On The Road: Kinsmen in Kelowna

Kinsmen Foundation’s Generosity

What a pleasure it was to represent the Cerebral Palsy Association of BC (CPABC) at this year’s Kinsmen Foundation’s Annual General Meeting on October 19, in beautiful Kelowna, BC.

I was happy to speak to the assembled Kinsmen and Kinettes to acknowledge  Kinsmen Foundation generosity.  Thanks to Kinsmen Foundation Chair Philip Jewell, and Chief Executive Officer Jim Watson, the CPABC ’s Tanabe Bursary program got a significant boost.

This year’s Kinsmen Foundation contribution to our Bursary Program is most welcome.  Beginning in 2008, the Kinsmen Foundation has committed $50,000.00 dollars over five years, to support our Tanabe Bursary.  This represents a significant increase over past years.  The actual Tanabe Bursary recipients are probably the most grateful for Kinsmen’s support.

Impact of the Tanabe Bursary Program

Julia Halipchuk from Princeton is studying architecture at UBC.  Stanley Sipchenko of Hosmer is after a Computer Science degree from the University of Lethbridge.  Evan Reid, Mellisa Markin, Matt Flint, Tara Kowalski and Janelle Ryan are all able to pursue post secondary education because of the Tanabe Bursary.

These young people have already dealt with significant challenges related to cp in their lives. So we know they have what it takes to go after a goal.  They are our future professionals, citizens, and leaders.  They are also role models for people with cp and other disabilities.

As a person with a disability, I know how difficult it can be just managing the activities of daily living.  Going after post-secondary education can be a challenge even for people without disabilities – so I was very happy to acknowledge the Kinsmen Foundation’s support of our Bursary program.

The weather was lovely, too, for the most part, which helped  to make networking a bit easier.  I was able to meet with Les Ebl, a CPABC Board Member who helped me get together with other Kelowna agencies.  Les set up a meeting for me with People in Motion’s Executive Director Paul Arney. Mr. Arney and I exchanged information about our respective organizations, and he provided important Okanagan contact information.  I also met with Arlene Pilgrim, a Rehab Consultant at BC Paraplegic Association’s Kelowna Regional Office.  Arlene has been instrumental in providing invaluable assistance to CPABC clients in the area.  It was nice to finally put faces to names formerly known only through email and telephone correspondence.

On a personal note, it was nice to get out of the city for a while, and visit with family and friends.  Thanks are due to the Kinsmen Foundation not only for their philanthropy, but also for taking the time to ensure that I was well taken care of during my stay in Kelowna.  I’d also like to thank Robert Raven for providing an accessible ‘pit-stop’ for me, and a doggie play-date for PADS Service Dog Breeze, Jasmine Sherban for excellent care in unusual circumstances, and Dad Conrad van der Kamp for taking time away from work to provide his always good-natured chauffeuring skills.