Kevin Daly college bursary program opens in Canada to help ALS families
Award will go to Canadian student accepted into college or university for 2023-2024
Applications are open for the first year of the ALS Canada Kevin Daly Bursary, a grant program for post-secondary students whose lives have been touched by amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
A $2,500 bursary will be awarded to a Canadian student who’s been accepted into a college or university in Canada for the 2023-2024 term. Eligible students must have a parent or legal guardian who either lives with ALS or has passed away from disease complications. The deadline to apply is June 20.
Applications will be reviewed by a panel selected by the ALS Society of Canada (ALS Canada), which will include ALS community members, and a recipient will be named before the academic year starts in September.
Funding for the bursary is expected to be raised during a year-long campaign by the Kevin Daly Bursary Fund, with donations matched by the ALS Society and the TELUS Team Care program in Canada. Each year, at least one $2,500 bursary will be awarded. This year’s goal is to seed the fund with at least $15,000 in donations.
‘Supporting the ALS community’
The fund was created this year in honor of Daly, a father and husband who was diagnosed with ALS in 2020. Daly worked at TELUS for more than 20 years and has been advocating for the ALS community since his diagnosis.
“The ALS Canada Kevin Daly Bursary is a testament to Kevin’s courage and dedication to supporting the ALS community,” Tammy Moore, CEO, ALS Society of Canada, said in a press release from the organization. “ALS is a devastating disease that impacts the individual and their loved ones, including children. This can make planning for the future challenging. Through this program, we hope to lighten some of the weight carried by families who have been touched by ALS. We are so grateful for Kevin’s unwavering commitment to uplifting families within the ALS community.”
Founded in 1977, the ALS Society of Canada funds research and supports and advocates for those with the progressive neurodegenerative disorder.
“Since being diagnosed with ALS and seeing how this disease affects an entire family, having two daughters of my own, it was important to me that the Bursary support young people in reaching their goals and pursuing their dreams,” Daly said. “Our mission is to help make higher education accessible so everyone can have an opportunity to thrive.”
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