Honouring the Guru Nanak Dev Endowment Fund Founding Donors
On November 5, Langley Community Health & Hospital Foundation honoured the founding donors of the Guru Nanak Dev Endowment Fund, recognizing their extraordinary commitment to building a lasting legacy of health care excellence in Langley.
The gathering of the 16 founding donors, held at the Aspire seniors complex, which also houses LCHHF’s headquarters, brought together philanthropists, hospital leadership and members of the Giving Hearts Gala committee to celebrate the generosity that helped launch this transformative fund.
The Giving Hearts Gala Committee established the Guru Nanak Dev Endowment Fund in 2025 with a five-year goal of raising $1 million to support Langley Memorial Hospital’s highest priorities.
With the fund now established, Langley’s hospital teams can present their top priorities for funding to the Giving Hearts Gala committee, which will determine how the funds are awarded to create the greatest impact on community health care.
“Having the ability to act quickly with [the Guru Nanak Endowment Fund] is such a smart idea,” says Dr. Abeer Syal, a sports medicine specialist and orthopaedic trauma surgeon practising at Langley Memorial Hospital, and one of the fund’s 16 founding donors.
“There are times when our equipment fails, and sometimes, it just isn’t reparable. When you don’t have a lot of time and the equipment is critical, you’ve just got to get it. The normal process of acquiring new equipment can take months, but this fund gives us an avenue to access resources when patients need them.”
The fund, inspired by the teachings of Guru Nanak Dev Ji, honours the South Asian community’s tradition of philanthropy and is meant to inspire younger generations to carry that legacy forward through Seva, or selfless service and compassion for others.
The founding donors of the Guru Nanak Dev Endowment Fund include:
Individuals and Families
Dr. Abeel Syal and Family; Dr. Amandeep Singh Grewal and Dr. Sundeep Singh Dhaliwal; Dr. Sridhar Kollipara; Dr. Szilvia Szarvas; Balbinder (“Bob”) Singh Sangha and Nimrat (“Nimi”) Kaur Sangha; the Mann Family; Kulbinder Kaur Rana; Sumeet and Simi Sangha; Darcy and Manjit Gill; Dr. Parm S. Rai and Family; and the Bhugra, Sandhu, Khunkhun, Grewal and Sidhu Families.
Companies and Foundations
The Chauhan Family Foundation; BM Group of Companies; Surrey Cedar Ltd.; Bath Family Foundation; and Riverside Recycling.
Heather Scott, the Foundation’s executive director, shared the remarkable fundraising progress made since the fund’s launch in April 2025. Dr. Mitra Maharaj, site medical director of Langley Memorial Hospital, spoke about critical hospital priorities supported by community philanthropy.
“Thanks to the foresight of donors who created this endowment, we will have ongoing funds available to help us anticipate the needs of aging technology before Langley feels the strain, and set a standard of excellence for years to come,” says Scott.
During the event, founding donors received a commemorative coin and were recognized with a plaque that will be displayed at Langley Memorial Hospital in their honour.
In its first year, generosity to support the fund exceeded expectations, raising more than $295,000 through the April 2025 Giving Hearts Gala, with 16 donors each pledging $13,013. The gifts reflect the number 13, a sacred Sikh number symbolizing the end of suffering and the beginning of new life.