Don Morris Gas King Memorial [Community Endowment Fund]
Brent Morris, Gas King President with the charity change boxes found on their counters.
Donations from the boxes in the four Lethbridge Gas King locations and the one in Picture Butte are deposited in a fund with the Lethbridge Community Foundation. Contributions from the gas station in Medicine Hat go to the Community Foundation of Medicine Hat & Southeastern Alberta. "We issue cheques to the foundations every quarter, including a matching amount from Gas King," Brent explained. "It's a way for us to encourage our patrons to donate and help grow the fund even faster. It works very well."
Brent and Gas King have not identified a specific charity they want to support. Instead they let the Foundation Board of Directors use the funds for areas of greatest need. "I'm sure that the areas of greatest need may change in the future, and we wanted to provide the Foundation with the flexibility they would need to address them."
From LCF Report to the Community 2007
Small Change Makes a Big Difference
A small box that sits on the counters of Gas King locations in Lethbridge, Picture Butte and Medicine Hat is making a difference. The boxes encourage gas station patrons to lighten their load of change and contribute to the Don Morris/Gas King Memorial Fund with the Lethbridge Community Foundation.
Brent Morris and his father, Don, opened Gas King in 1985. "We used to have a bunch of different charities asking for space on our counters for charitable coin boxes," said Brent. "It was getting tough to keep track of the clutter." In 2003, Brent decided to start a fund in memory of his father, who died in 1992. He considered starting his own foundation, but his lawyer indicated that it would be a lot of work. Instead he suggested that Brent consider starting an endowment fund with the Lethbridge Community Foundation. "Starting a fund with the Foundation was very easy and allowed us to fulfill our wish with a minimum of effort on our part," he said. "When we started the fund and put out the contribution boxes, a lot of patrons indicated they thought it was a great idea."
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Updated September 2009
www.lethbridgecommunityfoundation.ca
403.328.5297 office@lethbridgecommunityfoundation.ca 404 8th St South
