pflag York Region, in partnership with Marilyn Byers’ family, are thrilled to announce the launch of the Marilyn Byers Founders Award.  The award will be presented annually to a York Region student who has exemplified the inclusive values of pflag. The award includes a $1,000 honorarium.

Over 30 years ago in 1994, pflag York Region was founded as a place for parents, caregivers, families of, and members of the LGBTQ2IA+ community to gather in support of one another. Marilyn, alongside her friends Barb Beattie, Tom Beattie, and Ian McCallum, founded and operated pflag’s well-known support meetings out of a small living room on Rockport Crescent in Richmond Hill, Ontario. Now online and alongside other programs, these meetings still welcome parents, caregivers, family members of, and community members in a peer-to-peer support space.

Kevin Willlcock, Marilyn’s son, reflects on the creation of this award. “When Mom passed in December 2024, I wanted to honour her legacy,” he  shares. “This Award marries two of Mom’s passions: education & LGBTQ2IA+ advocacy.  Mom’s birthday is March 28, and this is a perfect day to launch a legacy. This award is a way of passing the torch to the leaders of today and of the future.”

Marilyn was a force of nature advocating for and promoting the rights of and the importance of affirming the LGBTQ2IA+ community. Her nearly 10-year tenure as President of the organization was filled with large-scale education campaigns, countless school visits, hundreds of support meetings; shaping our local chapter as not only a support, resource, and education network, but one led by fierce, unapologetic advocacy. Marilyn was also a lifelong student and educator, having spent much of her career as a Catholic school teacher in the GTA and as far as Mexico and Egypt.

Award applications will be accepted from York Region students beginning in the spring of 2026.

All donations of $25 or more will be tax receipted.

 

 

(i) This Fund’s granting purpose is subject to change at the request of the Donor Advisor. (ii) To enable the Donor Advisor to properly recognize donors for their contributions, Toronto Foundation will share your contact information and donation amount with the Donor Advisor unless you have checked the anonymous box on the donation form.