Humber President Chris Whitaker officially opened Gratitude Hall, a new space at North Campus dedicated to celebrating and recognizing the college’s donors, supporters, alumni and friends. 

On Tuesday evening 200 friends of the College and students gathered in the new Hall, transformed for the night into a festive and welcoming space for celebration.

Guests enjoyed trying out the centerpiece, Humber’s first donor and alumni recognition wall that combines unique hexagon-shaped plaques and digital interactive screens. Individuals and organizations whose cumulative contributions have reached or exceeded $10,000 are recognized on the wall as a permanent acknowledgement of their generosity. The wall also includes the names of over 350 donors who have collectively given millions of dollars to Humber since opening in 1967. 

 “Gratitude Hall is our way of saying thank you to our many generous donors and partners while also honouring our more than 215,000 alumni,” said President Whitaker, “We chose the hall’s name to convey Humber’s sincere appreciation of its many supporters and the importance of their commitment to make the college a vibrant place for students to learn, grow and thrive.”

The design of the donor recognition wall is inspired by the connection between the college, the Humber River and the green spaces surrounding the campus. Each donor plaque represents a stone in the riverbed, the foundation of the river, representing the donor’s generosity and support. Students are represented by the water flowing through the college, as they advance in their career journey. 

Humber donors Bob and Francine Barrett were featured speakers at the event. Bob is the owner and CEO of Polytainers, headquartered in Etobicoke and one of the largest producers of specialty food containers for food and dairy companies in North America. Their Barrett Family Foundation recently gave $5,000,000 to the College, the largest single donation to date, and together they spoke of their confidence in the strong vision of Humber College.

Brien Gray, Chair of the Humber Board of Governors also spoke and noted that, "Having a permanent on campus symbol of Humber’s gratitude to our benefactors shows that donor support is, and has been crucial, to ensuring that the college provides the best possible education and learning environment for our students. It also serves to remind us of the importance of philanthropy in advancing Humber’s mission.”

If you have any questions or would like further information, please contact Krista O’Donnell, Chief Advancement Officer at krista.odonnell@humber.ca or call 416.675.6622 x5386.