RAISING THE ROOF

The O’Regan family on the company’s 50th anniversary

Newfoundland’s Kevin O’Regan is rock solid in getting it done By Stephen Puddister

Opening of the Elaine Dobbin Centre for Autism

With 50 years of business experience behind him, Kevin O’Regan Sr.’s passion hasn’t dwindled. As with the Atlantic tides, there is an ebb and flow to his priorities of running the successful O’Regan Agencies distributorship in Newfoundland. They may shift daily, but his commitments don’t, and he keeps his eye on the ball. “I just got out of the hospital at 1 pm today and I was at the office at 1:45—the desk is piled two feet high,” he says over the phone from his office at 4:30 on a Friday afternoon.

“I am very lucky to have two of my children running the business with me these days,” he adds. His son Kevin and daughter Brenda work side-by-side with their father. “We have never had a fight since they started with me,” he chuckles gratefully for what he refers to as his “best friends.”

Business aside, what O’Regan has helped accomplish in the past few years for another passion is no small feat. “Thanks to his unrelenting efforts, the Elaine Dobbin Centre for Autism at Shamrock Farm in St. John’s officially opened on June 8 this year,” says Joyce Churchill, president of the Autism Society of Newfoundland and Labrador. “The facility offers day programming for individuals of all ages. Training will be offered to those working with people with autism, including family members. At the centre, we will offer assistance with communication, socialization, life skills and vocational programs,” she adds.

O’Regan initially became involved with the society in 1990 when a friend told him of the challenges of finding a meeting place for a family support group. O’Regan found them a place, and some years later they spoke again about the lack of programs and services for children, youth and adults with autism, a universal problem not unique to Newfoundland. O’Regan jumped on the bandwagon and got his Rotary Club to take on a fundraising project to get seed money to help build their own facility in the future. “Armed with that first $60,000 we set a fundraising goal of $1.5 million. We met that in the fall of 2005. Then business owner Craig Dobbin gave us a check for half a million dollars, so we have a brand new $1.75 million facility and money in the bank,” says Churchill, giving much credit to O’Regan for his tenacious spirit in raising many thousands of dollars over the years.

“Every time I sat in a bar with someone, I asked them for money for the Autism Society,” says a no-nonsense O’Regan. “You can’t get it if you don’t ask for it. The ABA donated $ 10,000 to the cause when they held their conference here in June—an annual initiative of giving to a cause in the community where they hold their conferences. And I have gotten at least $50,000 from individuals and manufacturers in the beauty industry over the years.”

“What makes the story most interesting,” says the junior Kevin O’Regan, “is that about two and a half years after committing to help this group, my nephew Michael Lamond was diagnosed with autism at 18 months old.” S

O’REGAN FAMILY BY ROBERT YOUNG, CELEBRITY PHOTO STUDIO www.sa lon52. ca

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