By William Crooks
Local Journalism Initiative
The Tillotson Coaticook Region Fund (TCRF) gave out 36 grants totalling more than $125,000 to local community organizations at a gathering at the Coaticook Arts and Culture Pavilion April 24. The grants were disbursed one by one, with recipients saying a few words about their projects and thanking the foundation for its donation.
The TCRF had its beginnings as a small glove company in Coaticook. It employed 50 to 60 people from 1978 until recently. It was owned by Neil Tillotson.
Tillotson was an American who lived in New England and owned a lot of nearby land in both Canada and the United States. He also owned companies all over the world, producing mostly latex gloves.
When Tillotson passed away in 2001, he left a large sum of money (over $100 million) to the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation. $3 million was used to start the TCRF. The money is invested, and the returns are distributed amongst community organizations twice a year.
The Fund focuses on helping the community out with its basic needs, like educating children and services that support the elderly, and has been operating since 2012. It has given back nearly $2.5 million thus far.
Tillotson’s philosophy was “Be humble, be creative, and be kind.”
The following are each organization’s name, the purpose of the grant, and the amount awarded:
- Camp Massawippi – Acquisition of chairs to allow disabled children to safely enter and exit a lake – $3,000
- APH Coaticook – Bowling and gymnastics activities for clients with intellectual disabilities – $4,000
- Musée Beaulne – Trips for students outside Coaticook to the museum to awaken them to arts and heritage – $3,500
- Loisirs CFD – Refurbishing JB Hall for shows – $4,500
- Centre Communautaire de Coaticook – Replacement of kitchen robot and floor maintenance system – $2,500
- Lennoxville Elementary School – New sound system for the school – $5,000
- Bibliothèque Françoise Maurice – Purchase of books in English – $7,500
- Les Habitations Hestia – Acquisition of a defibrillator – $2,475.27
- Club Joyeux St-Herménégilde – Purchase of computer equipment – $1,500
- Chorale La Clef des Chants – Purchase of scores and harmonization – $3,500
- Fondation Collège Rivier – Improvement of volleyball grounds – $8,500
- Bulwer Golden Ages – Breaking the isolation of the elderly by organizing activities – $2,500
- Les Comptonales – $4,000
- FADOQ Coaticook – 50th foundation anniversary – $2,200
- Association Soccer Football Coaticook-Compton (ASFCC) – Equipment renewal – $7,000
- Ayers Cliff Rec.com – BBQ for events – $800
- École Sacré-Cœur – “Growing together to be healthy” – $1,500
- Frontier Lodge – Purchase of AED for camp and community – $1,900
- Musée Colby-Curtis – Intergenerational cultural program – $3,000
- Aide Communautaire Lennoxville – Aid for the elderly – $2,300
- Lampe Foundation – Lampe/Tillotson Science Scholarship-Champlain regional college – $2,000
- CAB Coaticook – Club des P’tits Chefs, collective kitchen for holiday events – $8,000
- MRC de Coaticook – Youth zone at the Back-to-School Party – $2,600
- Townships Sun – Townships Young Voices Awards 2024 – $900
- Alexander Galt Regional High School – Galt rugby shirts – $5,000
- Lennoxville scout group – Essex International Jamboree and group equipment – $4,000
- Comité de Loisirs Martinville – Equipment for the youth – $2,115
- Corps de Cadets 2852 de Coaticook – Clothing for Cadets corps 2852 Coaticook – $1,500
- École Primaire Jardin des Frontières – Enhancement of sports equipment – $5,000
- Maison des Jeunes Les Pacifistes de Waterville – Arts throughout the “MDJ” – $594.27
- 5e Groupe Scouts Coaticook – Summer Camp 2024 – $2,000
- Lennoxville Library – Rethinking library space – $3,500
- Maison de la Famille MRC de Coaticook – Adapted and inclusive material for youth – $7,000
- Carrefour Loisir de la MRC de Coaticook – Enhancement of material for Camp Kionata
- animations – $7,000
- Opération Nez Rouge – Breathalyzer – $640
- MDJ de Waterville – “The big update” – $2,000
