Cliff and Lois Serwa commit $1M to campaign for Okanagan College’s new gym facility

Okanagan College (OC) is in the midst of a fundraising campaign to help build a new gym facility on the school’s Kelowna campus.

The $14-million Recreation and Wellness Centre was announced in October and efforts to fund the project have already received a major boost in the form of a $5-million donation from philanthropist Don Folk.

Cliff and Lois Serwa committed $500,000 to the project and they’re now incentivizing people to give by pledging another $500,000 in the form of matched donations.

For every dollar donated by the community, the Serwa Spirit Match will equal it, up to $500,000, to raise an additional $1-million for the project.

That means, once the $500,000 is raised, the Serwas will have given $1 million to the project and motivated another $500,000 in donations.

“The Recreation and Wellness Centre is going to make an incredible difference for students, and these students are our future,” says Cliff. “With community donations and support we are one step closer to seeing this centre open for students and our community.”

Lois adds that she’s inspired by the potential mental health benefits that OC students will experience when the new facility becomes a reality.

“Having a place for students to connect with each other while burning off stress through sport and physical activity is so important,” she says. “This Centre will positively impact the well-being of thousands of students.”

The Serwa family has long had ties with OC and Cliff says the quality of students that come out of the post-secondary institution continues to impress him.

“It doesn't matter whether it's the food industry, trades, sciences or the business programs, the students that have come out of OC have really enhanced our community, have made it stronger, better, and greater in so many different ways,” he explains.

To donate as part of the Serwa Spirit Match and see your contribution go twice as far, click this link.