The York University Retirees’ Association continued its work to raise funds for graduate student awards. Recently, members took part in the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon Charity Challenge.
For the third straight year, the York University Retirees’ Association (YURA) participated in the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon Charity Challenge to raise funds for graduate student awards at the University. With the help of York’s Advancement Division, YURA applied and was approved as an eligible charity in the program.
For the 2021 Charity Challenge, YURA’s 11 registered participants were given the option of running or walking a minimum of five kilometres on their own (e.g. in their own neighbourhood) as a virtual charity challenge; or participating in one of two five-kilometre walk/run events organized by YURA – one held at Toronto’s High Park on Oct. 5 and the other on the Tom Taylor Trail in Newmarket, Ont., on Oct. 13.
Participants registered for the Charity Challenge through a fundraising page generated by Race Roster, an online app, and then sought sponsorships from former colleagues and co-workers, family and friends. York University issued charitable tax receipts for sponsor donations. To date, this year’s YURA team has raised $23,700 for the graduate student awards.
YURA Co-President Ian Greene organized this year’s team entry. Fundraising participants were retirees Charmaine Courtis, Steve Dranitsaris, John Lennox, Fran Wilkinson, Peter Victor, David Dimick, Marla Chodak, Agnes Fraser, Donna Smith and Gwyn Buck, as well as Maggie Quirt, a professor in the Department of Equity Studies in York’s Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies, who took an enthusiastic interest in this cause.
Until Nov. 1, there is still time for York community members to sponsor the YURA team or one of the individual participants. Tax deductible donations can be made online at the group’s Race Roster page.
YURA is committed to help make getting an education possible for deserving students who struggle financially. YURA’s goal is to raise enough money for an endowed fund to support in perpetuity the three YURA Graduate Student Awards given annually. To date, almost $90,000 has been raised toward the $115,000 goal for this endowment, with $60,000 of the funds raised generated by participants in the Scotiabank Charity Challenge in the past three years.