Thanks to a $15,000 donation from the Lions Club of Barrie, Georgian College Opticianry students will be eligible to apply for an award or scholarship to help fund their education. The donated funds will be set up as an endowment through the Georgian College awards and scholarship program, with the interest being distributed to deserving students.
The donation was made in memory of long-time Barrie optometrist and Lions Club of Barrie member, Dr. Noel G. Stephenson, who always kept the good of his community in his sights. In his 60 years as a member of the Lions Club, he maintained a perfect attendance record. He also made his mark in the community by volunteering his time for many other worthy causes, and in 1989, he was named the Barrie Citizen of the Year. Members of his family were recently on hand at Georgian along with the Lions Club of Barrie, to officially present the donation.
“It is wonderful for us, his family, to know that the Opticianry students at Georgian College will know about the significant contribution our dad made to the community through his profession and through his involvement with the Lions Club of Barrie,” said Joanne Craig, his daughter, and also a current Lions Club of Barrie member. “He would be more than pleased that he is being remembered in this way.”
This is the latest donation from a community group to the Georgian College Power of Education Campaign, an initiative to raise $17 million for the expansion and improvement of key Georgian programs including health sciences, hospitality and tourism, skilled trades, and awards and scholarships.
For more information contact:
John Lister, Manager
The Power of Education Campaign
Georgian College
(705) 728-1968, ext. 1254
jlister@georgianc.on.ca
