Who is Pearl?  A long time school teacher on the Sunshine Coast, daughter, wife, mom, grandmother and sister.  All of these chapters of Pearl’s life showed up on a damp afternoon this past Saturday at YMCA Camp Elphinstone.  A bunch of us, Lisa Stiver and her staff and an enthusiastic group of young campers got together to put the spotlight on Pearl in recognition of her remarkable $500,000 gift to the Elphinstone campaign.  And she schooled us all.

“I did it because I care about kids and because of who asked.”  For the 30 years I’ve been involved in the Y I’ve had my share of campaign calls and fundraising training.  For all the high brow thinking and carefully crafted strategy, Pearl hits it on the nose.  Restated – “I believe in the cause and I trust who is asking.”  She gave to us because she believes in the Y’s ability to change lives.  She has a had a lifetime in watching kids achieve their potential and had a hand in shaping one or two herself.  And she knows a good thing when she sees it.  A long time, trusted YMCA volunteer made the ask.  He did because he believed too.  His YMCA story included a childhood experience at camp where his life was influenced by some long ago camp counsellor and cabin full of kids.  And while he now carries a career of professional and personal accomplishment – he never forgot how he got there and the role camp had in shaping character and leadership years later.   Two people came together – one with a story and another with a willingness to do something good for kids – a combination that will continue to pay dividends for generations.

One of the kids gave Pearl some flowers before they collectively sang the camp song.  The bouquet was bigger than the kid and the singing was real bad but Pearl could not have been happier.  What a class act.

So tell me about the class act donor in your part of the Y who inspires you…?