Toronto Raptors star Chris Boucher is giving a scholarship to a handful of deserving post-secondary students over the next five years.
The forward has launched the new SlimmDuck Scholarship at the G. Raymond Chang School of Continuing Education at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU).
The donation, which is from Boucher’s SlimmDuck Foundation, will offer financial assistance to five students of Caribbean descent.
The SlimmDuck Foundation provides access to educational and athletic opportunities for youth in underserved communities throughout Canada.
Boucher created the TMU scholarship to support students who identify as Caribbean and want a university degree but have gaps in their education, making it difficult to follow a traditional pathway into post-secondary institutions.
“Everyone deserves a chance, and even a second or third chance at an education and the increased opportunities it brings,” Boucher said in a statement on Monday. “The SlimmDuck Scholarship was created as a way to give back to my community, boost representation in higher education and provide a launchpad for future success.”
The scholarship will be offered to one student each year for the next five years through the Spanning the Gaps – Access to Post-Secondary Education program, which offers a bridge to post-secondary education for mature learners.
“Chris Boucher has demonstrated firsthand how high an individual can reach when they are given the opportunity. Basketball, like life, is a team sport – it’s through working together that we win,” Mohamed Lachemi, TMU president and vice chancellor, said in a statement on Monday.
The scholarship will be available for students accepted into the Spanning the Gaps program who can apply through TMU’s awards and scholarships in August.
