Egon Matheson’s commitment to community honored through memorial scholarship
The Kiwanis Club of Port Alberni has generously donated $3,000 to establish an endowment with North Island College to fund an annual scholarship for students entering Automotive and Welding programs at the Port Alberni campus. In addition to supporting students, the scholarship will honour the memory of long-time Kiwanis Club member and local business man Egon Matheson.
Matheson came to Canada from Denmark in 1957. He began a career as an automotive mechanic before purchasing Port Machine Works Ltd. with his brother-in-law in 1976. “Egon believed very strongly in supporting students in trades programs such as automotive and welding,” says Dale Sanderson, Kiwanis Club of Port Alberni Bursary Chairperson. “He would have been very proud of this scholarship.”
The Kiwanis Club endowment is a gift offered to students in perpetuity. The donated funds are invested, with only the interest earned being awarded annually.
“It is a great honour for us to pay tribute to Egon Matheson in this way,” says NIC President Lou Dryden. "This generous endowment from the Kiwanis Club will ensure a legacy in his memory. The financial investment will stay in his community, and local students will benefit year after year.”
Beginning in May 2008, the Kiwanis Club of Port Alberni Egon Matheson Memorial Scholarship will be available to North Island College students enrolling in the Automotive program in even numbered years and to students enrolling in the Welding program in odd numbered years. The recipient must be a resident of Port Alberni and be attending NIC’s Port Alberni campus.
The North Island College Foundation, a non-profit organization, enlists support from the community to bridge the gap between the financial needs of the college and the level of provincial funding received. Goals of the Foundation include bursary and scholarship funding for students, purchasing equipment, and refurbishing facilities.
To learn how you can help a college student or establish a memorial scholarship, contact Ann Wood at (250)334-5000 or visit the NIC Foundation online: www.nic.bc.ca.
Image: Egon Matheson
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For further information contact:
Susan Toresdahl
Director College Relations
(250) 334-5271
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