In 2012, Bruce Burrows lost his wife, Laurie, to acute myeloid leukemia. Laurie had received her diagnosis in early February of that year, but her valiant fight against the aggressive form of cancer ended too soon, in March.
A year after her passing, family and friends expressed a desire to keep Laurie’s zest for life alive. Laurie was known for touching and changing many lives through her kindness, generosity and love, and for setting an example to others. Bruce decided to create a foundation to honour Laurie’s memory and further the work she had done while she was alive as a holistic nutritionist and personal wellness coach.
“I started to set up my own charitable foundation, but a lawyer I knew explained that these small, independent foundations can become difficult for individuals like me to manage and administer,” says Bruce. “He connected me with the Oakville Community Foundation team to learn what they could do to support me. I also had the opportunity to meet other people with similar wishes so I could learn why they chose the route of setting up memorial funds with The Foundation.”
In 2013, Bruce established the Thyme to Thrive Foundation. The new memorial fund’s mandate was to raise funds and support research into natural alternatives to chemotherapy in the treatment of cancer, and proper diet and nutrition while undergoing cancer treatment.
Support through subsequent losses
Unfortunately, the family experienced several other tragedies and losses in the following years. Bruce reached out to The Foundation for assistance in recognizing other family members through gifts to Laurie’s memorial fund, and the team moved quickly; within hours, they developed a primarily paper-based solution to enable Bruce’s wishes, providing personalized memorial cards with donation instructions. Today, The Foundation has quick digital services that can be activated within a day to help families when they most need this type of support.
“Since I first established Laurie’s memorial fund, The Foundation has grown in many positive ways. Their systems are more sophisticated, but I’ve also been very impressed by the information they gather and provide about how we can make Oakville even stronger,” says Bruce. “They are identifying and addressing local issues such as homelessness, food security, education supports and mental illness: previously, I did not have a strong awareness of the prevalence of these issues in Oakville.”
Broadening the fund’s mandate for deeper meaning, more significant impact
Bruce hadn’t been able to get as involved with The Foundation over the years as he had initially hoped, so until recently, he hadn’t fully appreciated how much they do. He is now developing a greater appreciation of their approach to research, community and funding, which he says is very helpful as he considers the future of the fund. With The Foundation’s support, Bruce would like to build something sustainable that his sons can eventually take over and continue to run in memory of their mother.
“The Thyme to Thrive Foundation was originally focused around cancer. In hindsight, that very narrowly represented what Laurie’s life was about. As a fund, we need to grow, broaden our focus and fully represent what Laurie did while she was here: help people to live fulfilling and happy lives,” says Bruce.
“Yes, The Oakville Community Foundation takes away the administrative burden of running a memorial fund. But more than that, they help you deliver against your mandate. Small funds can have a hard time making a difference, but when you pool your resources and work with The Foundation, they enable you to amplify your impact in the Oakville community and beyond.”
