The new year has inspired a Kelowna furniture company and residents of a senior home to help local youth.
Rob Vickers works with Phoenix A.M.D International. He said that last November, management put out a challenge to the employees: get moving and work out for a month and get $500 to donate to a charity of your choice.
Vickers participated in the challenge, asking the company to donate his $500 to the Okanagan Boys and Girls Clubs. He then decided to match the company’s donation with another $500.
But what he didn’t know was that one of his friends wanted to help out too.
“My friend who works at Fernbrae Manor told me that the residents there also put money aside and they were trying to decide where to donate it to,” he said.
“Because of my connection to the Boys and Girls Clubs, the residents decided to donate it there too.”
In total, Vickers was able to present $1,500 to the non-profit.
Vickers said growing up in Kelowna, he had always been involved with the Boys and Girls Clubs (BGC) in different ways.
“I had a couple of different opportunities to work with them when I was younger. When I was going to school, I did some work with them throughout high school and when I was going to university during the summer.”
“I always liked working with kids who needed mentoring. It’s always been important to me,” he said.
Richelle Leckey, the community engagement coordinator for the BGC, said it was exciting to receive the donation and they are very grateful.
“The dollars from this donation will go towards our youth programs, which help young people from all walks of life,” she said.
“Our goal is to put the money toward our downtown (Kelowna) youth centre… it will help us in a variety of ways from purchasing activity supplies and food for the youth.”
Vickers said he wants to continue working with other seniors residences in Kelowna and keep raising funds for the BGC, especially once the pandemic is over.
“We just really like the link between seniors and young people, because working together like this benefits both groups.”
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