Aboriginal Law on the Aboriginal Side
Events
Inaugural Nicaraguan Children's Foundation Gala – April 4, 2008
;SC_swapText('caption', 'Laurie Bonacci and Allan Donovan.'))
;SC_swapText('caption', 'Chris Roine <i>(right)</i>.'))
;SC_swapText('caption', 'Laurie Bonacci.')){kind=small}
;SC_swapText('caption', 'Laurie Bonacci <i>(right)</i>.'))
;SC_swapText('caption', 'Jennifer Griffith.'))
;SC_swapText('caption', 'Art display and Charlene Pert.'))
;SC_swapText('caption', 'Allan getting shaved.'))
;SC_swapText('caption', 'Allan bald!')){kind=small}
Click a thumbnail above to change the picture below.
Laurie Bonacci and Allan Donovan.
Allan and Mona Donovan have taken their three children to Nicaragua twice in the past year and will soon be making a third trip in July 2008. They all fell in love with the place! The scenery, the language, the history… but most of all, the people, made Nicaragua remarkable.
Despite enormous adversity and hardship, the people of Nicaragua never seem to lose their zest for living. Each member of the Donovan family felt that they had been changed forever by getting to know Nicaragua and its people. They all felt that giving something back would be an appropriate way to thank the Nicaraguans for teaching them a little about what really matters. Thus, the Nicaraguan Children's Foundation was created in the winter of 2007 (charitable tax status pending).
Thanks to the generosity of many donors, there is an elementary school in a small coastal fishing town in southern Nicaragua that now has actual bathrooms. (No more knocking on neighbours' doors!) A tiny school is now equipped with scissors and a dictionary for the teacher and uniforms, shoes and backpacks for all of the students.
In January 2008 members of our law firm joined together to organize an inaugural gala at the Vancouver Rowing Club in Stanley Park with the hope of raising $10,000 to build a much needed special needs school in Nicaragua. The public schools in Nicaragua are unable to accommodate these kids and children with disabilities often simply stay home.
Allan vowed to shave his head if $10,000 was raised at the gala. With much energy and enthusiasm, possibly fuelled by thoughts of a boss who resembled "Mr. Clean", and after numerous weeks of planning, the gala was held on April 4, 2008. Or inaugural gala raised over $14,000 and Allan received the scariest shave of his life!
Our most sincere thank you to everybody that attended, or otherwise supported, this exciting and very successful event.
Past Events
- Mikisew Cree First Nation v. Canada (Minister of Canadian Heritage) Case – March 2005
- Totem Pole Raising at Donovan & Company – November 2003