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Peter Gzowski: 1934 -
2002 
On January 25th hundreds of people gathered at the Breakfast of
Champions at the Vancouver Public Library for the launch of Family Literacy
Day/Week 2002. It was a time for us to celebrate families, literacy and
lifelong learning - and to mourn the loss of a great Canadian, Peter Gzowski.
It was also a great opportunity to celebrate the memory of Peter’s life,
his tremendous and lasting contribution to this country, our culture and the
literacy cause.
No other Canadian public figure has dedicated himself to
literacy as he did. In 1986, he made a personal pledge to raise $1 million in
his lifetime through the PGI Golf Tournaments to benefit literacy
organizations. The PGIs have become the single most successful fundraising
vehicle for literacy in Canada — to date they have raised over $6.5
million. In Peter’s own words, “The PGIs bring together so much
that matters to me: friends, laughter, poetry, music — all playing to make
a better world.
Literacy BC
Board member Ellen Szita has written this tribute to Peter:
I mourn
the loss of a friend
I met Peter Gzowski at the first Victoria Golf
Tournament (PGI). I was a learner then and I was asked to speak by Linda
Mitchell, Literacy BC’s Executive Director. It was the first time I had
ever spoken in front of an audience and I was very afraid. I can still hear
Peter’s voice encouraging me to speak and saying I would do fine. When
I’d finished, he praised me. I met Peter many times after that. He also
introduced me to Robert Duncan who was the director of “Ellen’s
Story.”
Peter, along with Linda and myself had many a laugh.
One time he even remembered my birthday. He bought me a journal and wrote
encouraging words inside. I introduced Peter to people at the Royal Bank in
Victoria as a “cuddly teddy bear” because that’s how I saw him
and will always remember him. Peter could talk to anyone and make them feel
comfortable and on their own ground. I thought of Peter as a great friend to
all Canadians, especially adult learners, and I mourn his loss deeply. |
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Thanks to the thousands of golfers, corporate sponsors and
hardworking volunteers, the PGIs have become a network that stretches from sea
to sea to, as I am proud to say, sea. We’ve raised millions of dollars to
help people learn to read and write or just make their lives a little better.
And we’re going to keep on doing it.”
And we will!
He will be deeply missed.
Inside:
...Canada Post
and
Cooperators Winners
...Our Annual
Report
...Federal Literacy Facts
...literacy.ca
...Learning
Curves |
