This year, for the first time, a young person from the Sunshine Coast will attend an Outward Bound wilderness program on a full scholarship, thanks to the generosity of the Neil Falkner Outward Bound Legacy.
Falkner was 32 when he died in a backcountry skiing accident in the Canadian Rockies in 2002. His grieving mother Judy Lynne, siblings and friends wanted a way to keep Falkner's memory alive and help other young people overcome some challenges in their lives.
Beginning in 2003 with a student from Britannia Secondary School in East Vancouver, Falkner's alma mater, 17 young people have received full scholarships to attend an Outward Bound program. Depending on the length of the particular program, the cost ranges from $3,500 to $4,600 for participation. In 2006 the Legacy fund also began sending kids from north of Whistler where Falkner worked prior to his death. To date seven young people from the area (in addition to the 10 from Britannia) have benefitted from this amazing program.
The newly created Sunshine Coast scholarship will have the same selection basis as the awards to date have. They will be used to reach where the need for a young person is the greatest.
"This is not a merit award, and we felt school counsellors would be in the best position to know who had the most need, would benefit, follow through, and receive ongoing community and family support," Lynne explained in an email. "The main criteria is that the recipient's family would be unable to financially afford such an opportunity, but also the recipient may be struggling with learning, social skills, motivation, sexual orientation, etc. It is also an equal opportunity award; there must be at least as many girls receiving the award as boys."
To raise the funds for the scholarship, a dance featuring some of the Coast's best musicians and a silent auction are planned at the Robert Creek Hall, May 25. The organizers are looking for auction items for this tax deductible worthy cause.
Go to www.32auctions.com/organizations/1466/auctions/8159 for more information on the fundraiser.
Lynne, who lives on the Sunshine Coast, credits the scholarships for helping her to cope with the loss of her son.
"Establishing this fund in Neil's memory has been incredibly healing for me, my other two children and for Neil's friends. I am overjoyed that Neil's memory has been kept alive this way and that people who never knew him can benefit from his experience, his life and his death," Lynne said.
