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Sikh temple supports Okanagan College Health Science Centre with $25k

“I’m very proud that our community is making a difference,” Gurpreet Dhatt said
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Okanagan Sikh Temple and Cultural Society members Amarjit Singh Lalli, Sewa Bains and Andy Sandhu (Submitted photo)

The Okanagan Sikh Temple and Cultural Society had donated $25,000 to support Okanagan College’s new health sciences centre.

Fundraising efforts took place over six months and were contributed to OC’s $5-million Our Students, Your Health campaign.

Amarjit Singh Lalli, President of the Okanagan Gurduara, says their community believes in the importance of acquiring knowledge and passing it on to future generations, which made it easy to get behind the project.

“Our community felt an obligation to support a facility that will change countless peoples’ lives,” he said.

“Going through this pandemic we all understand the importance of health care.”

Lalli is a former Okanagan College alumni, graduating from the business program. His son is also a recent graduate of OC’s Bachelor of Business Administration program.

Gurpreet Dhatt is a member of the Okanagan Gurduara and teaches in the College’s nursing department. While Dhatt says her day job is educating new nurses, she felt compelled to get involved in fundraising for the state-of-the-art Centre.

“I felt a responsibility to get involved and give back. We received a really enthusiastic response from the community that they wanted to be part of the fundraiser too,” says Dhatt, adding the Sikh community also raised funds for the north campus of Okanagan University College when it was fundraising years ago.

“I’m very proud that our community is making a difference.”

The Okanagan College Foundation is encouraging the public to help them raise the final $750,000 needed to complete the Centre. Gifts of $1,000 or more will be featured on a donor wall located in the main entrance of the Health Sciences Centre.

To learn more or to donate visit www.OurStudentsYourHealth.ca.

READ MORE: Okanagan College Health Sciences Centre in need of funds

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