For many people, making an In Memoriam donation that supports the Y’s mission is the most meaningful way to honour the memory of a loved one. Similarly, a Tribute Gift to the Y can mark an important milestone such as a birth, wedding or graduation. And, by inviting family and friends to also donate, these types of gifts can be even more significant.
The YMCAs of Québec Foundation has several tribute funds, including the Sam Lazarus Endowment Fund and the Stuart McLean Camp YMCA Kanawana Fund. Click below for more information on these funds.
A fund is forever
To make a more lasting impact, you may also choose to set up a YMCA Tribute Fund, to which you and others can contribute over many years. The YMCA places Tribute Fund proceeds in safe investments so they exist in perpetuity, and you have the satisfaction of knowing they:
- provide after-school homework assistance;
- fund programs that support school perseverance;
- subsidize the cost of sending low-income kids to camp;
- develop leadership skills for teens;
- promote healthy habits such as exercise and good nutrition, and discourage tobacco, alcohol and drug use;
- provide activities for the elderly;
- integrate new Quebecers into society.
Sam Lazarus Fund
First a camper and then a popular counsellor at Camp YMCA Kanawana, Sam Lazarus is remembered as a giving, generous and motivating leader. His memory and example still burn bright in the campers who were lucky enough to meet him.
Tragically, Sam died after contracting malaria in 2004 while volunteering at a daycare in Ghana.
His memory lives on through the Sam Lazarus Fund.
To honour a too-brief life and a soaring spirit, his family and friends created the Sam Lazarus Endowment Fund.
Through their annual street hockey jamboree (known as the SamJam) and other events, they have raised more than $260,000, which has been invested in an endowment fund.
The annual revenue generated by the fund helps less privileged kids attend camp. Sam’s legacy enriches the lives of dozens of kids who follow in his footsteps at Camp YMCA Kanawana.
Stuart McLean Camp YMCA Kanawana Fund
Stuart McLean Camp YMCA Kanawana Fund
As the popular host of CBC’s Vinyl Café Diaries, Stuart McLean was a beloved figure across Canada, the US and the world. There was an outpouring of grief at the announcement of his death in early 2017.
But long before he became known for being a consummate storyteller, he was a counsellor at Camp YMCA Kanawana. The lessons he learned at Camp never left him and he was the first to say that Kanawana changed his life.
The Stuart McLean Camp YMCA Kanawana Fund, created by Stuart, his family and his friends, will give less fortunate children and teens a chance to attend Camp YMCA Kanawana, a community where they learn to care for themselves, each other and the environment.
To date, more than 600 donors from across the world have contributed about $60,000 to the Fund, which will begin sending kids to camp in 2018.