Rotary Club of Calgary Stampede Park looking for charity to receive $150K grant

The Rotary Club of Calgary Stampede Park has a dilemma. It doesn't have any charities applying for its annual Mario Stella Grant.

The grant has some specifics for an organization to qualify.

"It will be directed to transportation initiatives for persons with Special Needs, applications that meet the criteria are open to non-profit organizations in the Calgary community, the application should state that the criteria for eligibility are only for transportation-related initiatives benefiting persons with Special Needs," the club said on its website.

Spencer Tonkinson is a member working on the committee to allocate funds and says the organization doesn't advertise the grant but relies on word-of-mouth to inform potential applicants.

"This year we have $150,000 to giveaway," he said.

"So to me, it's a fantastic amount of money to give away, we're looking for people to apply. It doesn't necessarily have to be one person that needs the whole $150,000, it could be to charities that require 75 and 75, or possibly three charities that require 50, 50 and 50."

Tonkinson says a few charities have benefitted in the past from the grant.

"We donated a van to Pacekids with a wheelchair lift to get kids to and from Pacekids locations," Tonkinson said. "Last year, we had Kids Cancer Care that applied and was the recipient of the grant, we had about $92,000 to give away last year."

Kids Cancer Care used the grant to purchase three off-road vehicles to help kids with limited mobility attending Camp Kindle get around the space easier.

"You know what, I would love to meet Mario and shake his hand and give him a big hug and say thank you for leaving such an incredible legacy to Calgary charities," said Christine McIver, the organization's founder and CEO.

"And doing it through the Rotary Club of Stampede Park has just made the world of difference to Kids Cancer Care and Camp Kindle."

The fund is made possible by former Rotarian Mario Stella who was a member for 28 years until he died in 2013. Stella was a self-made Calgary businessperson and his philanthropy extended to the legacy he left for six Calgary organizations, including the Rotary Club.

Vehicles or other equipment related to transportation purchased with the grant money are identified with decals saying 'Donated by Rosetta and Mario Stella and The Rotary Club of Calgary at Stampede Park.'

"At the end of the day we are looking for charities that are somewhat self-sufficient," said Tonkinson. "This (grant) is not going to be used toward operational costs, it goes towards buying some type of vehicle."

Tonkinson says the deadline for applications is fast approaching and he'd like to see charities fill them out by the end of November.

"Our committee does not make a decision until early 2024," he said. "But the goal is to at least start interviewing the applicants, look into each charity to make sure we're choosing the right charities and make sure that the charities fit what we're looking for."

The club says if a charity isn't found, the money is returned to the fund where it will continue to grow. But Tonkinson would rather see charities benefit from the entire grant annually.

"Ideally, as this grant continues to grow in future years, we just get more and more applicants," he said. "The goal is to get as many fleet of vehicles out on the road with that Mario Stella grant recognition out there."

Learn more about the grant on the rotary club's website.