Generous gifts from alumni donors were among the touchstones that will make Brandon University Homecoming 2025 a memorable weekend for the campus.
At Saturday evening’s Awards Banquet, a $100,000 gift was revealed to the crowd, from alumni Garry and Colleen Miller, who were there to celebrate the Class of 1965. The couple made the six-figure commitment to the BU Foundation in support of student bursaries.
The Millers have been longstanding donors to BU, with Garry having previously sat on the BU Foundation board.
Earlier in the evening, alumni Anne Taylor and Russell Lusk, also from the Class of 1965 had presented the university with a photographic art print, taken by Anne, who is an accomplished photographer. The print, showing a forest scene from Manitoba, will hang in the Advancement and Alumni Affairs offices.
The banquet, a climax of BU’s annual Homecoming weekend, was a joyous celebration of how graduates from Brandon University and its precursor Brandon College continue to give back to communities around the world. Three deserving alumni were recognized for their exceptional work.
Music educator and conductor Erin Dodds (B.Mus./B.Ed. ’14) received the Outstanding Young Alumni Award. Meryl Orth (BA ’70, BEd ’84, MEd ’05), a lifelong teacher and tireless volunteer, was honoured with the Distinguished Alumni Award for Community Service. And Dr. William J. P. Godolphin (BSc ’62), a pioneering educator and medical researcher, was inducted to the Alumni Wall of Fame.
During Homecoming weekend, alumni were also treated to Bobcats soccer, basketball, and volleyball action, a special student research showcase, class reunions, campus tours, fun and games, concerts, and much more.
Another event early on recognized the impact that alumni giving can make. At the vaunted Breast Cancer Cell and Molecular Research Laboratory in the Brodie Science Building, a plaque was unveiled to recognize the support that Gerald and Carmen Butler provided its research.
Through the Butler Family Foundation, the couple has donated $50,000 over the past two years to support the lab’s work, with a pledge of annual donations of $25,000 in the future. It builds on a decades-long tradition of giving from the Butlers, who have also supported Mini U, the McCutcheon Alcove, the Student Emergency Fund, PENT, and scholarships.
Photos from Homecoming weekend
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