With members from every employee group, who represent every decade since Durham College’s (DC) inception, the DC Retiree Association (DCRA) is filled with past faculty, administrative and support employees who have witnessed the impact of a quality education and the efforts it takes to provide it first hand.

Longstanding supporters of various DC initiatives and campaigns, the association once again stepped up to raise funds for one of the college’s most ambitious and transformative capital projects to- date, the Centre for Collaborative Education (CFCE). A legacy project tied to the college’s 50th anniversary in 2017, the CFCE is replacing the college’s aging Simcoe building, which was originally built as a temporary structure in 1969. The new facility will serve as an educational access point for students – and a gateway to campus — while bringing together local, Indigenous and global community groups and members of key business sectors.

After hearing about the CFCE and the Building Something Amazing campaign from DC President Don Lovisa, the DCRA executive set a goal of raising $10,000 for the campaign, reaching out to its members for their support. Through a call to action for individual pledges and a donation on behalf of the association as a whole, the DCRA and its members not only met the goal, they surpassed it, raising a total of $11,164.

As a testament to the DCRA’s commitment and a thank you to the donors, one of the student lounges within the CFCE will be known as the Durham College Retirees Association Student Lounge.

When asked why the DCRA decided to support the CFCE, Bruce Bunker, president, said, “It’s true DC was our employer, but it is also something that each of us helped to shape into what it is today. While some of our members worked at DC in its infancy and others came later, we all forged our careers and contributed to the college’s mission that the student experience comes first. We may no longer work there but we want to continue to contribute to its growth.”

DC would like to thank the DCRA and following retirees for their generosity:

• Barry D. Bracken
• Bruce Bunker
• Dianne Aru
• Patricia Andrey-McCormack
• Jean Jackson
• Jim and Annabel Anderson
• Joan Homer
• John and Judy Robinson
• Kathy Rhodes
• Margaret Greenley
• Mary Guerard (in memory of Susan Sproul)
• Mike Vatcher
• Norm and Pat Fenton
• Patricia Whaley
• Robert Bryant
• Tony Day

Three donors chose to remain anonymous.