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Christmas at YANA is full of community supporters like the folks at Tayco paving, who chose YANA as a recipient of their holiday generosity, a gift that gives back to the community in a meaningful way.
A huge thanks to the folks at End of the Roll for their donation to YANA this Christmas, we are grateful!
Our very own, Kelly Barnie and family, worked hard to host a massive virtual garage sale with 100% of donations made to YANA. Thank you to everyone who made such generous donations….and helped clear out Kelly’s garage! 
“Casual December” was a huge success at Chan Nowosad Boates, who collectively raised a generous donation to YANA thanks to the generosity of the company, as well as the partners who matched all donations made. Thank you to all who participated!
Christmas at the YANA office is a wonderful time of year, thanks to the many generous community donors, like the Comox Valley Harbour Authority who chose YANA to make their Christmas donation this year. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts!
Valley Vonka wouldn’t be the success it is without the contribution made by Black Press Media, thank you for your ongoing commitment to supporting Comox Valley families!
Thanks to the Peninsula Co-op for getting many scrumdiddlyumptious Valley Vonka bars into the hands of chocolate lovers and hopeful winners, your efforts are a gift to the community!
A tremendous thanks to the generous donation through the Harrison-Walker Family Foundation and Canada Gives, we are moved by your gift of support!
Bikes Will Keep Us Together, One Pedal at a Time
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Originally published by the Comox Valley Record – May 26, 2021
Registration ongoing until August 15!
The 2021 Comox Bike Co. YANA Ride is ramping up for another fully flexible, socially distanced virtual biking event. While the world makes its way through the final stretch of a pandemic that has changed the way we do things, the YANA Ride organizers are making sure that bikes will continue to keep us together as we see our way through to the other side.
Registration for the 2021 Comox Bike Co. YANA Ride will open online on June 1st.
Last year’s re-vamped, virtual fundraiser was YANA’s most successful ride yet, and this year’s event is set to be no different. Between August 1-15th, participants can choose the when, where, and what for their ride, in order to raise pledges in support of the charity’s funding and accommodation programs that provide help for children and pregnant mothers required to travel outside of the community for medical care.
Creativity is key, and the endless choice of roads and trails are the only maps needed for riders to chart their own path. Whether you set out to ride solo or gather a crew, bike a kilometre or two, or plan an across-the-island adventure, this year is all about creating a ride that fits with the current health protocols, but equally important, also means something to you.
Organizers are excited to be adding a 50/50 draw to the event this year. “The online 50/50 was a huge success for us at our Big Love event in February. Our lucky ticketholder won over $10,000! There have been some incredible jackpots for charity 50/50 draws across the province in the last few months, like over $100,000 and $300,000 big”, said YANA Executive Director Kelly Barnie. “We know how much our supporters would love to see that kind of money be raised for YANA families, and we would sure love to hand over that kind of cheque to a lucky winner. The 50/50s really are a huge win-win!”. There will also be an online auction loaded with a variety of bike gear and accessories thanks to Comox Valley Bike Co. and their generous suppliers, along with many other great items to bid on. Prizes for every fundraising rider and top fundraiser prizes, including the coveted original YANA Ride T-shirts courtesy of Dr. Andreas Conradi will make a return for the 2021 event as well.
Registration opens June 1st and is available by any donation, big or small. For more information and to sign up for this year’s event, visit https://www.yanacomoxvalley.com/yana-event/ride/. Together, we will let Comox Valley families know that we’re a community that goes the distance for one another, one pedal at a time.
Ali, Nick, & Blake, A YANA Family Story
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Originally published by the Comox Valley Record – July 28, 2021
Andrea Postal, Client Services, YANA. Special to the Record
Team McQueen is decked out and ready to take donations and ride for YANA families in this year’s Comox Bike Co. YANA Ride. This is the 3rd year Nick and Ali Usher have participated in the organization’s annual event, and they have every reason in the world to come together to give back to YANA.
The Usher’s were first introduced to YANA 3.5 years ago when their youngest son, Blake, was born 15 weeks early by emergency c-section at St.Joseph’s hospital. Shortly after an emotional and challenging delivery, Blake was air-ambulanced to Victoria General Hospital and his parents prepared to follow close behind. Before they left the hospital Nick and Ali were given a gift from YANA that would change the course of their time away from home.
“The nurses just handed us this envelope, it says YANA on it, and you open it and there’s all this cash in it and you’re like, “whoa, whoa, what’s this for?” shares Ali, who was blown away by the no-strings-attached gift they received from the organization.
The $200 gift was just the beginning of the support they would receive from YANA. The cash funds were made available through the Hospital Emergency Funding Program, designed to provide immediate help to families who are transferred out of the community for medical care. Nick connected with YANA shortly after they arrived in Victoria, and immediately many of their worries melted away.
“Nicks’ like, ‘I got this email, they said they’d call us in the morning. We don’t have to pay for anything.’ “ Ali tells us, moved by the memory of how quickly and completely YANA stepped in to help with monthly financial support, as well as covering the cost of their accommodations at Jeneece Place.
And that was only the beginning for the Usher family. Blake spent 6 months in the Victoria Hospital NICU, and the family would have many more trips to come.
“All of the appointments following him coming home started coming in. You have your neonatal follow-ups, child development, multiple surgeries”, says Ali, who feels lucky their situation wasn’t more difficult. “You think about these other kids and families that are traveling way more than us. It’s the funding to go, the gas to go, the food to go, the organization to go, the missing work to go. It’s a lot and it adds up.”
Blake was recently discharged from the neonatal follow-up program, but the family continues to make trips to Victoria for a diagnosis the family received for him last year.
“He (Blake) got diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy last January (2020), and so he’s had more follow-ups with an orthopedic surgeon in Victoria that we go down to see.” says Ali. The family makes many of these trips each year, and YANA’s support has made a tremendous impact, one that has trickled down to friends and family who are also eager to give back to YANA’s cause and are excited to be participating in Team McQueen for this year’s Ride.
“This is our first year as a team fundraising all together”, says Ali. “Last year we were together, fundraising individually. We were like, why aren’t we doing this together? Let’s make a big team and let’s make as much money as we can.”
Team McQueen, which consists of Blake’s grandmother, aunts, and other close family members, has a goal of riding 25km and raising at least $5000. The team has a route picked out that Nick tells us consists of just about every hill in Comox, and a few rest stops along the way like Point Holmes beach and Blue Haven blueberry farm. Team members will take turns pulling Blake in the bike trailer, which the team has decked out in bright signs displaying their support for YANA.
“If you’re donating, you’re donating exactly back, dollar for dollar, right back into your community to your own friends and family”, says Ali, “you never know when you’re going to be in a situation when you’ll need YANA’s help.”
To find out more, donate, or register for this year’s ride, visit: https://raceroster.com/events/2021/48466/comox-bike-company-yana-ride