The new student lounge at the Okanagan College Trades Training Complex will have an automotive vibe to it.
Orchard Ford and Kelowna Ford Lincoln Dealer Principal Dan Assam is giving $100,000 to the college for the new lounge. The new space for students will feature a mural of a Ford GT50. The mural will be a nod to Assam’s father Norm.
Norm owned a classic GT40 and the lounge will be dedicated to him, for the work he did surrounding education in the community.
“My father was a big supporter of education and training,” said Assam.
“Helping staff advance their skills was important to him, as was giving back to the community. This gift honours and celebrates his legacy, and we hope it will inspire the next generation of automotive tradespeople training at Okanagan College.”
Orchard Ford was founded in 1983 by Norm Assam and the operation has remained a family business since the beginning.
“We are deeply grateful to Dan and his family for this phenomenal support,” said campaign Chair Dennis Gabelhouse.
“This gift sends a powerful message to students at the College that local employers are behind them and gives them a sense of the long legacy of trades in the valley that they are a part of.”
More than $850,000 has been donated to Okanagan College by automotive dealerships and repair shops in the Okanagan.
To date $6.2 million has been raised for the facility, which will open this fall.
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