Karen Handford Memorial Bursary
The Lytle Family established the "Karen Handford Memorial Bursary Fund" in 1987. The family managed the fund until 2000 when they decided to transfer the bursary over to the care of the Community Foundation of Portage and District. The Foundation is pleased to administer the $250 bursary which is awarded each June to a Arthur Meighen High School student who is pursuing a career in medicine with preference for nursing.
Karen Handford was a life long resident of the High Bluff area. She graduated from AMHS in 1968, as a Licensed Practical Nurse from St Boniface Hospital in 1969 and then as a Registered Nurse from Red River College in 1984. She worked at the Portage Hospital in the operating room, recovery room and intensive care until her untimely death in a car accident in October 1986 at the age of 36.
Karen was also a gifted potter whose work was featured in a number of exhibitions in Portage, Saskatoon, Brandon and the Winnipeg Art Gallery. One piece is part of the permanent collection of the Winnipeg Art Gallery. Karen enjoyed sharing her talent with many a student at the Portage Arts Centre and the Neepawa Festival of the Arts.