Nicholas and Anna Wargaty lead a very modest life. Yet there
is no limit to their kindness and charity for others.
The couple recently donated $10,000 to the bursary campaign
fund sponsored by the Northern Ontario School of Medicine
(NOSM).
"It's very important to give back to the community and we
think it's very important to bring in more young doctors here
in the north," said Nicholas, 84, with a very thick Ukrainian
accent.
Nicholas and Anna married 22 years ago. It was second
marriages for both of them. They live at the Ukrainian Seniors
Centre downtown.
He's 84 and she's 75. They both love the life Canada and
Greater Sudbury has provided them. It is natural for them to
want to give back to the community as a way of saying thanks.
For much of their marriage, the couple have made modest, but
regular donations to various causes, including their church, a
fund organized to assist children affected from radiation in
Chernobyl and local hospitals.
"I worked very hard during my life...I never missed a shift"
(at Inco), said Nicholas proudly. "I managed to save some money
and we have enough to live a good life, so we still have enough
to give away to charity."
After Anna had open heart surgery nine years ago and
Nicholas spent numerous stints in hospital for a variety of
ailments, they decided last year a generous donation to NOSM
would be the right thing to do.
"This medical school will be very valuable to this community
for many years to come," said Nicholas. "We've both had medical
problems over the past few years and we got to see how well the
doctors and nurses treat us.
"By giving this money, we hope to do our small part to help
bring more doctors to Sudbury and Northern Ontario."
Nicholas was born and raised in the Ukraine, while Anna was
born and raised in Slovakia. Nicholas came to Canada in 1948
after working in the coal mines of Belgium for one year. Before
that he worked forced labour at a German farm for more than
three years from 1942 until the end of the Second World War. He
worked 30 years for Inco Ltd. in the Copper Refinery before
taking his pension in 1978.
Anna also spent time in a labour camp before coming to
Canada with her family in 1966.
They got married in 1984. During the first decade of their
married life, the couple spent much of their free time
travelling.
"We've been to Cuba, Slovakia, Ukraine and to Victoria
Island in the west of Canada (and) all the way to Prince Edward
Island in the east," said Nicholas. "We loved to travel, but we
were young and strong and we can no longer travel because we
are old and not so strong."
Nicholas is proud of the fact he's planted more than 100
apple, oak and ash trees along the Junction Creek area and near
his church over the past 30 years.
He still takes time to prune his trees and tries to pay
regular visits when he feels strong enough.
Gerry Lougheed Jr., who heads up NOSM's bursary campaign
fund, said people like Nicholas and Anna exemplify "what a true
local hero is all about...they define what generosity is all
about."
Bursary funds like this one ensure many potential medical
students who might not be able to afford to study at NOSM are
given the opportunity to do so, and many will become doctors in
Northern Ontario, said Lougheed.
"I'm so impressed by them...both have had their share of
medical problems over the past few years and they wanted to do
something significant from their heart and wallet," he said.
"It's truly impressive to see an elderly couple like this
with modest means make such a generous donation."
Both had to overcome much adversity in their younger lives in Eastern Europe and their appreciation for the lifestyle they have been able to lead in Canada is quite evident by their generosity, said Lougheed.
