The Calvin Ayre Foundation has made an investment in Antigua’s future by donating US$200,000 to a fund dedicated to ensuring deserving students receive a quality education.

On Tuesday, Calvin Ayre attended a ceremony at the Island Academy, an internationally accredited school in Picadilly, Antigua. There, Ayre presented Principal Portia Moursy with a check for $200,000 for the Island Academy Bursary Fund.

The Fund allows deserving but financially disadvantaged students to attend the Academy on a partially paid participation fee basis. The Foundation has made education one of its principal areas of focus, and this year’s donation follows a $100k gift to the Island Academy Scholarship Fund in 2015.

Speaking at Tuesday’s event, Ayre offered a personal perspective on the transformative power of education, saying he was a keen student during his school years, and that focus helped take him from a pig farm in rural Canada to the cover of Forbes magazine.