Couple donates $2M to community

Ken and Jo-Anne Cugnet decided it was time to go public.

After anonymously committing last year to $2-million donations to community infrastructure projects in Weyburn, the couple recently revealed their contribution in hopes others will donate as well.

The Cugnets are giving $1 million each toward a new cultural centre being built at the Weyburn Comprehensive School, and to the Weyburn & District Hospital Foundation, whose board members are fundraising for a future new hospital.

“Ken and I did this because we believe that the school and the hospital are cornerstones in our community,” Jo-Anne explained in a recent telephone interview. “They’re both important, and that’s why we gave an equal amount and we went public about it. We wanted to set that example.”

The Cugnets also felt compelled to step forward because of the way they’re donating. Rather than write a cheque, the couple will gift shares in publicly traded companies — a form of giving they believe is sometimes overlooked, yet beneficial for tax purposes.

They recently spoke at a Weyburn seminar held to educate others about various contribution options, as well as attract attention to the infrastructure projects that are in need of donors.

The city’s hospital foundation chair Adam Knight called the Cugnets’ donation a welcome surprise.

The Cugnets’ contribution puts the Triple C Centre Corp., a nonprofit organization fundraising for the community centre, at $2.5 million raised so far — $1 million away from its goal amount.

The Kenney and Jo-Anne Cugnet Centre, as it is now called, will house a new theatre complex, gymnasium and ample space for banquets and conventions. It is hoped the centre will open in time for Weyburn’s 100th anniversary festivities next summer.