Many of you know Steve Bourque, Plumbing instructor and SVFT building rep at Eli Whitney as an all-around great guy. But what you may not know about Steve is that in addition to the roles he plays in our system, he is also the president of a foundation that has raised and then donated tens of thousands of dollars to help families fight cancer. Recently, the Michael Bourque Memorial Fund for Children, and Steve its President, donated $43,000 they had raised to Yale’s Smilow Cancer Center for Children.
In 1972, Steve’s brother, Michael, was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma. Sadly, he passed away the next year at the age of 12. Michael is remembered as a boy who never lost his spirit during his valiant fight with cancer. His bravery and determination so moved his family and the community that the fund was created in his memory in the hopes that other children could be helped in their future battles with the deadly disease. Since its creation, the fund has distributed monies to families who have expenses that are not covered by traditional medical insurance. Countless families have been helped over the years.
Steve and Michael’s father, Joseph Bourque, headed the fund for a number of years. He passed the leadership over to Steve 8 years ago, and the fund has continued to help ease the burden on families for more than 35 years. One thankful parent wrote, “The Michael Bourque Memorial Fund for Children gave us so much more than money. They provided us with the assurance that we would not be left alone to figure out how to handle these expenses. They gave us tremendous comfort during the most difficult period of our lives.” With the recent gift to the Smilow Center at Yale, many more families will know the comfort and support that the fund has provided for others.
The fund raises its money in the local community with a variety of activities. Read-a-Thons, Bike Nights at the Valley Diner, and Shelton Day in Shelton, CT are just some of the fund raisers the organization sponsors. If you would like to make a contribution, you can send it to the Michael Bourque Memorial Fund for Children at 3 Fort Hill Ave., Shelton, CT 06484.
SVFT leadership is proud to recognize Steve Bourque for his contributions to the community and the leadership he provides to this important and meaningful fund. He is truly an extraordinary person.
Thank you to Eli Whitney Tech’s Gabriel Ardito for his contribution to this article.