Robert Ash Fund to support Valley school athletics and extracurricular programs forever
The Comox Valley Community Foundation recently presented the first distribution from the Robert L. Ash Endowment Fund to Comox Valley Schools/School District No. 71
The Robert L. Ash Endowment Fund was established in 2017 by Beryl St. Albyn Hargood-Ash in honour of her nephew, with the income from the Fund to be given annually to a charity or organization of his choice. Mr. Ash, a long-time supporter of secondary school athletics and a former high school wrestling coach, chose Comox Valley Schools as the beneficiary. The annual income will be used to fund secondary school sports team travel, specifically to provincial championships or in support of interprovincial/international exchanges, to assist individual athletes requiring financial assistance, and to fund travel expenses related to other extracurricular programs. Comox Valley Schools will establish a committee, representative of all secondary schools, to disburse the funds each year.
“The funds will have a tremendous impact and will go a long way in supporting our students and athletes,” said Tom Demeo, Superintendent of Schools. “We would like to express our appreciation to the Ash family for this generous gift.”
“This donation really speaks to the power of the endowed giving model,” added Matt Beckett, President of the Comox Valley Community Foundation. “The donation has been invested forever, and the income earned will be distributed annually to Comox Valley Schools, ensuring that Mr. Ash’s wishes are fulfilled year after year.”