrickson.
Anyone wanting to support the TRU Williams Lake Endowment Fund is asked to contact Kelly de Chantal at kdechantal@tru.ca.
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