For Katherine and Ronnie Ploit, supporting the Oshry | Kipnes Jewish Community Centre began as a straightforward decision—a modest gift to help bring the space to life. 

It did not stay that way for long. 

After learning more about the opportunity, the family chose to increase their commitment from an initial plan of $1,000 to a $5,000 gift, to be paid over time. 

“We would have made a smaller donation,” Ronnie says. “But the way it was structured made sense to do more.” 

Instead, understanding that a larger gift could be paid over five years changed the outcome. 

“It just made sense,” says Ronnie. “We could think of it as a down payment on our gift and then continue it through monthly payments—something manageable that let us do more.” 

The increase also made it possible for the Ploits to name a feature within the building, an opportunity they had not initially considered but quickly embraced. For many families, that flexibility, making a meaningful gift through monthly payments is not always widely recognized.  

For the Ploits, it changed what felt possible. 

Their decision is also rooted in memory. 

Both Katherine and Ronnie grew up in Edmonton and spent time at the former Jewish Community Centre (JCC) in Rio Terrace as children. For Katherine, it was more than a program. It was part of daily life. 

She remembers biking there with her sister in the summer, heading to day camp and knowing it was where they would spend the day with friends. 

“It was the place we wanted to go,” she says. 

Ronnie recalls it simply. 

“It was always a place to hang out,” he says. 

Today, without a dedicated JCC, they see what their children are missing. 

While opportunities exist across the community, there is no single place where young people can easily gather, spend time together and build connections in a Jewish setting. 

For the Ploit children, that future already feels tangible. 

“The JCC gives me an opportunity to connect with my community and meet other Jewish people,” says their daughter, Sofia. 

Their son, James, describes it as a place to meet friends after school, study and spend time together, a natural gathering point between schools and neighbourhoods. 

Their parents see that continuity clearly. 

Their gift to the endowment fund reflects a long-term view. While the building itself has been secured, the fund will generate income to help support the JCC’s operating costs into the future, ensuring it remains accessible and vibrant. 

The family wishes to include their children in recognition of their gift. 

“When they see their names, they can remember that they’re part of the community and we need to step up when the community needs us,” says Ronnie. 

For Katherine, the impact is clearest in what comes next. 

“I would love our kids to be using this facility in [the future with their kids,” she said. “I want them to go to a program, connect easily, and be able to see our family name and say, ‘We helped allow this to happen.’ There are so many other families who can take this opportunity to help get the Oshry | Kipnes JCC up and going for Edmonton.”