A Message from our President
Dear Friends,
With the advent of a new year, it’s timely for those of us who support and believe in the work of Pacific Parklands Foundation to step back and take stock of our accomplishments in 2015, look ahead to plans unfolding in 2016 and, most importantly, recognize the efforts of our amazing volunteers on behalf of Metro Vancouver’s Regional Parks.
As you may know 2015 marked this organization’s 15th anniversary. Appropriately, given this milestone, we wrapped up our largest capital campaign ever to build the Stewardship Centre at Kanaka Creek Regional Park Watershed. The Stewardship Centre, which includes the George Ross Learning Centre, will be completed this year. Pacific Parklands Foundation played a leadership role in this campaign with the help of Metro Vancouver, KEEPS (Kanaka Education and Environmental Partnership Society), the Pacific Salmon Foundation, a legacy gift from Mr. George Ross and the support of many other individual and corporate donors.
A key goal in 2016 is to introduce a legacy giving program and to organize 100 monthly donors by year’s end. We believe monthly donors will allow us to better forecast our ability to provide financial support to worthwhile endeavours such as Catching The Spirit and other youth programs.
For more than a decade RBC Foundation has provided Catching The Spirit with financial support totalling more than $300,000. Through Catching the Spirit, hundreds of kids from 12 to 18 years of age volunteer to enhance our parks and environment through creative programs developed by peer leaders. These kids go on to become our community leaders.
I am proud to have served as President of the Pacific Parklands Foundation for almost half of its 15-year lifespan. I credit our dedicated volunteer Board of Directors, past and present, for achieving so many of our goals over the years and honouring the trust placed in the foundation by our donors and supporters. To our volunteer leadership team, our staff and our many loyal volunteers I offer the sincere gratitude of the entire Board. Together we are fulfilling the critical mission entrusted to us 15 years ago of enhancing and protecting one of our region’s most priceless assets, its regional parks.
Sincerely,
David Pohl,
President
Welcome Erin, I hope you enjoy your time here with our Regional Parks and PPF.