Eric Mukendi has received support from the Brock-Niagara Centre for Health and Well-Being for years, and now him and his brother, Didi, are paying it forward with a generous donation.

Eric (BBA ’07) and Didi (BKin ’14) are donating $30,000 to the Centre on behalf of their company, C6 Medical, which will greatly benefit the members of the Centre and future undergraduate and graduate students at Brock University. 

C6 Medical is an e-commerce store that specializes in items needed for those with neuromuscular disabilities, but has quickly expanded into a full-service, all-purpose provider, which offers an efficient way to purchase medical and everyday household products.

The C6 Medical staff is largely made up of Brock alumni, and local initiatives play a strong part in the company’s culture. Recently, the Mukendi brothers have been looking for ways to give back to the local community. They have now found the perfect way with their donation to the Centre, which has a personal connection for the brothers.

As a Brock student-athlete, Didi played five seasons for the Brock men’s basketball team between 2008-13. Eric, who has a spinal cord injury, has been a member of the Centre over the last four years.

The Centre focuses on improving the health and quality-of-life in older adults, individuals with cardiovascular disease, spinal cord injuries, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s diseases or amputations. 

“During my time of being a member of the Centre, I have personally benefitted from their programs,” said Eric. “One of the best aspects of their program is that they have student volunteers who personally train and monitor every single member. Students get the experience they need for the real world and members get exposed to new training methods.”

Sonia Dupte, (left) Brock University Director of Development and Stewardship and Dave Ditor (right), Brock University Kinesiology Professor and Director of the Power Cord exercise program at the Brock-Niagara Centre for Health and Well-Being accept a donation from Didi and Eric Mukendi.

Sonia Dupte, Director, Development and Stewardship, Advancement and External Relations, said the brothers exemplify the strong relationship between Brock and its alumni.

“Brock’s heritage and history are credited to the contributors who built and have supported the institution,” she said. “Brock is here today because of thoughtful philanthropy and support from those in our community. Thank you to the Mukendi brothers for their community-mindedness and generosity.”

When the Centre was forced to temporarily close its doors because of COVID-19, it continued to support its members virtually. However, like many businesses, the Centre has struggled in these unprecedented times. Thanks to the Mukendi brothers, the Centre is getting the help it needs to fully support its members.

“We are profoundly grateful to receive the donation from the Mukendi brothers and C6 Medical,” said Dave Ditor, Kinesiology Professor and Director of the Power Cord exercise program at the Centre. “This extremely generous donation came at the perfect time. There is a very strong sense of belonging and family at the Centre and it’s very fitting that one of our own was able to step up and help support the facility during these times.”

The donation will allow the Centre to provide their members with better service, such as more online programming options, including one-on-one exercise training and fitness classes, as well as social events.

“Not only did this generous donation benefit our members; it has also provided essential experiential education opportunities for the Faculty of Applied Health Sciences (FAHS) students,” said Deborah O’Leary, Associate Dean of Research and Graduate Students for the FAHS and Centre Director. “We are very grateful to have such a supportive community at the Centre.”

Notably, this isn’t Eric’s first time supporting the Centre. Nearly four years ago, he organized a two kilometre, uphill wheelchair race in Niagara-on-the-Lake, the C6 Wheelchair Challenge. The fundraiser was a success, enabling Eric to donate $4,000.

“This new donation is a continuance of what I hope will be a long-lasting relationship between us, Brock and the Brock-Niagara Centre for Health and Well-Being,” he said.

To learn more about the Centre, visit brocku.ca/health-well-being