Sonny Kumpf Memorial Hockey Bursary surpasses fundraising goal

Harry “Sonny” Kumpf was beloved in the Kitchener-Waterloo community and the surrounding area: in fact, there aren’t many people in the K-W community who were better known than Sonny. He was involved in so many things over his lifetime that almost everybody knew him, and he knew almost everybody. 

When Sonny passed away on September 22, 2020, the world lost a very special man. The COVID-19 pandemic has prevented the community from having the opportunity to say goodbye to Sonny in the fashion that he deserved, but Sonny’s friends and family have come together to establish an endowment to honour his memory: the Sonny Kumpf Memorial Hockey Bursary.

Sonny was an accomplished athlete in his younger years, a respected CA tax professional and partner at Ernst and Young, a participant and leader in many charitable activities and organizations, an outdoorsman, a great father and grandfather, a special husband to Linda and all-around a great guy. Sonny never missed an opportunity to get involved when he felt that he could make a meaningful contribution, and never missed an opportunity for a great laugh.

If you needed a friend, you could not find a better one than Sonny—and he certainly had more friends than most. Thanks to generous gifts from 116 donors, funds raised for the Sonny Kumpf Memorial Hockey Bursary have surpassed $36,000 meaning that the endowment will fund an annual bursary. The bursary will be given out for the first time in the 2021/22 academic year, and will continue to carry on Sonny's legacy for years and years to come.

He was a very proud member of the Laurier Golden Hawks hockey team in the early 1970s. After graduation, Sonny continued to support Laurier athletics by acting as founder and president of the WLU Hawkey Hawks Alumni Association. In addition to his commitment to the hockey team, Sonny also was dedicated to raising funds for the general good of all Laurier sports. In recognition of this spirit and devotion, Sonny was the recipient of the 2010 WLU Alumnus of the Year award.

In order to continue Sonny’s commitment to the Hawkey Hawks, the Sonny Kumpf Memorial Hockey Bursary was created by his friends and immediate family to support Varsity hockey players studying full-time at Laurier.

Visit the Sonny Kumpf Memorial Hockey Bursary giving page to give to this very worthwhile cause in recognition of a very special guy who did so much for so many. All donations are eligible for a charitable tax receipt.