Atlantic Veterinary College Receives an and#145;Ultimate Gift'
Today, November 7, the Atlantic Veterinary College (AVC) of the University of Prince Edward Island (UPEI) confirmed arrangement for an and#145;ultimate gift' from Donna and Richard Hassard. The Hassards, AVC campaign co-chairs presented the College with a generous donation of $12,000 per year, a portion of which will be used for life insurance premiums on a $1-million policy. The proceeds of the policy will be earmarked for the future upgrading of the planned AVC Student Learning Commons.
"We are grateful for the strong support and commitment of Donna and Richard toward AVC," said Dr. Tim Ogilvie, Dean of AVC. "They are dedicated members of the AVC community who are leading the way to fulfilling our expansion plans. The "ultimate gift" of a $1 million life insurance policy confirms their inclusion in the UPEI Visionary Society of planned giving to higher education."
The Learning Commons will be equipped with computers, a veterinary resource centre, and small-group and self-study areas, this new space will help students meet the demands of an intensive curriculum.
"Even though we are impressed with all aspects of AVC's infrastructure, it wasn't difficult to decide where our gift should go," said Donna Hassard when she presented the gift to Dr. Ogilvie. "Without dedicated students, there would not be an AVC and we want to ensure students will always have a state- of-the-art Learning Commonsand#151;a place of their own to study, confer and relax."
The Student Learning Commons is part of AVC's $32-million expansion and renovation project. Phase I of the expansion has begun with renovations to the anatomy lab and will continue in the new year with the construction of a 57,000-square-foot Bioresource Research Complex. Future phases of the project are dependent on the fundraising efforts and are expected to include an expansion of the Veterinary Teaching Hospital with upgrades to equipment, an expansion and upgrading of Aquatic Sciences, as well as upgrades to the infrastructure and equipment of Diagnostic and Teaching Laboratories.
With a goal of raising $7.5-million toward the $32-million AVC expansion and renovation project, the AVC Capital Campaign has already raised $1.2 million.
For twenty years, AVC has been Atlantic Canada's college of veterinary medicine. With over 800 graduates, a Veterinary Teaching Hospital caring for over 3,500 large and 5,000 small animals each year, and ongoing world-class research, the College is committed to educate veterinarians, promote animal and human health, and provide services for the management of the health and well-being of animals.
