More future WolfPack athletes will have the ability to attend Thompson Rivers University (TRU) to pursue their academic dreams, all thanks to one of the biggest donations the WolfPack has ever received.
 
Abbott Wealth Management Inc. helps to improve the lives of their clients by taking care of wealth management and investment planning for high net worth families. The firm presented a cheque for $50,000 to The WolfPack 50 campaign on Jan. 31, 2020 at the Tournament Capital Centre, when both men's and women's basketball programs hosted the University of the Fraser Valley Cascades.
 
"We are unbelievably grateful for this generous donation from the team at Abbott Wealth Management Inc.," said Curtis Atkinson, director of athletics and recreation. "With this donation, we will bring more student athletes into our program who might not have been able to afford doing so before."
 
The Abbott Wealth Management Inc. donation will benefit all WolfPack teams, U SPORTS affiliated programs and club programs.
 
"We know the burden student athletes carry," said Mark Bertoli, partner and investment advisor of Abbott Wealth Management Inc. "With so many hours dedicated to their studies, let alone practices, training, and game responsibilities, it makes it very difficult to pick up part-time work while in school. We believe this donation, which has a community matching component, will help many students, and that is important to us."
 
The connection between The WolfPack and Abbott Wealth Management Inc. is a new one, but the connection between former collegiate athletes and the firm is strong with many former athletes working with the Abbott team.
 
"Our team at Abbott Wealth Management believe in the 'ripple effect' where the small actions we take today can cause a ripple effect of remarkable change in the future," said Bertoli. "We see the excellence of work ethic of former student athletes, so we know they are special, hardworking people. Being a college athlete takes special dedication, which is why we wanted to show our dedication to TRU and its limitless impact through this, the largest singular donation in our firm's history."
 
Abbott Wealth Management Inc.'s donation is a matching one, which means Mark and his team are encouraging other local business and community members to be generous and support The WolfPack 50 campaign.
 
"A gift of this magnitude is a game-changer for us. This will open the doors for new students to become athletes and enjoy more support while they are here," said WolfPack director of development, Dustin McIntyre. "I'm excited to see what we can do for the students with this gift."
 
Mark Bertoli and his partner John van Limbeek are fans of The WolfPack, making it to games and following the team online. Moving forward, they are excited to know that because of their donation, and the community's support, the WolfPack athletes they cheer on are there because of this community effort.
 
"Thinking back to the 'ripple effect,' it's just like what happens when you throw a rock into water. You see a ripple effect, we just don't know where it will go and what effect it will have," said Mark Bertoli. "Who knows, maybe a WolfPack student athlete will get an education at TRU and become a teacher themselves, educating students of tomorrow. The results of this kind of support are, indeed, limitless."