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Neil Falkner memorial scholarship extended to Whistler

Scholarship covers cost of Outward Bound trip

When he was 16 years old and in need of some direction of his life, Neil Falkner’s mother sent him to Outward Bound. The two weeks he spent in the wilderness of B.C. were a defining experience for Falkner, who would later move to Whistler to become a ski patroller.

"He told me many times that (Outward Bound) was the best thing I could have done for him," said Judy Lynn, Neil’s mother.

Neil died on April 12, 2002 while on a ski traverse across the Wapta ice fields in Banff National Park. He was 32.

To celebrate his life and his love of the outdoors, friends and family of Neil Falkner launched a scholarship fund in 2003 to put other high school kids through an Outward Bound program. That first year, with the help of donations from his friends and $1,500 from Whistler-Blackcomb, the memorial fund raised enough money to send a youth from Neil’s old high school, Britannia Secondary School in Vancouver, to Outward Bound.

Now in its third year, the memorial fund has slightly more than $9,000 in the bank – enough to send two youths to Outward Bound this year, with enough leftover to almost cover next year as well. It costs about $2,700 for a 17-day Outward Bound program.

In recognition of the time Neil spent in Whistler, the second scholarship will go to a student from Whistler Secondary School, who will be chosen in the coming weeks by the school’s guidance counsellors.

Rather than invite applications and get the usual overachievers, Neil’s friends and family decided the best way to make an impact is to offer the program to youth that are like Neil when he was 16 – people who wouldn’t necessarily apply on their own, but would benefit the most.

"We thought we would leave it to school counsellors who know the kids best to offer (the scholarship) to kids who may be in transition, or are financially disadvantaged, or are marginalized in some way, or are struggling," said Lynn. "The idea was that maybe they would go out with Outward Bound and gain some confidence or direction."

The students that are short-listed for the scholarship are given an application form with two questions: how will Outward Bound help them, and how will Outward Bound fit in with their relationships to school, friends and family.

Focussing on the scholarship program has helped Lynn and Neil’s friends to come to terms with his death by keeping his memory alive, says Lynn.

"Speaking for me, it helps me to stay connected with Neil through his friends and the life he lived in Whistler. The scholarship for me is very healing – it’s a way of keeping his memory alive and a way of giving to other kids something that was really valuable to him and to his life," said Lynn.

Most of the funds raised are donations from friends and family, but regular fundraising events are starting to come together.

Over the last two winters Lynn has collected donations at the door to a friend’s Christmas craft fair, raising close to $2,300.

During the summer Neil’s friends in Whistler hosted a barbecue and putting tournament in Whistler, which raised about $1,000. This year the putting tournament is scheduled for June 4.

Details are still being finalized, but Lynn says the goal of the tournament is to keep it affordable so all of Neil’s Whistler friends can attend. Now that Whistler Secondary is included in the scholarship program, she also hopes the town will get behind the event.

"If we have a scholarship for Whistler, hopefully that means there will be even more support from the Whistler area and the scholarship will keep growing. Our friends will continue to support the event, but this is a way to bring the community in and bring it more to the forefront," said Lynn.

New this year, Neil’s younger sister is also offering dance lessons and a dance at the Hot Jazz Club in Vancouver on April 22 nd .

Lynn hopes these events will continue to grow, which in turn will allow the memorial fund to do more. In the near future Lynn hopes to be able to offer the scholarship winners outdoor gear as well as money for registration.

"Outward Bound does supply equipment, but if (scholarship winners) want to continue on with outdoor pursuits after Outward Bound, we want to make sure that they’re able to and that they have good equipment," she said. "We’re hoping to find some partnerships like MEC (Mountain Equipment Co-Op) and maybe some other outdoor shops in the future that are open to the idea. Basically, we just hope it keeps snowballing and growing so we always have money and support to keep doing this."

Eventually Lynn would like to see the memorial fund manage a third scholarship through Outward Bound that would be open to youth from the rest of the province.

On April 10, Neil’s friends and family will mark the third year of his death by scattering rose petals in the same area his ashes were scattered on the peak of Whistler Mountain.

For more information on the Neil Falkner Memorial Fund visit www.members.shaw.ca/neilfalkner/.