Donor Spotlight

Collins Barrow Crowns 25 Years of Support with a Generous Donation

RDC business students will soon have more scholarship opportunities to help ease financial pressure as they study and pursue their dreams. All with the help of a long-time College supporter. Collins Barrow Red Deer LLP has made a $125,000 contribution to the Building Communities Through Learning (BCTL) Campaign. This donation is for a scholarship endowment that supports the Donald School of Business and a five-year sponsorship package of two major fundraising events.

For more than 25 years, this audit and advisory firm has supported RDC. With their latest major gift, Collins Barrow has generously donated more than $175,000 over the years to help students achieve success in their studies.

“Giving to RDC means giving back to our community,” says Collins Barrow Red Deer Partner, Rob Kolton. “We believe that RDC is a true builder in central Alberta – fostering the future of tomorrow with the students of today.”

The College will use $50,000 to create the Collins Barrow Endowment, which will provide funds for the Collins Barrow Chartered Accountants Scholarship’s annual award. Dedicated to students pursuing a career in accounting, one scholarship recipient each year will receive $1,500 towards tuition. Students entering full-time studies in the third year of a planned RDC Collaborative Business Degree program will be eligible.

“We are excited about the huge opportunities this donation from Collins Barrow will provide for our future business students. We appreciate such generous support, which helps us to best assist the communities we serve,” says Joanne Packham, Dean of the Donald School of Business and Human Services, whose students will directly benefit from the donation. “We are grateful for their investment in the future of the College and pleased to continue our long-standing collaboration with the partners and professionals at Collins Barrow.”

An innovative five-year sponsorship agreement also stems from Collins Barrow’s donation – with $25,000 allocated to provide the accounting firm with platinum-level sponsorships for RDC’s International Wine Auction, held every October, and the RDC Golf Classic, held every July. These two major fundraising events continue to be highly successful in providing financial support to a wide range of students from a wide range of RDC programs. 

“It’s possible that students receiving the Collins Barrow scholarship may in turn work with our team to serve our community. We look forward to that opportunity,” adds Kolton.

We thank you, Collins Barrow, for the dreams and opportunities you support and for your ongoing giving!