Do your post-secondary dreams seem out of reach?
We Can Help
Roots for Youth is a charitable foundation established in 2018 by the Ferragine family, founding owners of Bradford Greenhouses Ltd for 61 years. After hosting charitable golf tournaments to raise funds for Children’s Wish for 30 years, the family now directs its charitable efforts to helping teens who are struggling to extend their education due to a family tragedy or financial hardship.
The aim of the charity is to create bursaries to reduce the burden of post-secondary education so that teens and young adults in need can plant their roots and grow to become productive members of the community. As our name suggests, we are looking to assist students pursuing education in fields related to our organization such as agricultural or environmental studies, however our primary focus is to help fund local students who are struggling due to difficult family or financial situations.
Bursary application parameters
The foundation will provide one or more bursaries each year to qualifying students who are planning to attend or are enrolled in a post-secondary institution full-time in the coming year. The bursary(s) will be determined each spring and be paid out to assist with the fall and winter semesters.
The bursary will assist with funding full-time student tuition and may be provided for more than one year if the applicant re-enters the application process.

Applications are Open
Applicants for the bursary will have to be in compliance with the following four requirements:
1
Basic qualification criteria
(a) Student is a Canadian citizen and is a resident of the Ontario region for at least a year.
(b) Is not in default of an OSAP loan or other grant.
2
Have experienced difficult family or financial situations
The grant will consider any case where a student is struggling with a difficult family or financial situation.
3
Meet the foundation's qualifications on the
need for financial assistance
Family income less than $100,000, including attributable income.
4
Field of study qualifications
Preference will be given to applicants pursuing horticultural or environmental studies.
5
Academic qualifications
Original applicants will be required to show records of their GPA. The board will examine academic records and weigh these in the decision making process. The board will have discretion on what they deem to be qualifying academically.
Len Ferragine
Director, President
Jason Hemsworth
Director, Secretary
Dan McMahon, CPA, CA
Director, Treasurer
News
Roots For Youth has been selected for 2026 Beacon® Shine The Light Program
We’re honoured to share that Roots for Youth is the featured partner for PanAmerican Seed’s Beacon® Charity initiative this year.
In the spirit of bringing light and happiness back to shade gardens everywhere, PanAmerican Seed is donating a portion of its global
Beacon® Impatiens seed sales to support Roots for Youth!
Be sure to stop at your local garden centre to pick up your pack of Beacon Impatiens® and help support us!
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![Two women are standing next to each other on a golf course.]()
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![A group of people are standing on a golf course holding golf clubs.]()
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![A man is swinging a golf club on a golf course.]()
Nature's Symphony
Breathtaking colors of our planetButton
A heartfelt thank you to Moonstock 2024
for selecting us as your representative charity for the evening.
What an incredible weekend fundraising for Roots For Youth! 🌳
We’re thrilled to share that this event raised $20,000 for our cause! It was a fantastic opportunity to raise awareness about our mission and connect with so many wonderful people. We are truly grateful to the organizers and everyone who came out to support us.
Major Sponsors
Corporate Sponsors
