Barnraiser Award Ceremony

Barnraiser Award Ceremony Thursday, January 19, 2012, 11:30 a.m., Tannery District, Kitchener Speaking Notes for Feridun Hamdullahpur

Event background: Ron Schlegel has been named the third recipient of the Waterloo Region Record’s Barn Raiser award. This event is the award ceremony.

Key Participants:

Lynn Haddrall, Editor in Chief, Waterloo Region Record Feridun Hamdullahpur, president, University of Waterloo Meredith McGinnis, Director of Advancement, University of Waterloo John Tibbits, president, Conestoga College Bill Pegg, President, Kitchener Panthers Baseball John Neufeld, Executive Director, House of Friendship

11:30 a.m. – Lunch buffet

12:05 p.m. – Lynn Haddrall’s remarks (5 minutes)

12:10 p.m. – Meredith McGinnis’s remarks (5 minutes)

12:15 p.m. – Feridun Hamdullahpur’s remarks (5 minutes)

 Thank you for the introduction.

 Good afternoon everyone.

 Ms. Haddrall, Mr. Schlegel, Dr. Tibbits, Mr. Pegg, Mr. Neufeld, Ms. McGinnis, and honoured guests.

 That Barnraiser Award is very close to my heart as President of the University of Waterloo. 2

 This award is a potent symbol of the value that this community places on its champions.

 These barnraisers inspire an entire community with their leadership efforts and collaborative spirit, and help us move towards our Knowledge Capital goals, as Editor in Chief Lynn Haddrall has so eloquently explained.

 I would like to take this opportunity to thank Ms. Haddrall, Publisher Paul McCuaig, and the Waterloo Region Record for this wonderful opportunity to celebrate leadership in such a collaborative fashion.

 Let me say a few words now about this year’s honoree.

 Our university, as well as our community, have both benefited enormously from Ron’s generous giving – not only through his financial resources, but also his time, his energy, and his wisdom. 3

 I have always been impressed with Ron’s ability to weave his entrepreneurial spirit and business acumen with his strong faith, family values, and civic awareness.

 He is deeply committed to improving the health and wellbeing of both individuals and communities, and this commitment is at the forefront of his many enterprises.

 As a professor in the Applied Health Sciences faculty from 1972 to 1991, Ron was the architect behind the establishment of the health studies and gerontology department in 1973 as well as the development of the MA and PhD programs.

 His academic background and interests in research and education have powerfully shaped the Schlegel-UW Research Institute for Aging, which is an innovative partnership between Schlegel Villages, the University of Waterloo, and Conestoga College that was founded in 2005. 4

 It would not have gotten off the ground without Ron’s generosity and vision. His initial investment sparked provincial investment, and built momentum.

 The research institute translates aging research into practical application through collaborative research in community-based care environments, which impacts tremendously on the quality of life and care of Canada’s aging population.

 It is that spirit of translating the theoretical into the therapeutic that underpins everything we do at the University of Waterloo. Taking the best of what we have learned, and making a difference in the lives of Canadians.

 But he didn’t stop there.

 The creation of the first five Schlegel Research Chairs in Aging in 2008 further strengthened the centres of health research in our community. 5

 In 2009 we celebrated the establishment of the Schlegel Research Chair in Geriatric Medicine, a partnership with the Waterloo Wellington Local Health Integration Network, Grand River and St. Mary’s Hospitals, and the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care.

 So Ron Schlegel has a long history as a pacesetter for the University of Waterloo.

 And his work is not yet finished.

 Just this past summer, he picked up the pace with an ambitious partnership involving Schlegel Villages, the University of Waterloo, Conestoga College, and the Ontario government to develop and establish a seniors centre of excellence for research, training, and innovation on our north campus. 6

 This is a 20-year development spread over three phases, and the Schlegel family provided funding for 14 research chairs in aging, to be matched by the University of Waterloo and Conestoga College, as well as funding for capital costs.

 Ron’s commitment to collaboration has been instrumental in making both Waterloo the University, and Waterloo the Region what they are today, and truly exemplifies that barnraising spirit that allows us to accomplish together what an individual cannot do alone.

 His many successes at the University of Waterloo and across Waterloo Region show that our visionaries – our barnraisers – who have helped shape our past will continue to build our future, and that is more than enough reason to celebrate.

 So on behalf of the University of Waterloo, congratulations Ron on your very deserving achievement. 7

 Thank you.

12:20 p.m. – John Tibbits’ remarks (5 minutes)

12:25 p.m. – Bill Pegg’s remarks (5 minutes)

12:30 p.m. – John Neufeld’s remarks (5 minutes)

12:35 p.m. – Barn Raiser award presentation (5 minutes)

12:40 p.m. – Ron Schlegel’s remarks (15 minutes)

12:55 p.m. – Lynn Haddrall’s closing remarks