Brock students honour friend with donation
A close group of family and friends gathered in Heartland Forest on Monday as friends made a donation in memory of Troy Larouche.
Larouche was a third-year student in Brock University’s Goodman School of Business dual degree program. He was studying in Germany when he died in an accident Sept. 9 at age 21.
Prior to travelling to Germany, Larouche spent the summer working at Heartland Forest in Niagara Falls. The forest is now home to a memorial plaque for Larouche.
Larouche’s parents, Larry and Brenda, said working at Heartland was more than just another summer job for Troy.
“You could see when he came home — he had a passion for this place,” Larry said.
Brenda said he loved nature and working with children.
Elisabeth Graham, executive director, said Larouche’s impact on the Heartland community would be lasting.
“He touched our lives here and he won’t be forgotten,” she said. “We got to have a few months with him . . . he left his mark.”
Victoria Wityk, a friend of Larouche’s who was in Germany with him, was also present for the donation.
She said the funds were raised from a volunteer project the students had to complete as part of their program requirements while studying in Germany.
For the project, a group of about 15 students opened a cafe at EBS University, where they were studying. From 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. — when the university’s cafe was closed — the students served coffee and food.
Wityk said she, Larouche, and another friend Patrick — who was also present for the donation — were the project leaders.
“He was really excited to start this project in September,” she said.
After his death, Wityk said it was a group decision to donate the proceeds to Heartland.
“This was a big group effort from all the students from
Brock,” she said. “He really loved it here and really did good work here.”
Larry and Brenda said they were thankful and impressed by the donation.
“His spirit’s here, and this is just going to kind of cement it,” Larry said.
“Hopefully his spirit will just make another kid happy when he comes in and goes home happier — maybe it’s because of him.”