Dr. Richard Hooper
Dr. Richard Hooper, a Kelowna medical doctor and a long-time advocate for comprehensive cardiac services in the Okanagan, will receive the 2010 Community Builder Award from UBC alumni in the Okanagan later this month.
A 1968 graduate of UBC’s Faculty of Medicine, Richard (Dick) Hooper was one of three general cardiologists when he arrived in Kelowna in the early 1990s. Today, he is Clinical Program Director for Regional Cardiac Services with Interior Health and will be a contributor to UBC’s new Southern Medical Program as a teacher and consultant.
The Community Builder award will be presented by last year’s recipient, lawyer Paul Mitchell, at UBC’s Okanagan Alumni Endowment Fund Gala, Sept. 29. Each year, the Okanagan Alumni Chapter honours outstanding UBC alumni in the Okanagan who have made and continue to make a difference locally, regionally or globally.
“The Endowment Fund Gala provides the backdrop for a tribute to individuals who make extraordinary contributions to the greater community, while at the same time linking the University more closely with the community,” says Brenda Tournier, Senior Manager of Alumni and Community Relations.
Hooper is a former president of the Kelowna Medical Society and the B.C. Cardiologists’ Association. He and his wife were instrumental in bringing The Crossing at Keremeos, a multi-million dollar residential care facility for drug-addicted youth, to the Okanagan.
Ana Frias
The Alumni Chapter’s Rising Star Award will be presented to Ana Frias, who graduated in 2009 with a Bachelor of Social Work degree.
“Ana was a highly engaged student on the Okanagan campus and she brings that wonderful spirit of social responsibility to the greater community,” says Tournier. Frias is currently a youth worker and program coordinator with the Okanagan Boys and Girls Club, developing a new youth program for the community of Peachland. She is actively involved in alcohol and drug abuse prevention.
Tickets to the Alumni Endowment Fund Gala are $100 each, and can be purchased online at the Alumni Relations website (www.ubc.ca/okanagan/alumnirelations) or by contacting Brenda Tournier at 250-807-8167.
More than 8,000 UBC alumni live in the Okanagan region, part of the worldwide community of over 250,000 UBC alumni.
Free seats still available for Richard Florida talk this Friday night
Some seats are still available (as of Wednesday afternoon) for this Friday evening’s Distinguished Speakers Series presentation Richard Florida, one of the world’s leading public intellectuals on economic competitiveness, demographic trends, and cultural and technological innovation (Sept. 10, 7 p.m. in the Ballroom of the Delta Grand Okanagan). Seats are free but pre-registration online is required at www.ubc.ca/okanagan/speakers.
Getting to know U on Sept. 18
Saturday, Sept. 18, is a day of celebration at UBC’s Okanagan campus. All Okanagan residents are invited to enjoy a Saturday of fun and informative public events celebrating the campus’s fifth anniversary 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Community Day info is online at www.ubc.ca/okanagan/communityday.
— 30 —
