A trust fund has been established for five former Spruce View School students whose mother passed away unexpectedly last Wednesday.
Olds-based Divine Dance Academy proprietor Trish deCoverley died of a heart attack near her Condor home last Wednesday.
DeCoverley and her family had left their Garrington Bridge area home less than six months ago to resettle in Condor because of the constant erosion of their land from the ever changing river.
Her children - Tyson, Jayden, Joel, Kyle, and Kevin - are aged six to 17 years of age and are now staying with deCoverley’s mother Pat Weston, who also recently moved to Condor off the family farm near Garrington Bridge.
The children attended Spruce View School until their move to Condor late last year.
“Within the next few months it’s going to be very important to try and give them enough to try and live a normal life,” said deCoverley’s friend Shawna Billings, who is organizing the trust fund.
Donations to the family can be made in trust to Shawna Billings (deCoverley family) at ATB Financial Institutions in Olds, Innisfail and surrounding areas.
The staff at Spruce View School have also set up a trust fund for the children and donations can be made to the deCoverley Children Trust Fund at the Eckville and Spruce View Credit Unions.
DeCoverley’s death is being mourned throughout the past and present dance community in the area as well as by friends and family. She operated Divine Dance Academy in Olds for the past 20 years.
“She was truly a wonderful person who did so much for our community, so much for the kids. She gave them something to believe in,” Billings said.
DeCoverley is the sister of the proprietor of Joy’s Dance Studio in Innisfail.
Like her sister Joy, DeCoverley danced since she was young and escalated within the competition world, working with partners that went onto such competitions as So You Think You Can Dance.
“She always used Miles (Faber) as an example. He didn’t start dancing until he was like nine or something and he was a finalist on So You Think You Can Dance.”
Faber, who went on to judge the hit TV show, had just sent an email to deCoverley recently saying he was still coming to Olds to conduct a spring session with her students.
“She’s had students go on to Paris and all over. She’s done really good with them all,” said Billings.
As all of deCoverley’s children dance, it is Billings’ hope that enough money is raised for them to continue their mother’s business.
“They all have this gift, the gift she had. If that is still there it might help them get through,” said Billings.
DeCoverley’s funeral was held yesterday in Dickson. She was to be buried at a Raven cemetery next to her father who died last year.
Billings said she plans to organizer upcoming fundraisers for deCoverley’s children as well.
Planned dance competitions including Divine Dance’s Diamonds & Dance scheduled for April, will run as scheduled. Dancers from across the province are expected to attend.
