A St. Clair College alumnus has donated $1 million to a Canadian organization that helps cancer patients with money matters when they are too sick to work.
Andrew Faas, who graduated from the business marketing program in 1972 and was later honoured as an Alumni of Distinction in 1992, announced the donation Thursday through the Faas Foundation in support of the Money Matters program at the Wellspring Cancer Support Foundation.
The Faas Foundation was established in 2005 to support non-profit organizations that promote wellness through medical research, healthcare and education.
Faas has also supported St. Clair College over the years, through generous financial contributions to the SportsPlex, the HealthPlex and the Andrew J. Faas Student Centre, at the Chatham campus.
The Money Matters program to which Faas donated on Thursday is unique to Wellspring, which operates centres across Canada, including one in London. It helps cancer patients navigate through the many government and workplace income programs, drug coverage options and community resources available to help them when they are too sick to work.
"These have been challenging times for both individuals and charitable organizations alike," says Andrew Faas, himself a cancer survivor and head of the Faas Foundation, which supports non-profit organizations in reducing the stress in people's personal and professional lives. "At the worst point in their lives, cancer patients are then doubly challenged by employment, financial and legal issues, which, for many, are beyond their means. This program significantly reduces stress levels, so cancer patients can instead focus on getting better."