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Orangeville Legion hands outs 24 bursaries in 2017

August 3, 2017   ·   0 Comments

By Mike Pickford

For the past 40 years the Orangeville Royal Canadian Legion has done its part to help send budding scholars off to pursue a post-secondary education, and this year is no different.

In a special ceremony held at the Legion on Tuesday (August 1), a collection of 24 area students were each presented with cheques for $600 as the organization wrapped up its 2017 bursary program. Several Legion representatives, including President Chris Skalozub and Second Vice-President Darrick Landry, were on hand alongside friends and family as each of the recipients came forward to accept the scholarship.

As they did, each revealed where they would be headed to begin the next chapter of their life and what exactly they would be studying. Amongst them were aspiring journalists, criminal investigators, administrators and educators. Institutions such as Trent University in Peterborough, Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo and Carleton University in Ottawa will be taking on fine young students from Orangeville.

In total, the Legion handed out $14,400 – coming close to the $16,000 it had been allocated under the Poppy Trust, for students with a familial connection to a veteran, and Nevada Trust, offered to any student. To be eligible for the bursary, students had to possess a high school diploma and an acceptance letter from a qualifying university or college.

“Students can spend this bursary on anything from books, to rent, to transportation,” Mr. Landry, who also serves as chair of the poppy fund, told the Citizen. “If they are old enough and mature enough to go to post-secondary school, then they should know how to spend the money. We give them the money and provide them with the opportunity.”

He noted that the amount given out this year was in line with previous years’ totals. In 2016, the Legion assisted 25 area students.

“We’re happy to be able to do this. I’ve been involved for 15 years and it’s always nice seeing the faces of the people we’re able to help and hearing their stories,” Mr. Landry said.

He added, “This is an important venture for the Legion, it’s something we’re passionate about doing. It all goes back to the Second World War… When our veterans returned home they were given money for post-secondary studies. We’ve already passed it down to their children, now we’re going down to grandchildren and great grandchildren.”

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