PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NORTH BAY – June 7, 2022: For a third consecutive year, Caisse Alliance announces $10,000 in bursaries, as it is taking steps towards implementing its sustainable development action plan.
Student members of our financial cooperative had until March 31, 2022, to apply. A selection committee composed of two members of the Northern region, two members of the Nipissing region and one member from outside our network, had the mandate to select, in accordance with the eligibility criteria, two candidates who made a significant contribution or commitment to a sustainable development project in their communities.
A surprise announcement to both successful recipients on May 24 and 27, in the presence of members of the Caisse Alliance team of each two regions, took place at their residence.
Recipient from the Northern Region
Mylène Coulombe-Gratton is the owner and founder of Follow Her North, an initiative she started last summer. She developed summer outdoor camps, fostering physical activity for youth in her community. Canoeing, biking, and hiking camps, all with the goal of promoting health and getting youth away from their electronic devices, contributing significantly to their well-being. It is through her project that the recipient hopes to influence people to see the benefits of enjoying the outdoors and nature and to demonstrate that women have a place in any setting, but also by getting involved in various committees, such as the local snowmobile and hunting and fishing clubs in her region.
“My post-secondary education and experiences will allow me to have a lasting impact on my community. I want to organize more events and activities in order to reach and influence more people, on a larger scale. I want to raise awareness about the need to protect our environment and the work that still needs to be done in terms of gender equality. I wanted to make a difference in my community and do my part to encourage kids to get out of their homes, shut their minds off and simply enjoy nature.”
Recipient from the Nipissing Region
Darquise Frappier, a grade 12 student at École secondaire du Sacré-Coeur, enrolled in the Physical and Health Education 4-year program at Nipissing University, is one of the committee’s choices. The significant and ongoing impact of “Helping Is Caring”, a personal initiative she started at the age of 10, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping those in need in the community and even internationally by providing support in the form of clothing, hygiene products, school shoes, sports equipment and more, should be noted. Her actions and dedication have even inspired other businesses and community members to donate.
“The goal of my program is to help those in need, no matter if they’re in my community or abroad, if they’re in need and I can help, I’ll always give a helping hand,” shares the recipient.
Her project particularly caught the attention of the selection committee, not only because of its fundamental objectives, but also because the recipient has maintained her involvement in other equally important initiatives in her community, such as supporting the Sturgeon Falls and North Bay Hospitals, Ontario Métis Nation and Terry Fox Committee through her role as a representative of the Youth Ambassadors of Canada and by serving as Minister of Communications for her school’s student council.
Like Mylène Coulombe-Gratton, the awardee expressed her desire to continue to contribute to the development of her project.
The Bursaries Selection Committee would like to thank all the applicants and congratulate each and every one of them for their remarkable achievements and acts of solidarity.
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