The University of Lethbridge congratulates all the winners of this year’s Inspiring Philanthropy Awards for their generosity and contributions to making southern Alberta a great place to live. Through their efforts, they have bettered the lives of individuals too numerous to count.

The U of L is proud to have nominated three of the award winners: Robert and Priscilla Janes, Indigenous Philanthropist award; Cox Financial Group, Small Business Philanthropist award and Dhillon School of Business Integrated Management Experience, Youth Philanthropist award.

Dr. Robert and Mrs. Priscilla Janes were central to the creation of a new series of student awards for Blackfoot students in 2017. The awards honour four Blackfoot elders that Dr. Janes worked with closely, including Narcisse Blood, Gerald Conaty, Allan Pard and Frank Weasel Head. The awards are available to undergraduate and graduate students from the Blackfoot Confederacy who actively participate in and contribute to their Blackfoot culture and heritage.

Nominated by Pronghorn Athletics, the Cox Financial Group has demonstrated strong support for the Horns, student scholarships and Parkinson’s research. Harry Cox was a community builder who played a key role in establishing the men’s Pronghorns hockey program in the early 1980s. His wife, Mildred, and sons, Brad and Geoff, have continued that legacy, spending countless hours fundraising.

The Integrated Management Experience (IME) program, which has been around for close to 20 years, gives students in the Dhillon School of Business the opportunity to work on a real problem faced by a community organization and create a sponsorship activity that raises funds for the organization. The experience allows students to put theory into practice and builds bridges to the community.

The U of L extends congratulations to the other award winners, including Lethbridge Iron Works, Corporate Philanthropist Award; Art and Mary Jane Crooks, Individual Philanthropist Award and, in a tie for the Group Philanthropist Award, the Taber Charity Auction Group and the Building Industry and Land Development Alberta Association (BILD Alberta).