For culture advocates Lynne and Dick Bowen, investing in their community means being actively involved with the cultural organizations that matter to them. Since their arrival in Nanaimo over 50 years ago, they have both invested personal resources of time, expertise and donations into this city’s cultural institutions, like Vancouver Island Symphony. Appreciating and experiencing culture was a great way for them to make friends when they first moved to Nanaimo, an essential step towards building their lives here.
The Bowens were determined to build a community and took their responsibility seriously. They both joined a variety of boards and committees to get things moving and organized. While attending early VIS concerts at St Peter’s Church, they got the impression that masses of people in Nanaimo wanted a rich cultural scene. “We had to sit all the way at the back. We couldn’t see the musicians,” Lynne remembers, “because the church was so full.” They were very eager to see a symphony flourish with the
building of The Port Theatre, a project that also involved Lynne.
Over the years, the Bowens have made long-lasting friendships with fellow symphony-lovers. Their sense of belonging comes from being actively involved in organizations that matter to them.\
Today, Lynne and Dick attend every VIS concert and donate monthly via automatic recurring donation. They can adjust the amount at any time, and take pleasure in some of the benefits of being donors; mostly the ones that are sociable. They look forward to participating and carrying on as much as possible.