One Surrey ballpark will benefit from a legacy endowment fund created in memory of Caroline Schellekens, an executive member of Surrey Canadian Baseball Association (SCBA).
The new Lionel Courchene Park Legacy Endowment Fund aims to raise $10,000 for improvements to the Guildford-area park.
The purpose of the fund “is to serve the needs of a growing community and to support minor baseball play in Guildford/Fleetwood communities,” according to a post on surreycares.org.
Schellekens was a registrar with the SCBA, and helped manage teams that involved her son Kyle and husband Craig Joncas, who coached.
At age 53, Schellekens died April 28 after a two-year battle with lung cancer.
“Caroline was loved by all that knew her and she was passionate about giving back to her community,” Joncas stated. “As a lifetime ball player, she enjoyed nothing more than being at the Lionel Courchene park watching our son Kyle play baseball. Being part of the Surrey Canadian Baseball executive brought her great pride, and with the Lionel Courchene Park Legacy Fund she will be able to keep giving back to the community for years to come.”
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New legacy fund for Surrey’s Lionel Courchene Park honours baseball volunteer Caroline Schellekens, who died April 28 after a two-year battle with lung cancer. She was 53.
— Tom Zillich (@TomZillich) June 7, 2022
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Schellekens’ obituary, posted to kearneyfs.com, notes her “real zest for life, and everyone who met her felt it. Caroline was always full of energy, ideas and making things happen.”
The history of Lionel Courchene Park dates back to the 1970s and includes involvement from the Courchene family and many community volunteers, the City of Surrey and the SCBA. which was established in March 1976. The park includes four baseball diamonds, T-ball diamond, soccer field and a washroom building. The two larger diamonds have bleachers.
The park’s new legacy fund is launched in partnership with SurreyCares Community Foundation.
“We are excited to support this initiative that will benefit the community and memorialize the contribution of a dedicated community member and volunteer,” said Christine Buttkus, executive director of SurreyCares. “A first enhancement project is expected to be announced at the SCBA opening-day ceremony in April 2023.”
SurreyCares Community Foundation administers dozens of funds in six categories. They can be found on surreycares.org/funds.
tom.zillich@surreynowleader.com
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