Gift creates lasting legacy

A legacy gift can be a meaningful way to contribute to the future of the University of Calgary.

It is an expression of your life — a way to be remembered. For the last 50 years, an extraordinary community of donors has given more than $40 million to UCalgary through legacy gifts. These gifts have funded scholarships and bursaries, contributed to life-changing research and have helped build innovative teaching and learning spaces on our campus.

Arlene Bourassa is one alumna who has decided to give now – and in the future.

“My dad was a successful Alberta farmer who was a very generous man, and his propensity towards his many charities led to my interest in philanthropy,” says Bourassa, a 1969 BEd graduate, who now lives outside of Kamloops.

“Over the years, I taught kids whose families were enduring the heartache and struggle of childhood cancer – it was such a hardship on them. I got to thinking about what works – what kind of help is given to the whole family and I was concerned there wasn’t enough focus on that part. So I did some research and found that the University of Calgary’s Faculty of Nursing was working on this issue.”

After a trip to Calgary clinched her resolve, Bourassa decided to leave a legacy gift in her will to support the burgeoning area of paediatric oncology research at the Faculty of Nursing.

“Then I started thinking ‘well, that’s no fun – what I can do now?’” she says with a laugh. The result is a $5,000 scholarship each year for the next 20 years for a graduate student working in the area of paediatric oncology.

“It’s set up, it has happened, it’s real and I feel so good about it," she says.  “It is wonderful that you can do something that makes you feel good about your life and has a benefit to others.”

The University of Calgary Legacy Society celebrates donors who want to make a difference beyond their lifetime and leave their mark for future generations.

On June 22, the Faculty of Nursing is hosting a Donor Appreciation Evening at Hotel Alma to celebrate extraordinary philanthropic support for nursing students.