Formed in 2001, the Foundation honours the memory of two individuals, Kane Fernandez, a business leader, philanthropist and family man in his native Hawaii, and Roger Earle, a respected businessman who over a span of 40 years was President and CEO of numerous companies in Toronto and Vancouver. Both men believed every young person’s future depended upon securing a solid grounding at school and beyond. In addition to their passion for education, these two men shared a love of the outdoors and in particular, sports fishing in the Queen Charlotte Islands Kane and Roger felt a strong attachment to the communities of the Charlottes and understood the importance of helping the future leaders from those communities realize their educational and vocational goals. They believed that this was a necessary component for the long term viability of these coastal communities.
In memory of these two men, the Foundation initially provided scholarships to undergraduates in the area of marine sciences. Today, the scope has broadened to include any degree granting course of study being offered by their partnering universities; Simon Fraser University, Hawaii Pacific University, the University of Hawaii and Western Washington University.
