Photo above: (Left to right) Jim Boyd, President and Chief Executive Officer and Lori Robinson, Chair of the Board, both with the Brampton and Caledon Community Foundation; and Anne Thompson and Allan Thompson.
Photo Credit: GG Cole Photography, Caledon.
Thompson Mayoral retirement evening proceeds endowed to local “forever fund” to support Caledon community needs and opportunities.
The Brampton and Caledon Community Foundation (BCCF) received $17,273.77 from the Town of Caledon, the residual proceeds after expenses from the November 2023 celebration evening of then-retiring Caledon Mayor Allan Thompson.
As plans for the retirement night got underway Thompson says he had a couple of asks. “I didn’t want it to be cost-prohibitive for guests to attend and I didn’t want it to be a fundraising event. But knowing the planning team needed to secure sponsorship support to help offset costs, my wish was that any remaining proceeds after expenses be directed to charity. The challenge was how to pick just one from among all the many valuable charities doing important work and serving our community,” says Allan.
To ensure shared support among charities from the evening proceeds Thompson established the Allan and Anne Thompson Endowment Fund through the Brampton and Caledon Community Foundation. In this way monies deposited into the Fund would remain in perpetuity with annual disbursements used to support Caledon charities.
Lori Robinson, Chair of the Board with the Brampton and Caledon Community Foundation was thrilled. “As a long-time resident of Caledon, I know well the contributions both Allan and Anne have made to our community and the Endowment Fund is testament to their love of Caledon, the people of Caledon and the charities that do such important work. I look forward to seeing the great benefits that their Endowment Fund will have for charities in Caledon,” she says.
Allan’s wife Anne said the Foundation was the ideal solution. “Had the original funds simply been disbursed, it would have been a once-and-done donation. Instead the fund exists forever so the charities that support our Caledon community will continue to receive support and the community benefit will far surpass the value of those initial funds. That is incredibly exciting and a great way to honour the legacy of Allan’s political career.”
The first disbursements from the evening proceeds have already been issued:
• $1000 to the Bethell Hospice Foundation for Hike for Hospice in May; and
• $1000 to Caledon Community Services in June to support Velocity
“Each of these disbursements were offered as matching-gift challenges for their respective fundraising campaigns, so it is even more exciting to know those contributions were used to help increase the fundraising efforts for the campaigns,” says Allan. “These first disbursements totalled $2,000, but with the matching fund component and the generous support of the people who stepped up to help our fund-raising efforts, the overall benefit was $4,100 to these two community organizations.”
“Bethell Hospice Foundation was grateful to be the very first recipient of a donation from the Allan and Anne Thompson Endowment Fund held through the Brampton and Caledon Community Foundation” said Nicole Hand, Executive Director of Bethell Hospice Foundation, “This gift was made even more special, as it was used to both encourage and inspire additional gifts in support of the 2023 Hike for Bethell Hospice! Thank you Allan and Anne for your continued belief in the importance of hospice palliative care in our community.”
“We are grateful to Allan and Anne Thompson for long-term support and partnership” said Geraldine Aguilar, Chief Executive Officer, Caledon Community Services. “As true community builders, they continue to inspire Caledon to step up. The most recent generous matching gift of $1,000 from the Allan and Anne Thompson Endowment Fund will go a long way to help our seniors access life-saving rides, remain healthy and independent, and much more. Beyond this immediate impact this gift certainly sparks a real ripple effect of generosity in our community!”
Thompson says he is grateful for the opportunities he was given during his almost two decades of public service and for the many projects and positive impacts he and his Council colleagues over the years have been able to make for the Caledon community. “By sharing the funds with the community in this way, the shared legacy of my career and the memories of that evening can continue to have positive impacts in my Caledon community for many years to come,” he says.
“I am delighted that Allan and Anne Thompson have created their charitable endowment fund at the Brampton and Caledon Community Foundation” said Jim Boyd, Boyd President and Chief Executive Officer, Brampton and Caledon Community Foundation. “The Thompson family roots go back centuries in Caledon, and there is no more appropriate legacy that I can think of than their permanent, charitable Endowment Fund. The Endowment Fund has already supported Bethell Hospice and Caledon Community Services in 2023, which is a great start that will see the Allan and Anne Thompson Endowment Fund support Caledon charities this year and for all years to come. Thank you, Allan and Anne, for choosing the Brampton and Caledon Community Foundation!”
A third disbursement will be issued later this year.
To learn more about Brampton and Caledon Community Foundation go to www.bramptoncaledoncf.ca
To learn more about Bethell Hospice Foundation go to www.foundation.bethellhospice.org
To learn more about Caledon Community Services go to https://ccs4u.org/
