Donors Archive - Sunshine Coast Festival of the Written Arts

About the Legacy of Literacy

Marisa Alps — Thu, 29 Apr 2021 21:01:30 +0000

We launched the Legacy of Literacy Endowment Campaign in 2017 to increase our endowment funds to $1,000,000 by our 40th Anniversary in 2022. We reached our goal almost two years ahead of time, thanks to the 180 donors who believe in the Festival, in the work it does, and want to see it continue to thrive and evolve.

This success is due to the commitment of the Fund Development Committee who planned and carried out the endowment campaign, supported it with donations of time and funds, and cheered each other on when the goal felt daunting. Thank you, Jean Bennett (Chair), Marisa Alps, Bev Craig, Jane Darling, Wendy Hunt, Janice Iverson, Debbie Mealia, Len Pakulak, Maggie Schell and Janice Webb for your vision and perseverance.

The Festival is now supported by the annual earnings from five endowment funds: Legacy of Literacy Endowment Fund, Marie Steel Memorial Endowment Fund, Lynn Pakulak Endowment Fund, Gwen Bennett Endowment Fund, and the Schell Family Endowment Fund.

Meet the Legacy of Literacy donors here.

The Government of Canada, through the Department of Canadian Heritage, has supported the Legacy of Literacy Endowment Campaign with matching funds that total $321,000. The Province of British Columbia contributed $25,000 to the Marie Steel Memorial Endowment in 2009 through the Renaissance Fund.

How the endowment earnings are spent:

Ongoing support for Celebration of Authors, Books and Community (CABC) and the publication of the Coastal Voices anthology
Distribution of complimentary tickets through public libraries and social service agencies to ensure that finances are not a barrier to attending the Festival
Accessibility: Installation of a ramp to the stage in the Festival Pavilion in 2018 and, for the first time in 2019, provision of real-time captioning for all Festival events. This improves the Festival experience for patrons who are hard of hearing and makes possible the inclusion of people who are deaf.
Special community outreach programming throughout the year
Management of revenue shortfalls and unanticipated expenses
Ongoing maintenance of our beloved (but aging) Festival Pavilion

The endowment funds are held and invested by the Sunshine Coast Foundation which has a strong record in achieving a positive return on the funds it manages on our behalf

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Chieri Uegaki

Webmaster — Wed, 28 Apr 2021 07:28:28 +0000

Local author Chieri Uegaki has participated in the much-loved Celebration of Authors, Books and Community, a program that brings authors into Coast classrooms, on three different occasions. Chieri’s children’s books are populated with Japanese-Canadian characters, and during her time in classrooms, she also speaks to students about her culture and her experiences as an ESL learner. “I tell them how books and reading helped get me through school,” she says. “They respond positively and it’s very rewarding when you know you’ve reached a child that may be inspired to write. Especially for immigrant children or kids whose first language isn’t English, when they see somebody who has similarities to their background, it becomes real to them, an attainable thing, being a writer.” Chieri is also a patron of the festival and gladly donated to the Legacy of Literacy campaign. “A program like CABC is really important to help supplement the exposure kids have to books and writers,” she says. “I think it’s very valuable and I’m very grateful that the Festival supports this kind of program.”

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Don and Patti Gunning

Webmaster — Wed, 28 Apr 2021 07:26:27 +0000

Don and Patti Gunning have been regular attendees at the Festival since 1998, returning annually even after moving off Coast. “It’s a really unique opportunity to mingle with the rich and famous,” says Don laughing. But the Gunnings are not kidding about the many writers they’ve met at the festival. Patti chatted with Peter Gzowski in the garden; the couple had a “fascinating” conversation about education with Rex Murphy; they’re “chummy” with Peter Robinson; and Kathryn Gretsinger grew up with their kids. But it’s the conversation Don had with Jane Urquhart, who’d just published The Stone Carvers, that had a most profound impact on him. “I’d been reading up on my uncles who’d been killed at Ypres in the first war,” recalls Don, a battle that comes up in Urquhart’s book. “I’ll never forget she said to me, ‘you’ve got to go.’ So we went a few years later and had a very magnificent, memorable, and tearful tour of the battlefield.” Adds Patti, “At the Festival you run into someone who is well-known and they really want to talk to you. That just doesn’t happen at other places.” The Gunnings’ donations to the Festival will go toward ensuring experiences like that continue. “The Festival is a treasured family event,” says Don.

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Doug & Franca Bebb

Webmaster — Wed, 28 Apr 2021 07:23:44 +0000

Doug Bebb has fond memories of spending childhood summers at his aunt Marie’s house in Selma Park, so when she passed away, Doug and his brothers, David and Richard, sought a way to honour her memory. Using the inheritance she bequeathed them, they established the Marie Steel Memorial Endowment with a donation intended to provide opportunities to emerging writers. The New Voices event is now a staple of Festival programming that is funded through the endowment, connecting new writers with audiences. “Marie was a life-long reader, learner and Festival volunteer,” says Franca, Doug’s wife. “She had so many books, and provided books to all our kids every year for birthdays and Christmas.” Doug and Franca have attended every Festival but one since 2008, enjoying the Festival’s friendly atmosphere, engaging with new writers and watching the popularity of the New Voices event grow. “Marie wasn’t a woman to seek fame, but she would have been happy,” says Doug of the endowment in her name. “We had no idea the impact it was going to make,” adds Franca. “We’re thrilled it has taken off and been so successful.”

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Jane Darling

Webmaster — Wed, 28 Apr 2021 07:19:46 +0000

Jane Darling is a long-time supporter of the Festival, sponsoring different events every year. “Reading is very important,” says Jane. “I wanted to support something to do with education and the magic of books and support authors.” She became a member of the Fund Development Committee to help raise $1 million for the Legacy of Literacy campaign, never doubting that the goal would be reached. “There are so many people that are passionate about the Festival,” she says. “The Festival struck my heart and soul,” she continues, explaining why she donated her time as well as making a financial contribution. “I want the legacy to continue. It’s a very unique and special thing for the Sunshine Coast and Canadian authors.” Jane enjoyed working with the dedicated team on the Committee and doing her part for a Festival that “makes me happy,” while also recognizing that the Festival has a big impact on the broader community, including local businesses. “It brings culture to the Coast, but it also brings a lot into the community,” she says. “It’s tourism, hotels, B&Bs, restaurants, shopping. It’s seeing what a wonderful community we live in. It’s magical.”

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Jean Bennett

Webmaster — Wed, 28 Apr 2021 07:17:27 +0000

Jean Bennett has been instrumental to the success of the Legacy of Literacy campaign. “Establishing the endowment was based on the idea that we couldn’t count on government to continue their support for the arts,” she says, noting that the festival now has a stable source of funding to support its programming and initiatives. She joined the Board in 2008, served as President from 2016-2020, and in 2017 took on leadership of the Fund Development Committee. In just over three years, the Committee reached its goal. “I think this really speaks to how much the Festival means to people,” she says. In 2019, Jean established the Gwen Bennett Endowment Fund to honour her mother’s many contributions as a community volunteer, designating the fund’s proceeds to support Celebration of Authors, Books and Community. “It gives kids a chance to connect with someone whose words they love and validates their stories,” she says, recognizing that both CABC and the Festival are opportunities for community engagement and foster hope. “People come out with their world view shaken a little bit,” she says. “They don’t have to be big shifts, but they are shifts. Words have the power to change us.”

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Kathy Mulder

Webmaster — Wed, 28 Apr 2021 07:13:25 +0000

Kathy Mulder has only missed three festivals, one because she was getting married. “I kinda thought I should show up for that,” she jokes. “Now I have a very understanding husband who puts up with the fact that we are often apart on our anniversary.” Kathy’s mom, Lynn Pakulak, was a patron and volunteer, and even sat on the Festival Board for many years. “Mom loved to read and that’s an addiction she planted in me,” says Kathy. When Lynn passed away, her husband Len established the Lynn Pakulak Endowment which directly supports festival programming and Kathy now introduces the writers that her mom’s endowment supports. “I’ve had such an amazing and immersive experience every time I have gone,” she says. “I have Festival friends I see only once a year, but it’s always an opportunity to meet new people and hear new ideas.” Kathy also recognizes the importance of the Legacy of Literacy Endowment to the ongoing sustainability of the Festival and its diverse programming. “The Festival is truly lasting all year long,” she says. “It encourages reading and writing in school and in community. Who wouldn’t want to be part of that?”

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Len Pakulak

Webmaster — Wed, 28 Apr 2021 07:10:24 +0000

Len Pakulak has been an ardent Festival supporter for almost 30 years. He’s done it all, from swinging hammers while building the Festival Pavilion to slinging drinks at the Festival bar; from serving on the Fund Development Committee and to establishing the Lynn Pakulak Endowment Fund in memory of his wife, a former Board member. “I do my little part,” says Len modestly. While the Festival has greatly benefited from Len’s dedication, expertise, and generous donations, his relationship with the Festival has been rewarding for him as well, inspiring him to read more fiction. “It’s opened up a whole new world to me,” he says. He also enjoys serving at the bar during the Festival itself. “I’ve come to know a lot of the regular visitors,” he says. “It’s great to swap stories and catch up on their news.” Len is thrilled the Legacy of Literacy endowment campaign was successful in reaching the $1 million mark thereby ensuring the Festival’s long-term financial stability. “They’re doing really good things,” he says. “They need to be supported.”

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Maggie Schell

Webmaster — Wed, 28 Apr 2021 07:01:02 +0000

From regular attendee, to volunteer, to Board member, Maggie Schell’s history with the Festival is a testament to her passion and dedication. “It seemed magical to me,” says Maggie, recalling her first Festival in 1997. “It’s a transformational experience. Every time I went to the Festival, I felt that my mind was opened in a different way. It’s a huge gift.” In 2019, Maggie made a gift of her own and established the Schell Family Endowment in honour of her mother, Anne. “I wanted to honour her because she was a big part of instilling a love of literature in me,” says Maggie. “I thought it was a good marriage of my love of my mum and of the Festival.” Being behind the scenes as a Board member has been a meaningful experience for Maggie. “There’s constant learning about what it means to be involved in a community organization. It’s a lot of work and it takes a certain passion to keep going with it.” Maggie’s passion for reading, writing, and for the Festival itself, hasn’t wavered and she remains committed to ensuring the Festival’s future. “I really want to be part of making sure the Festival continues,” she says, “and that it remains a vibrant, positive experience for everyone.”

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Sally Quinn

Webmaster — Wed, 28 Apr 2021 06:58:01 +0000

Sally Quinn has been attending the Festival since 1993. “I think I’ve only missed one since then,” she says. “It’s one of the events that brings me the greatest joy. I plan my year around that.” Sally’s mother read to her as child and she in turn read to her children, and even though they’ve grown and moved away, they will still sometimes attend the Festival together. “To me, reading is one of the most important joys and skills we can all have,” she says. She has a long list of highlights from almost three decades of Festival-going, including Joni Mitchell, Wayne Johnson, Wayson Choy, June Callwood and Shane Koyczan. If she were to claim a favourite author, it would be Richard Wagamese. “When he spoke the audience was absolutely silent…you could hear a pin drop.” But she notes there are always unknown gems waiting to be discovered and she cites Dan Needles’ Letters from Wingfield Farm, as one of those. “I heard him there and then read his book to my mum when she had dementia and we were both laughing hysterically,” Sally recalls. “Those moments are gifts.” Sally made a donation to the Legacy of Literacy fund to help keep the festival on stable financial footing. “Keeping the written word alive is so important.”

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