UOIT and Durham College 2006 Legacy Gala raises close to half-a-million dollars for students
October 2, 2006
OSHAWA, Ont. - The educational dreams of hundreds of students attending UOIT and Durham College are about to become a reality thanks to the overwhelming support of guests and donors who attended the annual Legacy Gala on Saturday night. The event - themed this year to King Arthur's Court - raised close to $470,000 for student bursary and scholarship endowments, almost doubling last year's total of $250,000.
"UOIT would like to express its heartfelt thanks to everyone who contributed to the tremendous success of the 2006 Legacy Gala," said Dr. Ron Bordessa, president of UOIT. "Their incredibly generous support means more UOIT students than ever will have an opportunity to push their own boundaries of thinking and learning through an outstanding educational experience. We are proud to know that our supporters are as deeply committed to the success of our students as we are."
Close to 400 community and corporate leaders from across Durham Region and the Greater Toronto Area attended the medieval event which was co-chaired by the Mackie family, one of the largest and most respected families in the transportation industry, and owner and operator of one of Canada's largest Harley Davidson dealerships. As part of their commitment, the family created an endowment designed to benefit one single parent student each year with a proven financial need who is enrolled in a full-time post-secondary program at Durham College.
"The Mackie family is committed to supporting the area where we grew up and live and work today," said Ross Mackie. "We were thrilled to offer our support to the 2006 Legacy Gala and would like to extend a sincere thank you to the Gala Committee who worked tirelessly to ensure the event was a roaring success."
In addition to the endowment created by the Mackie family, major sponsors included the Albis family, owners of Tosca Banquet Hall and Mondo Ristorante, who served as hosts and legacy sponsors, the Durham Filipino Canadian Society who created an endowment to assist Filipino Canadians with obtaining post-secondary education, the Durham chapter of the Canadian Federation of University Women who created an endowment to benefit students, and Grant Morris & Associates who created an endowment for descendents of Caribbean origin. In addition, Ontario Power Generation and Schneider Electric returned as legacy sponsors and Colleen Walker, a first-time legacy sponsor created an endowment in honour of her father Fred Hogan to benefit women in the nuclear engineering field.
"Durham College is very grateful to the many guests, donors, and business and community partners who helped to make the 2006 Legacy Gala such a fantastic success, " said Leah Myers, president of Durham College. "As a result of their remarkable generosity, we'll be able to provide more opportunities for students to attend Durham College, and gain the career-oriented skills and training they need to find employment and succeed in today's workplace."
Over 50 local retailers and corporate sponsors donated auction items to the sold-out event. The Legacy Gala is held each September to raise funds for students attending UOIT and Durham College. It is designed to help students pursue their educational dreams and obtain the knowledge and practical skills they need to be successful in the workplace - putting them one step ahead of the competition upon graduation.
About UOIT
As an innovative university, UOIT delivers a leading-edge learning environment that uniquely combines academic knowledge, research opportunities, hands-on skills and a vibrant student life. UOIT's 4,300 students are taught by professors who are experts in their fields from around the world. As Ontario's first laptop-based university, UOIT offers more than 30 challenging undergraduate and graduate degree programs in the fields of Business and Information Technology, Criminology, Justice and Policy Studies, Education, Engineering, Health Sciences, and Sciences. UOIT's commitment to research excellence has resulted in millions of dollars in grants and awards, including several Canada Research Chairs. To find out more, visit www.uoit.ca or call 905.721.8668.
About Durham College
For close to 40 years, Durham College has provided high-demand programs, professors with real-world experience, the latest technology, and an unwavering commitment to student success. Number one in the Greater Toronto Area based on a combined ranking in the areas of student, graduate, and employer satisfaction; graduate employment; and graduation rate for seven years running according to the provincial government's indicator surveys, the college also has the highest graduate employment rate - 93.1 per cent - of all six GTA colleges. The college has close to 6,000 full-time and 23,000 part-time students enrolled in over 100 programs and courses and over 1,500 apprentices. For more information, visit the website at www.durhamcollege.ca or call 905.721.2000.
"UOIT would like to express its heartfelt thanks to everyone who contributed to the tremendous success of the 2006 Legacy Gala," said Dr. Ron Bordessa, president of UOIT. "Their incredibly generous support means more UOIT students than ever will have an opportunity to push their own boundaries of thinking and learning through an outstanding educational experience. We are proud to know that our supporters are as deeply committed to the success of our students as we are."
Close to 400 community and corporate leaders from across Durham Region and the Greater Toronto Area attended the medieval event which was co-chaired by the Mackie family, one of the largest and most respected families in the transportation industry, and owner and operator of one of Canada's largest Harley Davidson dealerships. As part of their commitment, the family created an endowment designed to benefit one single parent student each year with a proven financial need who is enrolled in a full-time post-secondary program at Durham College.
"The Mackie family is committed to supporting the area where we grew up and live and work today," said Ross Mackie. "We were thrilled to offer our support to the 2006 Legacy Gala and would like to extend a sincere thank you to the Gala Committee who worked tirelessly to ensure the event was a roaring success."
In addition to the endowment created by the Mackie family, major sponsors included the Albis family, owners of Tosca Banquet Hall and Mondo Ristorante, who served as hosts and legacy sponsors, the Durham Filipino Canadian Society who created an endowment to assist Filipino Canadians with obtaining post-secondary education, the Durham chapter of the Canadian Federation of University Women who created an endowment to benefit students, and Grant Morris & Associates who created an endowment for descendents of Caribbean origin. In addition, Ontario Power Generation and Schneider Electric returned as legacy sponsors and Colleen Walker, a first-time legacy sponsor created an endowment in honour of her father Fred Hogan to benefit women in the nuclear engineering field.
"Durham College is very grateful to the many guests, donors, and business and community partners who helped to make the 2006 Legacy Gala such a fantastic success, " said Leah Myers, president of Durham College. "As a result of their remarkable generosity, we'll be able to provide more opportunities for students to attend Durham College, and gain the career-oriented skills and training they need to find employment and succeed in today's workplace."
Over 50 local retailers and corporate sponsors donated auction items to the sold-out event. The Legacy Gala is held each September to raise funds for students attending UOIT and Durham College. It is designed to help students pursue their educational dreams and obtain the knowledge and practical skills they need to be successful in the workplace - putting them one step ahead of the competition upon graduation.
About UOIT
As an innovative university, UOIT delivers a leading-edge learning environment that uniquely combines academic knowledge, research opportunities, hands-on skills and a vibrant student life. UOIT's 4,300 students are taught by professors who are experts in their fields from around the world. As Ontario's first laptop-based university, UOIT offers more than 30 challenging undergraduate and graduate degree programs in the fields of Business and Information Technology, Criminology, Justice and Policy Studies, Education, Engineering, Health Sciences, and Sciences. UOIT's commitment to research excellence has resulted in millions of dollars in grants and awards, including several Canada Research Chairs. To find out more, visit www.uoit.ca or call 905.721.8668.
About Durham College
For close to 40 years, Durham College has provided high-demand programs, professors with real-world experience, the latest technology, and an unwavering commitment to student success. Number one in the Greater Toronto Area based on a combined ranking in the areas of student, graduate, and employer satisfaction; graduate employment; and graduation rate for seven years running according to the provincial government's indicator surveys, the college also has the highest graduate employment rate - 93.1 per cent - of all six GTA colleges. The college has close to 6,000 full-time and 23,000 part-time students enrolled in over 100 programs and courses and over 1,500 apprentices. For more information, visit the website at www.durhamcollege.ca or call 905.721.2000.
About Ontario Tech University
A modern, forwarding-thinking university, Ontario Tech advances the discovery and application of knowledge to accelerate economic growth, regional development and social innovation. We inspire and equip our students and our graduates to make a positive impact in a tech-focused world. For us, it’s not only about developing the next tech breakthrough. Understanding and integrating the social and ethical implications of technology differentiates us as university. Learn more at ontariotechu.ca.
Media contact
Heather Middleton
Communications and Marketing
Ontario Tech University
905.721.8668 ext. 2197
heather.middleton@dc-uoit.ca
