Building a Healthy Community
This summer, the Foundation and Board of Directors expressed its gratitude for the longtime service of Balraj Mann and Michael Leggatt.
These directors are marking milestones in community service as they retire from the Board, after having served three terms cultivating Langley’s generosity and philanthropy to build a stronger, healthier community.
Balraj Mann
Balraj Mann’s dedication to advances in Langley’s health care has been central to the creation of a vibrant, healthy community equipped to meet the challenges of rapid growth.
Balraj moved to New Westminster in the early 1980s from a small village in Punjab, India at 15. He formed the BM Group of Companies, which today holds a diverse global construction and real estate portfolio.
In 2019, with fellow community leader Manjit Gill, Balraj co-founded the Giving Hearts Gala, an annual event that allows Langley’s South Asian community to contribute to health care as a united philanthropic force dedicated to involving the next generations of donors.
In its first five years, the Giving Hearts Gala donor community raised a total of $1,165,000 to renovate Langley Memorial Hospital’s Spiritual Space, purchase surgical equipment essential to safe and efficient procedures, supply bassinets for the care of vulnerable newborns and gift patient mobility aids.
Balraj was instrumental in building Aspire, a rental community for seniors that secures financial stability for the Foundation. As a member of the General Partnership that oversaw the construction of Aspire, he lent industry expertise that proved to be crucial to its success.
Through generous donations of time and funds, Balraj Mann and his family have inspired others to build a diverse culture of philanthropy driven by compassion and foresight into the needs of a healthy, growing community.
Michael Leggatt
For 12 years, Michael Leggatt, an investment advisor with more than two decades of experience in the financial industry, has dedicated his time to improving health care in Langley, first as a member of the Legacy Committee and then as a respected director on Langley Community Health & Hospital Foundation’s Board, serving as its Chair from 2020 to 2024.
Michael played a crucial role in the Foundation’s 2021 Emergency Response campaign, which transformed Langley Memorial Hospital’s Emergency Department and brought Medical Resonance Imaging (MRI) to Langley.
During his tenure as Chair, the Foundation expanded its scope and influence to include community health services, such as the Foundry Langley campaign. In 2023, he co-founded and chaired a Trust that led to the completion of Aspire, a rental community for seniors.
The creation of Aspire secured the Foundation’s future, shifting its reliance on unpredictable revenue streams to a source of financial stability that enables it to make a more significant impact on health care for the future.
The Foundation thanks Balraj Mann and Michael Leggatt for their longtime dedication to health care and enhancing the community’s diversity and generosity.