County of Grande Prairie Reeve Bob Marshall made a sizeable donation to the Grande Prairie Reading University on July 12th.
The Reading University functions as a three-week-long summer program for students who struggle with reading comprehension, a topic that Reeve Marshall says is very close to his heart.
Reeve Marshall’s late wife Beverley was an established elementary teacher at Wembley Elementary School and is described as always “sharing her love of learning” with children in her community. The Reading University was always her first choice for her students who struggled with reading comprehension, and Marshall says the program has always been valuable in his family.
“She always saw, when the kids came out of it, they were able to be successful and carry on into the higher grades so it’s something she really valued,” he says. “I value [it] too because personally, I struggled at Grade 3 reading comprehension so for both of us, it was something very important to see the value and giving back to the community.”
“When she passed, that’s one of the things that she wanted to make sure people were donating to in her memory, so I’ve carried that on each year.”
The $20K donation marks the first of its size for the Reeve, who calls the program an integral part of the education system in the Grande Prairie region.
“It’s such an important program, especially for our region, it’s very unique, I think there’s only one other program like it in the province, and it just gives kids such a leg up and a chance to be successful,” he says. “Reading comprehension is critical to every subject they’re after in all grades.”
When it comes to the future of Reeve Marshall’s support, the longtime donator says he has plans to continue supporting the beloved program for “as long as he is able.”
“It’s something I plan on carrying on, I definitely will be contributing to the program to carry it on in her memory as long as I’m able,” he says. “It just means a lot to have that recognition, in her memory especially.”
Recipients of the donation at the Reading University are described as feeling an immense sense of gratitude and say they plan to roll out the funds where they will have the “most impact.”
