The Ray Yee Memorial Fund was established in March 2021 in memory of our dear friend, Ray Yee (May 16, 1960 – March 15, 2021).
Ever since Ray and his wife Janet returned home to Vancouver from their trip to China, Tibet, India and Nepal in the early 1990s, they became great advocates for the Tibetan cause. Ray dedicated the rest of his life to the cause and worked tirelessly towards this end, along with Janet and their children, Connor, Hannah and Walker.
When Canada agreed to take in 1,000 Tibetans in 2012, His Holiness the Dalai Lama specifically asked that they come from extremely remote underserved Tibetan settlements in Arunachal Pradesh in northeast India. Ray was instrumental in ensuring that the Vancouver portion of the Tibetan Resettlement Project for Tibetans coming from Arunachal Pradesh was a success.
Along the way Ray touched many lives and left a lasting impression on all those who had the honour of working with him. The compassion and love that he demonstrated through his work and friendships helped Tibetans who were new to Canada feel welcome and safe.
The family hopes that, through the Ray Yee Memorial Fund, some of his work and impact may continue. The money will be earmarked for projects to support the education of Tibetan children still in Arunachal Pradesh. There are small primary and middle schools in these Tibetan settlements for young children. Many older children attend the Sambhota Tibetan Schools in West and South India, thousands of kilometers away, a distance that makes the journey long and expensive; some travel home only once every few years.
Given Ray’s ties to the people of this region through his work on the Resettlement Project, it is a fitting match that his Memorial Fund should help the children who are still living there.
If you would like to donate to the Ray Yee Memorial Fund to support Tibetan children in Arunachal Pradesh, you can do so by:
- Credit card online via CanadaHelps
(CanadaHelps is a registered charity that supports Canadian charities by providing a platform for online donations; it charges TRAS a 4% fee to cover the cost of credit card transactions and other operating costs.)
- Bank e-transfer to email address: info@tras.ca and add reference “Ray Yee Memorial Fund”
- Credit card by phoning the TRAS office at 604-224-5133 (the phone line is monitored regularly)
- Cheque made out to TRAS. Please note “Ray Yee Memorial Fund” on the bottom of the cheque, and mail it to:
TRAS
1183 Melville St
Vancouver, BC, V6E 2X5
Thank you for helping to continue Ray’s legacy of generosity and compassion.