Empowering nursing students in need to serve all
Many students in our community cannot afford to dream. Together, we can make a wish come true by educating and empowering aspiring nursing students who are experiencing financial hardship. Invest on our future by donating to the ICCHA Wish Community Ambassador Fund. Visit iwishfund.com to learn more.
KAMLOOPS—ICCHA Wish and Thompson Rivers University (TRU) are working together in a ground-breaking new partnership that will fully fund nursing school for students in financial need.
ICCHA Wish is raising $1 million to support the ICCHA Wish Community Ambassador Fund, an endowment at TRU to help students for whom post-secondary education might be out of reach. For every $50,000 raised, ICCHA Wish can support one student through four years of nursing school at TRU. Today, the ICCHA ambassador fund founding donors are contributing $100,000.
“Doctors and nurses are the backbone of our society and to educate a student nurse in financial need to serve humanity is a divine act,” said Al Patel, founder of the ICCHA Wish Fund. “After years of fundraising for health care, I’m honoured to expand our vision to also support education.”
ICCHA means wish, and the ICCHA Fund was established in 2007 to support the cherished wish of many generous donors to foster critical and advanced health care in Kamloops.
Today, the ICCHA Wish Fund furthers its impact in health care with an additional wish of educating and empowering Canadians to attend TRU’s nursing program. By removing financial barriers for students in need, this inspires individual growth while empowering new professionals to return to their communities to further the impact.
“TRU and ICCHA Wish share a mission to support the health-care sector and a dedication to serving communities,” said TRU President and Vice-Chancellor Brett Fairbairn. “TRU has invested greatly in advancing health-care education, so we have skilled professionals well prepared to offer care. Today’s announcement also supports TRU’s commitment to open access and inclusion by reducing financial barriers for students.”
The ICCHA ambassador fund founding donors, who are making the inaugural donation, include Al Patel, Bridgeport Carpet, Charan Rai, Ebata Eye Care, Linda Turner Realty, Lyons Landscaping, Sairam Developments and Windsor Plywood.
All donations to the ICCHA Wish Community Ambassador Fund will support additional bursaries. Individual donors or community groups throughout B.C. and Canada who fund the full bursary amount of $50,000 can support students from a specific community or region they identify.
“This is an amazing gift and a model to allow for the funds to grow and for us to educate students who want to go back and serve their communities. It’s a wonderful vision of ‘grow your own’ to improve health for all,” said TRU Dean of Nursing Rani Srivastava.
In recognition and celebration, TRU will establish the ICCHA Wish Community Education Centre, a learning space in the Chappell Family Building for Nursing and Population Health.
To donate, visit iwishfund.com or tru.ca/ICCHAWishFund.
Contact:
Michele Young
Strategic Communications, Thompson Rivers University
micyoung@tru.ca
