Elaine Hammett Memorial Endowment Fund Supports the Annual Kenora District Festival of the Arts
Kenora – The Kenora and Lake of the Woods Regional Community Foundation is pleased to announce that the Elaine Hammett Memorial Endowment Fund will issue an inaugural grant of $1,100 to this year’s Kenora District Festival of the Arts. Mrs. Hammett was a teacher and a school librarian and was deeply involved in volunteer activities in Port Perry for over 20 years. In 1989, the Hammett family relocated to Kenora, where Elaine continued to teach and volunteer with Knox United Church and the LOW Museum Board. Her family established an endowment fund, in her memory, at the time of her passing in 2012.
“Our Mom (and Dad) was a huge supporter of school bands and choirs, and the musical careers of her children. I remember that she went out of her way to get me my very own clarinet and how special it was to me”, said son, Dr. Clayton Hammett. “It inspired me to practice and play and have fun with music, playing in many bands through high school and university. That clarinet was the foundation of a lot of great relationships and a lot of fun,” Hammett stated.
“This is an example of family philanthropy at its finest; remembering a loved one and the passion that they expressed for a particular cause. The Hammett family is to be commended for establishing this endowment fund, which will support the Festival of the Arts, today and into the future,” said Darlene MacGillivray, Executive Director of the Community Foundation.
“The gift from the Hammett Family is very meaningful for the Festival of the Arts. The Festival relies on support from the community to sustain all of the valuable programs it provides. This is the 72nd year for the Festival and it is through this form of generous support, that it is able to continue. The Community Foundation has shown true value by supplying the vehicle to help make this support possible”, said Len Mark, President of the Kenora District Festival of the Arts.
The Kenora and Lake of the Woods Regional Community Foundation is a volunteer driven, public foundation, which accepts donations and builds endowment funds – creating a nest egg that will always be there for the community. The investment income earned on the funds is granted to local registered charities that enhance the quality of life, in line with the donors’ wishes. Our catchment area includes the City of Kenora and the neighbouring communities of Reddit, Minaki, Sioux Narrows – Nestor Falls, the First Nations Territories and the unincorporated territories surrounding Lake of the Woods. Since 2004, thanks to our generous donors, our net assets have reached $4.6 million, while $1.7 Million has been granted to over fifty different local charities.
Because the Community Foundation supports all kinds of charities – not just one sector or issue area – we are well positioned to bring diverse voices together to address local issues. Together we build networks, we collaborate; we build community: Building Forever Together.
For more information on establishing an endowment fund in memory of a loved one, please contact: Darlene MacGillivray, Executive Director, Kenora and Lake of the Woods Regional Community Foundation | 467- 4427 or info@klwcf.ca
