Abstract
The occasion was the 40th anniversary of their graduation from the University of Manitoba's Faculty of Pharmacy. When the Class of 1966 got together for their reunion in Winnipeg in April 2006, the idea arose to establish an endowment fund in memory of 2 of their classmates who had passed away. From this seed of an idea, the 1966 alumni ended up doing something unique to give back to the profession of pharmacy.
They became the first graduating class to establish a scholarship at their Faculty of Pharmacy and also set a precedent at the university with 100% class participation in the project. Now they're encouraging other pharmacy graduates to follow their lead.
“We honoured the memory of our friends, but we also wanted it to be more than that,” says Vivian Quiring, one of those who planned the project. “While we were still living and able, we wanted to show our appreciation for the opportunities provided by our pharmacy degree.”
The scholarship planning group: Marian Kremers, Vivian Quiring, Linda Boyd. Missing: Lyle Silverman
Ms. Quiring, together with classmates Linda Boyd, Marian Kremers, and Lyle Silverman, set up the scholarship, which they announced at the Manitoba Pharmacy Conference held in April of this year. They were pleased to report that with 100% of their 26 classmates contributing, matching funds from the provincial government resulted in a $23,000 endowment fund. The interest will provide the award in perpetuity.
The scholarship will be awarded annually to a pharmacy student who has completed 1st or 2nd year, and is based on leadership, participation in extracurricular activities, and good academic standing.
The University of Manitoba Awards Office discovered that this had been the only class project at the university with all members contributing. “What made it more exciting was that this occurred in the midst of the Faculty's new building campaign, to which 85% of our class contributed,” says Ms. Quiring.
“The real story isn't about what we've done,” Ms. Quiring adds. “It's about the benefit to future students who will be helped in their career, to the Faculty, and to the profession. It's about having an attitude of gratitude and giving back while we can.”
The U of M Class of 1966 invites other pharmacy grads to create similar projects and is offering to share its experience so that others don't have to start from scratch. The group can provide guidelines and templates to help make the scholarship creation process more efficient for others who wish to follow this path. Anyone interested is welcome to contact Ms. Quiring at