Lynn Jones Why I Give

When I enrolled at UWinnipeg in 1972, I was the first member of my family to attend university. Thanks to the McBean Foundation entrance scholarship I received, I was able to afford the cost of tuition and textbooks—a memory which partly inspires me to give back today. After graduating and working at the University, I still look forward to lending my support to the institution that has given me so much both as a student and an employee.

What areas of giving are you interested in?

I started working at UWinnipeg in 1977 in the Library and for many years, most of my donations were in support of that department. While working in the VPFA Office, I also contributed to some capital construction projects that were of particular interest to me due to my job.  In recent years, I came to work more closely with students and I observed first-hand the impact that receiving a scholarship has on students.

What motivates you to give, and why?

My family and I have been Wesmen supporters and donors to the Wesmen Scholarship Fund for more than 25 years. My son Marshall received both academic and athletic scholarships when he attended UWinnipeg as a student and member of the men’s volleyball team. During this time, I came to understand how important athletic scholarships are to our athletes. They devote so much of their time to studying, games and practices that it can be difficult, if not impossible, to work part-time in order to support the cost of school.  When my husband Barry passed away suddenly in 2016, our family chose the Wesmen Scholarship Fund as our charity of choice for donations made in his memory and with my upcoming retirement, we worked to establish the Barry and Lynn Jones Wesmen Athletic Scholarship.

What campus initiatives are you most proud of contributing to?

It has been both my pleasure and an honour to serve recently on a committee to create a new Memorial Merit Distinction for a Wesmen volleyball player in memory of a long-time UWinnipeg colleague, Dave Torz, who was a setter for the men’s team when he attended university.

(Donations in support of both of the Barry and Lynn Jones Wesmen Athletic Scholarship and the Dave Torz Memorial Prize can be made through The University of Winnipeg Foundation website by clicking here or by phone at 204-786-9995)