Young local entrepreneur donates $1 million to SFU’s Surrey campus

At 28, Dale Regehr, President & CEO of WestStone Properties, has become the largest and youngest donor to Simon Fraser University’s Surrey campus, and he is urging others in the community to join him in providing direct support to the school’s students.

His $1 million donation to scholarships and awards is the first donation to SFU Surrey’s $2-million Close to Home fundraising campaign, which aims to reward entering students with high academic achievement who show student leadership and community involvement.

Regehr and his campaign co-chairs, Barry Forbes and Marina Haddad, launched the campaign last night at a gala dinner last night celebrating SFU Surrey’s first anniversary in its new state-of-the-art facility.

Regehr’s WestStone Properties is building Urban Village, a billion-dollar master-planned community beside the new campus in Surrey’s city centre. “SFU and I have the same goals and beliefs,” says Regehr. “We believe in the growth of Surrey and the South Fraser, we believe that community involvement and international development go hand-in-hand, and we believe that people are the most important ingredient for a successful future.”

At last night’s dinner, SFU recognized Regehr’s generous contribution with the official unveiling of the Dale B. Regehr Grand Hall, which serves as the main entrance and community hub for the campus.

Michael Stevenson, President and Vice Chancellor of SFU, says, “Dale is showing tremendous commitment to developing the South Fraser region. His recent contribution to our students will help ensure that SFU’s front-ranking programs at the Surrey campus are accessible to all sectors of the community.”