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Education foundation in Bruce Grey celebrated for excellence

Guelph, Ontario - October 22, 2004 - The work of a rural-based foundation enhances educational opportunities for its students and receives an award for its efforts.

The Bruce Grey Public Education Foundation is the winner of the Outstanding Philanthropic Action award. It is one of seven groups that received an award at the 6th annual Awards of Rural Excellence on Oct. 18, 2004. The awards, hosted by the Foundation for Rural Living (FRL), recognize and honour rural communities, organizations and groups who, through programs, projects and initiatives act on their vision of a better rural Ontario.

Thanks to the work of the foundation, the Bruce Grey region will soon be enjoying a new Institute for Environmental and Outdoor Education. Based in Oliphant, Ontario, the new facility is slated to begin construction next spring.

The Bruce Grey Public Education Foundation is a charitable organization formed in 1997 with a vision to develop a strategic approach to fundraising in support of local education.

In particular, the foundation funds projects that reflect the rural character of the region.

The catalyst for the foundation's creation was the 'Inspired by Nature Campaign' organized to raise funds to re-build the Institute for Environmental and Outdoor Education in Oliphant, Ontario.

With a goal of raising $2 million to fund the project, the foundation has faced many challenges along the way. But with a determined membership, the foundation has continued to revise and revaluate its strategy - introducing broader membership representation as well as a major gifts' focus.

Construction on the new centre is slated to begin next spring. The foundation is now in phase two of the campaign, which will fund the centre's operating costs.

    For more information:
    Deborah Diebel, Site Manager, Institute for Outdoor and Environmental Education
    Tel: 519 534 2767 Email: deborah_diebel@bwdsb.on.ca
    ___________________________________

The winners in the remaining six categories are:

  • Winner of the Outstanding Partnership with Business Award: Frontier College's Labourer Teacher Program, Toronto
  • Winner Outstanding Rural Youth Achievement: Community Futures of North & Central Hastings and South Algonquin's Business Builders Program, Bancroft
  • Winner Excellence in Formal Co-operative Models: The Progressive Pork Producers Co-operative Limited, Breslau
  • Winner Excellence in Community Leadership: The R.E.S.P.E.C.T (Resources, Empowerment, Safety, Prevention, Education, Community building and Training), North Bay
  • Winner Outstanding Volunteerism and/or Partnership in the Voluntary Sector: Erinsville Recyclers Group, Tamworth
  • Winner Excellence in Economic Development: Trent Hills Economic Development Committee, Municipality of Trent Hills

Proud sponsors of the 2004 Awards of Rural Excellence program are Pioneer Hi-Bred, a DuPont Company and founding sponsor, The Co-operators, the Province of Ontario - Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing, Union Gas and The Ontario Rural Council.

The awards were held at the Four Points Sheraton Hotel in London, Ontario on Oct. 18, 2004.

For more information please contact
Joanne Peach, communications specialist
Foundation for Rural Living
Tel: 519 826 3815
Email: frl_communications@on.aibn.com

Background: The Awards of Rural Excellence
The Foundation for Rural Living's (FRL) Awards of Rural Excellence program began in 1999 to recognize the excellence emerging from rural Ontario and to promote those initiatives to other organizations throughout the province. Contribution to community and a view toward enhancing and sustaining the future are the cornerstones of the awards criteria. Enterprises being recognized with each award must take place in rural Ontario. "Rural" includes communities with a population under 50,000. Amalgamated municipalities of small towns where the population may exceed 50,000 are also eligible. Proud sponsors of the 2004 Awards of Rural Excellence program are Pioneer Hi-Bred, a DuPont Company and founding sponsor, The Co-operators, the Province of Ontario - Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing, Union Gas and The Ontario Rural Council.

The Foundation for Rural Living
FRL was founded in 1979 as a non-profit, registered charity. Our mission is to build sustainable rural capacity and enhance the quality of life for rural citizens through the growth and development of community investment in the form of philanthropy, citizenship and collaboration. Various programs and partnership endeavours aim to advance the role and interests of the charitable sector for the benefit of rural communities.

The foundation has initiated and partnered in key programs including The Ontario Rural Council and the Advanced Agricultural Leadership Program. During the ice storm of 1998 we established the Ontario Rural Relief Fund, which raised over $500,000 for rural communities affected by this disaster.

Disclaimer: The Foundation for Rural Living does not endorse or maintain the information contained within the above article, with the exception of news releases from the foundation itself. In all other instances, any questions reagarding the information contained therein should be referred to the author of the news article listed as the source.

 © Foundation for Rural Living, 2004