YANA Christmas Crackers are Back!!
Posted on
🎄 A Little Christmas Magic, A Whole Lot of Love! YANA Christmas Crackers are BACK!
For over twenty years, YANA’s handmade Christmas Crackers have been adding a little extra sparkle to holiday celebrations, all while making a BIG difference for YANA families.
🎁 What’s inside? Along with the festive surprises tucked into every cracker, 49 lucky crackers will contain extra-special prizes valued at $1,000 or more! And the ultimate holiday surprise? 💍 One very lucky person will discover a stunning diamond ring, generously donated by Mark the Gold Guy and appraised by Tim Haley.
🎄 The festive details:
- $5 per cracker (cash only!)
- Available starting November 13, 2026
- Find them at participating retailers throughout the Comox Valley, while supplies last!
❤️ A HUGE heartfelt thank you to Somers Private Wealth of RBC Dominion Securities, whose incredible sponsorship makes this beloved fundraiser possible! By covering the costs of this fundraiser, they ensure that 100% of every cracker purchase goes directly toward supporting local YANA families.
👉 Find locations and details here.
2026 YANA Ride sees record-breaking fundraising in Comox Valley
Posted on
Originally published by the Comox Valley Record September 4, 2026
The 2026 YANA Ride has officially wrapped up, bringing another incredible summer of riding, fundraising, and community spirit to a close. The Comox Valley came together in a big way, raising a record-breaking $125,000 to support families who must travel for medical care for a child or pregnant mother.
From August 1 to 16, 239 riders of all ages and abilities took to roads, trails, and paths across the community, with 27 teams made up of friends, families, co-workers, and riding crews. The top three fundraising teams, Pedal Pirates, Ale Blazers, and Da Wheel Women, collectively raised well over $23,000. In addition, our top individual fundraiser, Mark Purcell, raised more than $21,000 for the 2026 Ride.
One of the new additions to this year’s Ride was the YANA Ride Passport, which gave riders destinations to seek out and plenty of inspiration for creating their own routes through the community. Riders loved the new challenge, with many collecting 10, 20, 30 or even 40 stamps along the way. Checkpoint businesses got in on the fun too, celebrating the riders who stopped by and offering creative Ride Day Exclusives to add to the experience.
Thank You to the 2026 YANA Riders and Supporters!
Posted on
The 2026 YANA Ride was a celebration from start to finish! This year brought a new way to experience the Ride with the YANA Ride Passport. By collecting stamps at checkpoints and enjoying special ride-day exclusives, our community made the 2026 YANA Ride one to remember!
Then came Party in the Park, where sunny skies, all-day live music, and an afternoon filled with fun gave everyone the perfect place to come together and celebrate. Thanks to the generosity of our riders, donors, sponsors, volunteers, and supporters, the 2026 YANA Ride raised an incredible $125,000 to help provide travel and accommodation support to families travelling for medical care for a child or pregnancy.
From the first passport stamp to Party in the Park, the 2026 YANA Ride gave us so many moments to remember. We’re so proud of what this community accomplished together. Here’s to the memories and an amazing Ride!
The 2026 YANA Ride: Your Passport to Adventure
Posted on
The YANA Ride is back for 2026, bringing together riders of all ages, abilities, and disciplines in one incredible community-wide event supporting local families.
Last year, YANA supported 300 children and pregnant mothers with nearly 600 medical trips. Every rider, fundraiser, volunteer, sponsor, and supporter helps ensure that no Comox Valley family faces a child’s medical journey alone.
Participating is as easy as 1-2-3!
1. REGISTER & RALLY
Round up your friends, family, coworkers, classmates, neighbours, or riding crew and register as a team!
Fundraising is more fun together, and every dollar raised helps support local families when they need it most. Prefer to ride solo? No problem. Individual riders are always welcome too.
Register by July 1 and you’ll be automatically entered to win a $500 Canadian Tire gift card in our Early Bird Draw.
2. RIDE & RAISE
Join the YANA Ride community on Sunday, August 16 and turn your ride into support for local families by collecting pledges along the way.
Need more flexibility? You can also ride any time between August 1 and August 15.
New for 2026, riders can explore the Comox Valley through a network of YANA Ride Hubs and Passport Checkpoints. Ride to participating locations, collect stamps in your YANA Ride Passport, discover new places, connect with fellow riders, and enjoy special experiences offered by our community partners.
Choose your own route, set your own pace, and create an adventure that’s uniquely yours. Whether you’re aiming to collect every Passport stamp or simply enjoy a ride with family and friends, every pedal pushed helps support local YANA families.
3. REUNITE AT PARTY IN THE PARK
On Sunday, August 16, riders, families, friends, sponsors, volunteers, and supporters will come together at Comox Marina Park for an afternoon of celebration, connection, and community spirit.
Party in the Park is free to attend and open to everyone.
Highlights include:
- Finish line and Congratulation Stations
- Sponsor-donated prizes for every fundraising rider and the official 2026 YANA Ride t-shirt for the top 200 fundraisers
- Beer garden
- All-day live music and entertainment lineup
- Activities for kids, and kids at heart
- 50/50 raffle, Golf Ball Drop, raffles, giveaways and draws
- Silent Auction loaded with bike gear and accessories
- Your favourite Marina Park food trucks and seaside snacks
- Plenty of surprises still to come!
Whether you’ve spent two weeks riding, fundraising, collecting Passport stamps, volunteering, cheering from the sidelines, or simply supporting the cause, Party in the Park is where the YANA Ride community comes together.
Ready to Join the Ride?
Register today, rally your team, start planning your adventure, and help ensure local families receive the support they need when medical care takes them away from home.
Staying Close When It Mattered Most: The McIntosh Family’s Journey with YANA
Posted on
Originally published by the Comox Valley Record on Wednesday, July 29, 2026
Every family’s journey to welcoming a child has its own story. For Cameron and Melissa McIntosh, theirs took an unexpected turn at the 20-week ultrasound when they learned their son, Caelan, would need specialized medical care. Before he was even born, the family was travelling to Victoria for additional screenings and ultrasounds. When doctors determined Caelan would need to be delivered at BC Children’s Hospital in Vancouver, during an already overwhelming time, YANA stepped in to take one major worry off their shoulders by arranging accommodations close to the hospital in both Victoria and Vancouver.
At just one day old, Caelan underwent surgery at BC Children’s Hospital, and Melissa and Cameron were able to focus on being by his side without the added worry of accommodation planning and expenses.
“It’s very nice just to have YANA help us out with accommodations, and everything was set up for us, so we only had to go down and worry about him [Caelan]. It takes a lot of the stress off of the planning,” shared Cameron and Melissa.
Before YANA became part of their own journey, the McIntosh family was already familiar with the organization’s impact in the Comox Valley. They understood the importance of keeping families close together during times when medical care requires travel away from home. After experiencing that support firsthand, their appreciation for YANA grew even stronger, inspiring them to become more involved.
Melissa, in particular, has continued to give back as a dedicated YANA volunteer, lending her time and helping wherever she is needed, with Caelan sometimes joining her. Cameron has always had a passion for mountain biking; he and Melissa now get to share that love of cycling with Caelan. Their first YANA Ride was during Melissa’s pregnancy with him, and now Caelan is riding alongside them, making this year’s Ride a meaningful full-circle moment for their family.
Now in their fifth YANA Ride as a fundraising team, the McIntosh family is giving back to help ensure other families receive the same support they did. This year, they’re working toward their fundraising goal of $1,000, riding to visit several Passport Checkpoints along their route, and volunteering at Party in the Park to celebrate with the YANA community.
For one member of the team, Ride Day can’t come soon enough. Caelan is especially excited to visit the Family Fun Zone and take on the Little Wheelers Track, where he’s looking forward to showing off his biking skills.
Every dollar raised through the YANA Ride helps ensure Comox Valley families travelling for medical care can stay together without the added burden of accommodation costs. It’s the support that allows parents to focus on their child during some of life’s most difficult moments.
To support Cameron and Melissa’s fundraising efforts, register for the 2026 YANA Ride, or learn more about the community celebration at Party in the Park on Sunday, August 16, visit www.yanacomoxvalley.com.
