Another year of giving is in the books for the Community Foundation of the Kootenay Rockies (CFKR) Cranbrook Past & Present Teachers’ Legacy Fund.
CFKR executive director Lynnette Wray said this year’s grant was the foundation’s largest from the fund to date.
The fund awarded its 2026 grant of $909.09 to the School District 5 Southeast Kootenay District Resource Centre.
Wray said the money will be used to purchase engaging and colourful picture books to support students’ literacy development.
“So this year they recommended using the money to purchase some really high-quality, beautifully put together books that focus on early literacy and literacy development. So those books are going to be held by the SD5 District resource centre and they’ll be available for teachers to use throughout the district.” said Wray.
Each year the grant recipient is chosen by the CFKR Board through a recommendation process involving the Cranbrook District Teachers’ Association (CDTA) and the Cranbrook Retired Teachers’ Association (CRTA).
“One of the things I love is that the people who are making the recommendations for this grant are either currently working as teachers or are long time teachers who are now retired. So they bring so much knowledge and expertise to the table,” said Wray.
Wray recounted comments from Carol Johns, one of the retired teachers involved in the legacy fund, about the importance of literacy.
“Literacy is such a foundational skill, and these books are really gonna help develop kids’ reading skills. But also hopefully instill in them a great love of reading, which is such an amazing skill to have throughout life.” said Johns.
Wray said support from Cranbrook’s teaching community is the reason the fund continues to grow.
“The support from the teaching community for the fund has been amazing and it’s really heartwarming to see the growth in the annual grant and we look forward to of course many many years of granting.” said Wray.
Wray said the legacy fund supports student success and wellness in local public schools while honouring the dedication and lasting impact of Cranbrook teachers.
“The Community Foundation of the Kootenay Rockies stewards 48 permanently invested endowment funds and we love all of our funds, but we have a special place in our heart for the Cranbrook past and present teachers legacy fund. That fund was started by two retired teachers, Don and Linda Holt, and teachers in Cranbrook established this fund as a way to celebrate the positive impact from all the teachers in our community and to continue to support projects that benefit students.” said Wray.
CFKR welcomes donations all throughout the year on their website. You can find a list of all their endowment funds on the donate page.
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