Anyone who knows Diane and Fletcher Bootle would not be surprised to hear that their family is continuing their legacy through the Community Foundation of Northwestern Alberta. In fact, those who know the couple would associate them with everything that the Foundation represents which is leadership and support that builds healthy and resilient communities. Since moving to Grande Prairie in 1991, the Bootle family has been building an amazing legacy of service in the community.
Throughout the years the Diane and Fletcher have supported organizations including Rotary Club of Grande Prairie, United Way, PARDS, Grande Prairie & District Chamber of Commerce, Grande Prairie Regional College, and Sunrise House, to name a few. The amazing thing about their efforts is that their support isn’t simply through donation; Diane and Fletcher lead by example through their hands-on approach to serving the community. When asked what inspired their commitment to service Diane explains “When you move into a community you have to make it your own.”
In 1996 a group of individuals with a vision for a greater community came together with a vision for a greater sense of belonging and community in Grande Prairie. Diane Bootle was one of the individuals asked to serve the Community Foundation of Greater Grande Prairie in its infancy, and we are so grateful that she answered the call. Fletcher also has a long history of support for Community Foundations. His father, John Bootle, was a founding member of the Central Okanagan Foundation in 1977. Because philanthropy is so important to the Bootle family, they included their daughter, Kelly Sue Bootle-Ziolkowsky, as a fund holder. Eventually, the Diane & Fletcher Bootle Family Fund will be left to their daughter Kelly and their grandchildren.
Diane and Fletcher’s involvement in the creation of our local Community Foundation is not a surprise. The Community Foundation of Northwestern Alberta is just one organization in a list of many that the Bootle’s have supported throughout the years. When you ask the couple about the all the time, support, and love that they have given to the community throughout the years, Fletcher is quick to say “You have to pay a little rent for the land you stand on.” As one of Fletcher’s favorite sayings, this quote encompasses why the Bootle family has and continues to support their community so faithfully. After gaining so much from the community that they have called home for more than 26 years, the Bootle family is happy to be able to give back.
In partnership with the Community Fund of Northwestern Alberta, the Bootle family has established the Diane and Fletcher Bootle Family Fund, a Community Impact Fund, as a way to continue their legacy of supporting community needs as they arise, forever. Together we are making a difference in our communities.