Mark and Sally Nairn are putting their money where their mouths are.
The couple are true believers in the importance of post-secondary education, and have both been involved in supporting Thompson Rivers University (TRU) in Williams Lake. Sally has formerly chaired and volunteered on the gala committee and Mark chairs the committee for TRU Grit, the financial awards program for students at TRU in Williams Lake, allocating scholarships, awards, and bursaries to students.
After a number of years when they were unable to host a gala fundraiser, there was no funding available to provide these financial supports for students, so Mark and Sally donated $20,000 themselves so students would receive supports in 2023. Now the couple are donating $100,000 towards a new endowment fund aimed at helping TRU and its students even more. The fund is called the Williams Lake Endowed Fund for Student Support.
“It’s always kind of been my vision that if we want this thing to carry on then we need to develop an endowment,” said Mark, noting he imagined something long-term which may eventually also be able to support scholarships and the capital needs of the university.
“Contributions to the fund will be invested and earnings will fund student awards annually and for perpetuity,” explained Kelly de Chantal, director of development for TRU.
With a goal of raising $1 million initially, the fund could then provide around $40,000 in bursaries each year. Once this goal is reached, Mark said they can aim for $2 million and then do even more. Donations can be made immediately or over multiple year pledges, said Chantal.
For their part, Mark and Sally said they always felt supporting students was important, and all three of their children graduated from university and are doing well. When they owned and operated Beamac Installations, Mark said they put many apprentices through their training at the business.
The couple’s conviction in their support for young people’s education has continued to grow over the years. Two of their three children graduated from TRU in Kamloops, and all three children have expressed how grateful they are to their parents that they were able to focus on school thanks to their support.
When he was going into the Cariboo Memorial Hospital for a minor procedure, a nurse told Mark “If it wasn’t for TRU Grit, I wouldn’t be a nurse.”
Nairn said this kind of experience helps to bring home the important role financial awards play for students through the TRU Grit program.
“It’s important on several levels,” said Mark, noting many graduates will stay in the community, along with their skills. He sees the potential for more spin-offs and expanded programming, like making the new hospital facility into a teaching hospital for nurses, so those in the nursing program could finish locally rather than having to go to Kamloops.
Not only do the couple see the need for more health care professionals and tradespeople, but they also see the importance in helping people achieve their full potential and attend a school closer to where they are from. “For a lot of young people, it’s hard to get away,” said Mark.
The Nairns said having a university in the community also plays an important economic role, and one which may become even more important over time.
