Red Deer Polytechnic Alumni Association and community raise $12,600 for scholarships

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The Board of Directors of the RDPAA say the initiative resonated with them inspiring two current members to volunteer to share their stories as part of the campaign.

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Lynne Madsen, RDPAA Secretary and instructor in RDP’s Bachelor of Science Nursing program, shared her experience of needing emergency financial support near the end of her post-secondary education.

“I received $500 [from the Student Emergency Bursary] and a trip to the Students’ Association Food Bank. This support at this critical time allowed me to finish my program and graduate rather than withdraw and go back to work full-time,” she said in a blog post for the campaign.

Erin Bast, the student representative on the RDPAA, shared how scholarships gave her encouragement and validation that she was on the right path.

“It means the world to me to be able to continue going to school,” she said in a campaign video. “I can’t believe there are people out there donating to our scholarship fund to help students receive an education.”

The RDPAA say they connected with alumni on social media to emphasize that even small gifts can add up to create a big impact.

“The RDP Alumni Association is proud to support Red Deer Polytechnic students with this donation to student scholarships. We all know the struggles that our community faces with the rising cost of living. As alumni, we also remember the unique financial struggles of being a student, including balancing work and other commitments with receiving an education. We hope that this donation will not only support our students but that it will remind other alumni and community members of the needs of students and inspire them to show their support as well,” said Courtney Avram, Chair of the RDPAA Board of Directors.

RDP says the Sweaters for Scholarships initiative encouraged community members to share their photos to social media on National Ugly Sweater Day, which took place on December 16. They say the fundraising campaign total of $12,600 includes all gifts made to support scholarships up until Monday, December 19. However, the campaign page remains open for donations through the end of the calendar year.

Online gifts made before midnight on December 31 are eligible for a charitable tax receipt and campaign staff say they hope that this incentive will inspire other community members to consider continuing to support scholarships even though National Ugly Sweater Day has passed.