Switzer Foundation paves way

Local real estate developer and philanthropist, Sam Switzer believes single parents should benefit from the same opportunities to fulfill their goals and dreams as everyone else.

Manager of admissions and recruitment, Alice MacKichan, accepts a cheque for $125,000 from the Sam and Betty Switzer Foundation.

The Sam and Betty Switzer Foundation recently donated $125,000 to Mount Royal University students for the third straight year to pay for the tuition of students who are single parents. 

Each year, 20 students benefit from the Switzer’s donation, which Sam and his late wife Betty initiated in 2008.

The Calgary couple created The Sam and Betty Switzer Foundation in 2007, their aim being to provide funding for various causes in the areas of medical research and treatment, education, culture and the arts.

“The mission is really to improve the quality of lives for residents of Calgary and Alberta,” says Carolyn Reu, secretary-treasurer of the board of directors for The Sam and Betty Switzer Foundation.

“That’s why they chose to support Mount Royal.

“We’re particularly interested in helping Aboriginal women and single mothers who would not otherwise be able to afford a post-secondary education,” says Reu.

Reu adds that Mount Royal is well-known in the community for its applied, hands-on programs that prepare graduates for the workforce.

“If you can give someone a hand-up with a good education, you can break the cycle of poverty. In fact, with the right education, you can create a new, self-sustaining cycle of hope. If parents can better themselves, then their children will live what they learn.”

Sam Switzer, an entrepreneur for more than 60 years, has deep roots in the Calgary corporate community. Meanwhile, both Sam and Betty have been known as active volunteers in the Calgary community.