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What a way to end a week! Huge thank you to CUPE 556 Courtenay Division for the gracious donation of $500.00! Not only did they give us a HUGE chunk, but they also donated to the Linc Youth Centre, Comox Valley Transition Society, and Children’s Health Foundation! Big smiles to Lana McKenzie on behalf of the Courtenay Municipal Workers for stopping by with the cheque and snagging a photo! We appreciate how hard you all work for your local community!

One door closed, but many doors to support YANA are still open!

Posted on November 21, 2022

Originally published by the Comox Valley Record, November 24, 2022

Click HERE for information on where to purchase YANA Christmas Crackers.

The holiday season is looking bright for YANA families despite some disappointing news they received in late October. Although all systems were “Go” in July for the Driftwood Mall to restart their Christmas Trees for YANA fundraiser that they had been hosting to raise funds for YANA for nearly 20 years, in October, BentalGreenOak let YANA know via their Driftwood Mall local administration that they would not be running the fundraiser moving forward.

“The mall’s fundraiser for YANA has been a tradition of the season for so long, and it typically raised about $10,000 for YANA families each year, so it was definitely tough news to receive. We will be helping with about 400 medical trips this year, so we’re just super grateful that there are so many other ways for people to continue supporting YANA families over the holidays”, said YANA Executive Director, Kelly Barnie.

The team at YANA is excited that so many doors are open to unique ways the Comox Valley can come together and spread generosity in the spirit of giving this holiday season.

YANA Christmas Crackers: Sales of the time-honoured YANA Christmas Crackers are already off to a fantastic start. Five thousand crackers have been lovingly handcrafted by volunteers and filled with the usual delights. Fifty crackers have special prizes, including one with a breathtaking diamond ring valued at over $5600.00. “The cracker prizes are awesome this year”, said Barnie. “There are $1000 in Quality Foods grocery gift cards alone, so I think there are going to be some very excited cracker snappers this year!” Crackers are $5.00 each and are available for cash purchase while supplies last at Edible Island Whole Foods Market, Quality Foods and Tin Town Cafe in Courtenay, John’s Your Independent Grocer, Quality Foods and the Comox Community Centre in Comox, and at Seeds Food Market in Cumberland.

Crown isle Holiday Resort Walk & Gingerbread Village Charity Auction: Along with the Comox Valley Transition Society and MARS Wildlife Rescue, YANA will be a shared recipient of the proceeds from the spectacular Holiday Resort Walk and Gingerbread Village & Teddy Bear Basket Charity Auction at Crown Isle & Golf Community this year. The Holiday Resort Walk starts December 2, and continues on December 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, 16-21. Hours are 5:00 – 8:00pm each night. Admission to the Holiday Resort Walk is by cash donation or tap to donate.

Donate Late-model Used iPads: Over the years, My Tech Guys had refurbished and passed on several donated iPads to YANA to be used for payment processing at their fundraising events. The iOS systems now required for Square and other apps are higher than the older iPads can handle, so YANA is hoping some newer old iPads might come their way over the holiday season. “We know we need two or three iPads that have iOS 14 or higher so that they can run at least Version 5 of the Square App. If anyone finds themselves with a brand new iPad under the tree this year, we’d sure love it if they’d consider donating their older model to YANA,” said Barnie.

Charitable Donations/Monthly Donation: “Charitable donations made near the end of the tax year and donations in lieu of gifts are always a big portion of the funds we receive each year to help the children and families we serve,” explains Barnie. “There are so many incredible local charities in the Comox Valley, and the support we receive this time of year really makes a huge difference for the work we’re able to do. I truly wish every donor would be able to hear the relief in the voices of the parents we help. It may seem like it’s just a number on a year-end tax receipt but how a family who receives YANA support feels knowing their community has made the support possible is something more special than I could possibly explain.” Monthly donations help YANA plan ahead and ensure that they have sustainable funding throughout the year. YANA uses the online platform CanadaHelps.org where you can set up a one-time or recurring monthly donation.

So many of the Comox Valley residents are struggling in the face of inflation and pandemic recovery, but with your help, YANA plans to continue to lift some of that strain on the local families needing to leave the community for medical support. Together, we can make our community a little brighter this year.

Follow these links to:

YANA Christmas Crackers on Sale November 12th

Posted on November 12, 2022

For almost twenty years, YANA has welcomed the holiday season by making and selling Christmas Crackers in support of local children and families.

5,000 crackers have been lovingly handcrafted by volunteers and filled with the usual delights. 50 crackers have special prizes, including one with an extra special grand prize- A breathtaking diamond ring valued at over $5,600!

For more info on retail locations, bulk purchases and how you can help craft Christmas Crackers for 2023, see https://www.yanacomoxvalley.com/yana-event/christmas-crackers/ or call the YANA office at 250-871-0343.

WOW… WOW… WOW… We are truly speechless. HUGE thank you to the Wiseman family and this incredible community that spooked together this Halloween for a fantastic Haunted Hall of Horrors. Not only did they double last year’s donation, they almost TRIPLED it! Their goal has always been to raise enough to cover one month’s rent of one of our Vancouver apartments at $1285 a month… They were SO proud to say they raised enough to cover 2 months AND THEN SOME this year! Donald, Catherine, and Juliet wanted to also thank YOU all for the fantastic turnout and community support they witnessed this weekend.

Is there anything better than ice cold, homemade lemonade on a hot day? I’m not sure… But one incredibly sweet thing is after 10 years, this family chose to give back through their daughters birthday lemonade stand! Truly heartwarming… your donation makes a difference, one cup at a time!

We thank you, Rotary Club of Strathcona Sunrise, for your recent donation to YANA. Your generous gift will help us to fund local families who need to travel for the medical treatment of a child or pregnant mother.

HUGE thank you’s to Doug Kines for his recent donation in lieu of the Hillbilly Masters Golf Tournament! We appreciate you keeping us in your minds!

A very grateful thank you to the former Vanisle Airfield Society for their recent donation. We appreciate the thoughtfulness that went into this donation during the closing of their business. YANA, and the families we support say thank you!

We want to give a HUGE thank you to Pilon Tools for including us in their 50th anniversary plans! Not only did they raise a great amount of money for the YANA families, but they had a successful BBQ and event! We wish you nothing but the best for the next 50 years!

A huge crafty thank you to our friends over at Central Builders in Courtenay for their recent donation! I don’t know if there is a better pairing than a BBQ for a good cause! We appreciate everything you do for our community!