St. Lawrence College (SLC) is thrilled to announce a major gift of $250,000 to its Personal Support Worker (PSW) program in Kingston from the Estate of John Weatherall, a well-known business leader and philanthropist whose legacy of giving has benefitted many institutions in the Kingston community, from healthcare to the arts.
John Weatherall (1932-2024) was widely recognized for his generous support in the Kingston area, including Queen's University, Kingston Health Sciences Centre, the Kingston Symphony, The Kingston Choral Society, and the United Way of KFL&A, among many others.
"John Weatherall wanted to make a bequest to SLC and to the PSW program specifically because of the compassionate and professional care his late wife, Diana (and then, ultimately, John himself), received from Personal Support Workers who were graduates of SLC," explained Marie Miller, Senior Development Officer at SLC, who worked with Mr. Weatherall to establish his generous gift.
The gift to SLC will provide significant enhancements to the PSW program, with the potential for new student bursaries, equipment, and facility improvements.
"This generous gift from the estate of John Weatherall creates incredible opportunities for our students as they prepare for careers in this vital field," said Glenn Vollebregt, President and CEO of St. Lawrence College. "In training skilled Personal Support Workers and other healthcare professionals, we help meet the region's workforce needs in the healthcare sector. We are profoundly grateful for this investment in the education and skill development of our students, and via that, our region's continued provision of excellent care."
The gift comes at a time of critical demand for Personal Support Workers across Ontario. By providing students with state-of-the-art training equipment and financial support, this contribution will help prepare the next generation of compassionate, skilled PSW professionals ready to serve Kingston and the surrounding region.
In addition to this remarkable bequest, the Estate of John Weatherall also made a gift-in-kind donation of equipment to SLC's Kingston PSW Home Suite.
Learn more about the Personal Support Worker program.
