WINNIPEG, MB – This morning in Convocation Hall, Winnipeg Police Chief Devon Clunis, Richard Enright, Franchise Boston Pizza Manitoba and Andrew Shefchyk, Director of Marketing, Boston Pizza presented a $35,000 cheque to University of Winnipeg President and Vice-Chancellor, Dr. Lloyd Axworthy, to support the Winnipeg Police Service Opportunity Scholarship in Honour of Injured and Fallen Officers. It is their fourth such gift now totaling more than $95,000 to the Opportunity Fund, which supports inner-city youth so they may attain their education goals, regardless of socio-economic background.
The latest $35,000 was raised through the annual Winnipeg Police Service Community Challenge Golf Tournament and at the “Boston Pizza Tip A Cop” event . Uniformed officers served food over lunch and dinner at ten local Boston Pizza restaurants, and all tips earned were then donated to the Winnipeg Police Service Scholarship.
“The generosity of Winnipeggers and their commitment empowers the community and ensures more educational opportunities exist for inner-city youth,” said Chief Clunis.
The Winnipeg Police Service specifically supports two annual renewable scholarships of $2,500 each to support educational opportunities for students from North End and inner-city Winnipeg high schools. The Winnipeg Police Service Opportunity Scholarship in Memory of Injured and Fallen Officers gives consideration to applicants who volunteer and contribute to, or have been involved with, their school or community.
“We created the Opportunity Fund in 2007 to begin closing the graduation gap by supporting youth who have traditionally been under-represented in post-secondary education,” said Dr. Axworthy. “Because of generous supporters like the Winnipeg Police and Boston Pizza, I am pleased to report that to date we have raised just over $3 million and 1,443 fast track bursaries have been awarded to students in financial need. More than 238 of those students have now graduated.”
Find out more about the Opportunity Fund.
– 30 –
MEDIA CONTACT
Diane Poulin, Senior Communications Specialist, The University of Winnipeg
P: 204.988.7135, E: d.poulin@uwinnipeg.ca
