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Ron Regnier General Manager Canadian Tire (left) MaryHelen Boccioletti (centre) Bridget Hennigar Chair GPRC Board of Governors (right) (Supplied / GPRC)
By Abby Zieverink
Boccioletti family donation

GPRC receives $100,000 endowment from Boccioletti family

Sep 9, 2021 | 2:16 PM

A $100,000 endowment has been donated to the Grande Prairie Regional College by the Boccioletti family to help support students in their education.

GPRC Board of Governors Chair Bridget Hennigar says the new James Boccioletti Memorial Bursary would not have been possible without the donation.

“This is a wonderful gesture that we know will help broaden academic pathways for many students well into the future.”

The new philanthropic bursary announced by GPRC on Thursday works towards encouraging local community members to persevere with their higher education goals. Two $2,500 bursaries will be issued annually to students in northwestern Alberta, based on specific criteria.

One of the donors, MaryHelen Boccioletti says the goal for her family’s endowment is to have bursaries each year to relieve some of the financial pressure for local students, which she hopes will help students focus on reaching their education goals.

“Jim and I always felt strongly that to see Grande Prairie continue to grow, the community needed to keep its youth from moving away to larger cities,” she says.

“Our donations have been underpinned by a desire to nurture those lasting connections and to ensure that local post-secondary education is readily accessible and attainable.”

Boccioletti adds she is grateful for her time in Grande Prairie and feels honoured to be able to touch the lives of students for years to come.

“The hope is that each year, these bursaries will relieve some of the financial pressure for local students so that they can focus on achieving their educational goals,” she adds.

“We met wonderful people who became great friends, and Jim and I had the opportunity to be involved in supporting many important organizations such as GPRC.”

With the award and criteria selection done by the Boccioletti family, GPRC officials say the family is adding another chapter to giving in the community.

Over the last 14 years, GPRC says the former Canadian Tire store owners have actively supported the institution with more than $350,000 in donations, including holding title sponsorship of the President’s Ball since 2005 and the Wolves Golf Classic, starting in 2006

by Abby Zieverink