Media Release

December 21 , 2005

Ottawa's Kelly Family Makes $350,000 Gift to the Community

(OTTAWA) – Growing up over a funeral home gives you a unique perspective on the world, not to mention an acute awareness of the value of community during times of need. It is in recognition of the community's importance in their lives that the Kelly family is giving back to the city through a new family fund at the Community Foundation of Ottawa. It is also a great testament and expression of thanks to parents Lorne and Verna that they have joined together to commemorate their unwavering commitment to family and community by creating the $350,000 Kelly Family Foundation.

 

The family came up with the idea to start a foundation when the family business first went up for sale. Eldest brother Larry Kelly explains: "My parents opened the first Kelly Funeral lHome in a converted grocery store on Wellington Street in 1954. They brought up seven kids above the funeral homes as the business grew across the city, and they instilled in us a deep respect for grieving families, as well as a strong understanding that we are all part of a larger community." It is this insight that inspired the Kelly family to designate the earnings on their fund to help people suffering from illness. The fund will focus on the areas of palliative and/or long-term care and people dealing with mental health issues and addictions.

"We're thrilled to be able to assist the Kelly family in the fulfilling of their philanthropic wishes", said Barbara McInnes, President and CEO of the Community Foundation of Ottawa. "this is a very special gift to the Ottawa community and we couldn't be happier to help the family deliver it at this time of year. The fact that it is an endowed gift means it will be here to benefit the causes they care about in perpetuity and will allow the next generation of the Kelly family to join in this tradition of supporting the community."

Convening in Ottawa this weekend from as far away as Vancouver and Santa Barbara, California, the family will celebrate its first Christmas together in almost 20 years. Four of the families continue to live in Ottawa , and it was the Kellys' connection to the city that the siblings also wished to acknowledge through this gift. "In addition to paying tribute to our parents, we simply wanted to give thanks to the community for everything that's been available to our family over the years", says Larry. "We're especially confident that the money will go to the causes we care about with the fund being managed by the Community Foundation of Ottawa. Their involvement took the administrative burden off our shoulders in terms of starting up this kind of foundation among such a large family."

The Community Foundation of Ottawa is a public, non-profit organization created by and for the people of Ottawa . It connects donors who care with causes that matter and serves as a trusted resource for addressing issues and leveraging opportunities in the community. It attracts and manages a growing endowment, the invested earnings of which provide grants to charitable organizations. The Foundation's role is as neutral broker in support of all charitable causes that contribute to the community's quality of life. With its growing profile, the Community Foundation of Ottawa has built an enviable reputation for astute financial management, high-quality donor services, strategic grantmaking and innovative partnerships.

www.cfo-fco.ca

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Contacts:
Iona Green

Senior Associate, Marketing and Communications

(613) 236-1616 X 232

Cell (613) 791-3128

igreen@cfo-fco.ca