Fosbrookes stand as community pillars

Fosbrookes stand as community pillars

Anyone who has been to a Flames home game at the Pengrowth Saddledome gets to enjoy a lot of goings on when the players are not on the ice. Recently they got to applaud Doug and Jean Fosbrooke, who were brought onto the ice to receive accolades in the BMO/Flames Pillars of the Community program for the work they have done over the past 10 years in organizing the Sarcee Rotary Club Art Auction.

The event requires total member effort from the city's smallest Rotary Club, but Doug has been the big push behind the auction, which has raised a total of around $396,000 for local charities since its inception, as well as returned more than $245,000 to our local art community.

Doug is a business consultant with Fosbrooke & Associates, which offers financial advisory services for the past 25 years and specializes in small to medium-sized business with revenues between $300,000 and $5 million.

Before moving to Calgary 27 years ago, he had served for 25 years as manager of corporate banking for CIBC in B. C., travelling throughout that province in his last five years there calling on 20 to 25 businesses each week for 40 weeks a year. It provided him with good insight into many types of businesses, their owners and their needs.

He does not write business plans; after much discussion, his advice is usually in conjunction with preparing credit applications and financing proposals primarily structured to suit bankers' or term lenders' requirements.

The different types of businesses he has helped is astounding -- from the manufacturer of golf range mats to truckers, designers of aviation electronic gear to a company that paints airport runways.

Experience, understanding and integrity are paramount in Fosbrooke's type of business and also matter much in the effort he puts into his Rotary commitment.

This year's auction takes place at the Red & White Club on May 8 (2009) and, apart from the 50 original paintings, the committee has come up with some unique auction items such as a time share in New Zealand; a trip on the Bow River with the Calgary Fire Department; five days salmon fishing for two at North King Lodge situated between Kitimat, B. C., and the Queen Charlotte Islands; and a deluxe Rocky Mountaineer train ride for two to the coast.

The money raised this year will help Hull Child and Family Services to purchase a much-needed 12- passenger van.