For Roger Bergeron ’73, a Franco-American youth from downtown Lewiston, Bates presented a world of intellectual possibilities.

Roger’s father left a Montreal orphanage at the age of 12 for better opportunities in Maine. He instilled in his six children the belief that with education, all things are possible.

Roger took the message to heart, excelled at Bates and became a local leader through his optometry practices in Lewiston and Lisbon.

For almost 40 years he thrived in his career, continued to enjoy the cultural offerings at Bates, and gave steadily to the Bates Fund.

His retirement in 2013 presented an opportunity to do something more for the college that gave him so much.

“When I sold my practice there were tax considerations,” Roger says. “I had thought about giving to Bates, but I didn’t know how I was going to do it.”

A Bates gift officer helped Roger explore his options, and he eventually settled on a deferred charitable gift annuity. This win-win gift allowed him to minimize the capital gains tax from the sale of his optometry business and establish a charitable fund to Bates that will generate income for him later in retirement.

He relates his gift to a conversation with the late Milt Lindholm ’35, former dean of admission at Bates.

Milt told him, “local kids like you always do well, and we’ve always been proud of you.”

In 2016, Roger continued to impact young people through philanthropy when he helped fund The Joseph and Adrienne Bergeron Christian High School in Kinyoro, Kenya providing quality education to poor and orphaned children in honor of his parents.