ĀŅĀ×ŗ£½Ē

ĀŅĀ×ŗ£½Ē alum gives $25K to power of sport

By College Relations | November 8, 2024
   

Image of Kelly Loudoun with his two young sons.
Kelly Loudoun with his sons, Leo and Cru.

ā€˜Sport teaches you to handle any challenge,ā€™ says Kelly Loudoun

Kelly Loudoun has no regrets when he looks back at his decision to attend ĀŅĀ×ŗ£½Ē (ĀŅĀ×ŗ£½Ē) and study business, graduating with a Bachelor of Business Administration Honours.

ā€œYou canā€™t deny the power of the ĀŅĀ×ŗ£½Ē business degree,ā€ says Loudoun, who owns Loudoun Construction and Development, now in its fifth year.

ā€œBeing an entrepreneur is difficult and itā€™s a lot of hard work. Having been through those challenging experiences and lean years, it becomes quite rewarding as you attain a certain level of success.ā€

Loudoun has been a longtime supporter of the college, having established an annual award and an endowment fund. Now the father of two is choosing to pay it forward to future students with a gift that recognizes the power of sport. 

Loudoun is donating $25,000 to the Thrive Here campaign to build a Recreation and Wellness Centre at ĀŅĀ×ŗ£½Ēā€™s Kelowna campus.

Sport is a passion for Loudoun. While attending ĀŅĀ×ŗ£½Ē, he missed the camaraderie of playing hockey compelling him to combine his passion with his entrepreneurial spirit, and in doing so, create ĀŅĀ×ŗ£½Ēā€™s first hockey team. Loudoun managed and played with what was then the ĀŅĀ×ŗ£½Ē Coyotes hockey team for four seasons.

While Loudoun attests to the quality of education at ĀŅĀ×ŗ£½Ē, he believes a Recreation and Wellness Centre will help students learn lessons from a different kind of classroom.

ā€œI find many lessons from sport apply to my business. The importance of showing up, trying to be a better version of myself each day and learning how to handle any challenge,ā€ Loudoun says.

Beyond the tenacity that sport teaches and the obvious physical and mental health benefits, Loudoun believes the Recreation and Wellness Centre will create a sense of belonging for students, who can connect and meet outside the academic classroom.

ā€œPlaying sports is a good way to build relationships and networks. My teammates were my best friends, I still have a lot of those connections today,ā€ he says.

Sasha Carter, manager of development for the ĀŅĀ×ŗ£½Ē Foundation, says she has known Loudoun for a number of years, and it is an honour to work with him on supporting a project that speaks to his beliefs.

ā€œKelly knows that the extending value of the Recreation and Wellness Centre is much more than a gym court and workout facility. It is a space that will forge skills of resiliency, teamwork and hard work,ā€ says Carter.

ā€œI am so grateful to Kelly for his passion and appreciating the impact this Centre will have on students for generations to come.ā€

Recognizing student health and wellness as a top priority, and since the Kelowna campus currently lacks a gymnasium, the ĀŅĀ×ŗ£½Ē Foundation launched the Thrive Here campaign, which has already successfully raised more than $10M towards its $14M goal to build a multi-purpose gym and fitness facility for students and the community.

To learn more about how you can help ĀŅĀ×ŗ£½Ē students and our community thrive, click here.



Tags: ĀŅĀ×ŗ£½Ē Foundation, ĀŅĀ×ŗ£½Ē Alumni Association

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