Courtenay Volunteer Fire Department establishes Bursary Fund
The Courtenay Volunteer Fire Department recently established a Bursary Fund with the Comox Valley Community Foundation, to support the children of its members who are pursuing post-secondary education.
Funds from the sale of an ambulance from when the Courtenay Volunteer Fire Department provided ambulance services, prior to the establishment of the BC Ambulance Service, had been lingering in a back account for some time. The Department wanted to put the funds to work and approached the Comox Valley Community Foundation to discuss how.
“We wanted to use the funds to assist the children of our members attend university or college,” said Steve McNamee, Chair of the Courtenay Volunteer Fire Department Society. “Instead of just distributing the funds until they were gone, we invested with the Community Foundation knowing that the funds would be invested forever and that a bursary would be available every year, also forever.”
“Scholarship and bursary funds are just one of the options CVCF offers. The funds are invested permanently, and the income earned each year is distributed to a deserving student in the form of a bursary or scholarship,” said Matt Beckett, President of the Comox Valley Community Foundation. “Individuals or organizations can define the award criteria according to their own values and priorities, and CVCF handles the administration of the award, or if you choose, you can be involved in the selection process as well.”
The first bursary award will be presented in 2022. Applicants must be children of regular members of the Courtenay Fire Department and graduating or have recently graduated from high school. They may be pursuing any trades, technical or academic program at the college or university level. A committee of the Comox Valley Community Foundation will select recipients.
The Courtenay Volunteer Fire Department, established in 1915, provides fire prevention, suppression and rescue services to the residents of Courtenay and contracted areas. For more information, please visit https://www.courtenay.ca/EN/main/departments/courtenay-fire-department.html.
