The recipients of the Harriet T. Weaver Bursaries for 2017 are local high school graduates Abby Peca of Huntsville High School, and Aditi Patel of Bracebridge and Muskoka Lakes Secondary School. They have each received a gift of $700 towards their studies of Animal Biology at the University of Guelph and Medical Sciences at Western University, respectively. The Lake of Bays Heritage Foundation (LBHF) is pleased to make the announcement of its support of these two students pursuing post-secondary education.
“The Lake of Bays Heritage Foundation, with the support of Brink Weaver and many other donors, was delighted to be able to establish an endowment to support local students in their post-secondary studies with this award. We thank Brink Weaver and all other donors for making this possible,” said Rob Milligan, President of LBHF. “The bursaries have increased in size each year since our first awards in 2014 and we trust they will continue grow.”
The Harriet T. Weaver Bursaries are awarded annually to one graduating student from each of Bracebridge and Muskoka Lakes Secondary School and Huntsville High School who are accepted for post-secondary study at a college or university in a subject related to the work of the Lake of Bays Heritage Foundation. The establishment of these awards was made possible through a generous initial endowment by Harriet’s son, Brink Weaver, a former President of the Lake of Bays Association. The Fund has received many additional gifts since its establishment and remains open for donations to the capital endowment.
Both recipients were delighted with the good news. As Abby Peca put it, “I have always wanted to go into Animal Biology at the University of Guelph and I am beyond grateful to the Lake of Bays Heritage Foundation in aiding me to achieve my dreams! The Harriet T. Weaver award is very generous and I feel very privileged to be the recipient of it. It’s comforting and exciting to know that my community supports me! Thank you so much!”
Founded in 1985, the LBHF is a community-based, non-profit organization protecting the natural, built and cultural heritage of Lake of Bays, including the Township area and watershed. Operated by a volunteer Board, the Foundation encourages the protection of heritage through education, voluntary stewardship, conservation easements, land donations and land acquisitions.
To date, the Foundation has protected approximately 310 acres and more than seven kilometers of shoreline and has recognized more than 50 owners for protecting valuable heritage buildings. The Foundation maintains a close working relationship with the Township of Lake of Bays and the Lake of Bays Association, and is a member of the Ontario Land Trust Alliance.
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Congratulations to the two recipients. Well done!