The Bow RiversEdge Campground Society (BRECS) is within a hair's breadth of giving back $1 million to worthy causes in the Cochrane area.

Last night, BRECS presented their annual grants. What makes the evening special is the information shared by the recipients of how the money will be used. Each beam with appreciation as they explain how the contribution will further their cause.

This year, the quality nonprofit RV campground, the brainchild of the Cochrane Rotary and Lions clubs, awarded a total of $71,400 to 19 organizations. 

The society is now just $1,040 short of providing $1 million in donations since its inception, says BRECS chair Robert MacLeod.

"Our aim is to give back as much as we can to the community," he explains

They aim to provide at least $60,000 annually in grants on top of contributing $30,000 to both the Rotary and Lions clubs for their initiatives.

MacLeod says it can be challenging to decide who receives the grants and how much.

They also display business savvy by continuing to be forward-thinking in their planning. 

"We manage our funds very tightly and we look to the future," says MacLeod. "What will the campground look like in 10 years? Will it expand? Things like this."

BRECS BoardBRECS board of directors with Cochrane Lions Rodeo Queen Breanna Correia.

It wasn't that long ago that BRECS purchased its 12-acre parcel from Rocky View County, giving them more control over their future at their prime riverside location by the SLS Family Sports Centre.

BRECS is a joint initiative of the Cochrane Rotary and Cochrane Lions clubs. In 2004, the two service clubs joined forces to develop the RV campground in cooperation with Rocky View County and the Town of Cochrane. The chairmanship is rotated annually between the two clubs.

Beyond the annual grants, the society has extended a helping hand in extenuating circumstances. When Fort McMurray was devastated by wildfire in 2016, for example, they were quick to donate $50,000.

Thanks to BRECS, admission to the spray park at the SLS Family Sports Centre is now free of charge from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. in the summer. This June, they entered into a five-year sponsorship package with the sports facility.

They were also the first organization to donate a golf cart to the Glenbow Ranch Park Foundation for their popular park tours. 

This year grant recipients were:

  • Camp Jubilee Playground Project
  • Cochrane Rotary Youth Talent Festival
  • Cochrane and Area Victim Services
  • Glenbow Ranch Park Foundation
  • It Takes a Village Educational Society
  • Junior Achievement Southern Alberta
  • Cochrane Historical and Archival Preservation Society
  • Cochrane Public Library
  • Friends of Spirit Winds Ranch Society
  • Boys and Girls Club of Cochrane & Area
  • Cochrane Immigrant Services Society
  • Hope Mission
  • Cochrane Bethany Family Council
  • Cochrane Pregnancy Care Centre
  • Cochrane & Area Early Childhood Development Coalition
  • Helping Hands Society of Cochrane & Area
  • Cochrane Lions Club Rodeo
  • Stockmen's Memorial Foundation
  • Spray Lakes Recreational Park Society