Left to right are Kathy Greenwood, Doug Jackson, John Koenen, Don Vincent and Martha Mathurin-Moe. (Photo: University of Lethbridge)

By Sarah Jones

Picture Butte Lions Club donates $50K to visually impaired students at University of Lethbridge

Nov 18, 2022 | 12:13 PM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – The Picture Butte Lions Club has donated $50,000 to the University of Lethbridge (U of L) to make a difference for students living with a disability.

According to Lions Club board member, Doug Jackson, the original mandate of the Lions Group, which dates back to the 1980s, was to help the visually impaired.

Now, the latest donation from the club will go towards a scholarship for students who may face more barriers than others.

Jackson said it’s all thanks to a long-time club member, Ron LeClaire, who passed away in 2011.

“He left $250,000 to our group and it was designated for a blind organization, but that organization no longer exists,” explained Jackson.

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“To honour his wishes, we really wanted to use the funds to help the visually impaired.”

The Lions Club is hoping the donation will provide new opportunities for students who dream of pursuing an education but may deal with additional hardships.

Jackson said, “University of Lethbridge students are here because they want to get ahead in their lives.”

He continued, “The scholarship is to help give them a step up; people who want to get ahead but might be held back because of disabilities.”

Each year, the Picture Butte Lions Club Award for Visually Impaired Students will go to a continuing or entering undergraduate or graduate student enrolled in any degree program who has a documented disability. It will be given based on academic achievement, with preference given for financial need.

The U of L’s Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Executive Director Martha Mathurin Moe said, “This award is significant for our university. We want to ensure that all our students, no matter their background, get access and opportunity to inclusive, affordable and quality education.”

“This is only the beginning, and we look forward to working with our community to continue to remove barriers to education,” added Moe.

The donation will also be the first to be matched by the U of L.

In October 2022, the Board of Governors pledged $10 million in match funds for the establishment of new endowed student scholarships.

READ MORE: U of L announces new initiative to support student scholarships

“The difference a donation like this can make is truly significant,” said ULethbridge Vice-President, External Relations Kathy Greenwood.

She continued, “The ultimate goal of the matching initiative is to provide permanent and sustainable support for students by rewarding creative, athletic and academic excellence, removing barriers to education and reducing student financial insecurity.”

The first award will be given out in the 2023-2024 academic year.

Read more Lethbridge News Now.