The Airdrie and District Community Foundation (ADCF) unveiled its new “Donor Tree” at Genesis Place Recreation Centre on Feb. 28.
The interactive sculpture allows current and potential future donors to add a leaf to the tree, which recognizes their contributions to the foundation.
“It is recognizing our donors that have given money over the last seven years to the foundation,” said ADCF director Kelly Boudreau. “They way the Foundation works is that money donated gets invested, and it never gets spent. The interest and earnings each year are what gets given back to the community in the form of grants to non-profit organizations.”
Airdronians have been generous in their donations since the ADCF first kicked off in the community over a decade ago. The local ADCF has been the fastest growing Community Foundation in Canada since its inception in 2012, and is the 37th fastest growing charity in Canada.
“We have about $700,000 in the bank,” ADCF chair Dale Rathgeber said in an interview earlier this year. “That allows us to give about $30,000 to $50,000 to charities in the community every year.
By recognizing the generosity of its donors in such a public way as a new donor tree at Airdrie’s multi-sport rec centre, Boudreau said ADCF was giving praise where it is due.
“It is a big thank you for them in recognition of their generosity,” she said.
Boudreau also stated that having the Donor Tree in such a heavily trafficked public space like Genesis Place would also allow ADCF to spread awareness for potential future donors as well.
“We feel very lucky in that regard,” she said. “It’s one of the places where most people would go in Airdrie, and see it. It is right in the main hallway. So yeah, we are pretty excited about that part.”
At the Feb. 28 unveiling, Airdrie Mayor Peter Brown said the installation of the Donor Tree was a long time coming. He credited the current board of the ADCF for their “drive” to make things like the Donor Tree happen in the community.
“That’s the reason why we are here,” he said. “They were able to drive this thing over the finish line to really create a community opportunity to give back forever.”
