Talk about rallying around a good cause! Last fall, Erica Whiteley, Branch Manager with Raymond James Ltd., organized the first ever Investment Industry Charity Ping Pong Tournament in support of the CAC. Investment advisors from firms across the city came together to grab a paddle and put the fun back in fundraiser! Thank you to Erica, and to all the players and spectators who came for an exciting evening of table tennis!

For three years running, the Rotary Club of Kelowna Sunrise have put their collective heart, soul, and hard work into supporting our community's most vulnerable children and youth through the Season of Giving Calendar fundraiser. Through their incredible volunteerism, they have grown our community of support and raised essential funds to ensure we are there for children and families when they need it most. These folks bring passion and dedication to all that they do for our community, and we could not be more grateful at their steadfast support of the CYAC. Thank you, Sunrise Rotary!

For four years and counting, the Fancy Pants Golf Tournament has been a highly anticipated event for the CYAC. A golf tournament for golfers and non-golfers alike, there is a reason people keep coming back to Fancy Pants year after year – it’s just plain fun! In-person events like this are such an important way to build community around our cause. With each tournament, we have had the opportunity to connect new folks to our work and raise vital resources to support it, making a meaningful difference in the lives of the vulnerable children we serve. Thank you, Ogopogo Rotary, for your incredible impact!

As a leading childcare provider in our community, the ProducKIDvity team are no strangers to creating safe, nurturing spaces for children and families. So, when they reached out to us last spring to tell us they wanted to donate proceeds from their Family Meal Program and Sutherland garage sale to the Centre, we were overjoyed! Their team and families came together to support CYAC, raising essential funds and furthering our work providing a safe place of hope and healing for children and families in need. Thank you, ProducKIDvity, for all that you do for kids in our community!

Rhonda Hymers and her team at Hymers Private Wealth, have been so incredibly supportive of the CAC. Whether through their expertise or their generosity they are always there for us. In 2021 Rhonda was the first person we approached about putting together a matching gift for Who’s on Your List? She basically agreed before we finished asking. That is the kind of commitment an organization like ours needs to thrive! Thank you, Rhonda.

The team at Evergreen Building Maintenance are part of the CYAC’s story in more ways than one. By keeping our Centre sparkling, their team play an essential role in supporting the health and wellbeing of the vulnerable children and families who walk through our doors. On top of ensuring the cleanliness of our space, the Takhar Family and their team have been members of our Circle of Friends monthly giving program since 2021! Ongoing partners in our goal to provide hope, help, and healing to children and youth in need, the assurance we gain knowing they are by our side for the long term is incredibly meaningful. Thank you to the Takhar Family and everyone at Evergreen for your incredible support!

It is no small feat taking on a longstanding event with so many moving parts, but Lift Auto Group, a member of CSN Collision Centres, went above and beyond to make sure their first year at the helm of the Father’s Day Car Show and Raffle went off without a hitch! Their whole team came together to ensure the event was a success, rallying around the CYAC’s cause and giving back to everyone in our community for whom the Car Show has become an annual tradition. Thank you, Lift Auto Group, for the powerful difference you have made in the lives of local children and families!

As champions of HER International, Linda and Kevin Edgecombe have been dedicated to uplifting vulnerable women and girls through education for over a decade. Last fall, they organized Elevate HER, an evening of impact benefitting HER International’s work in Nepal and the CYAC’s work with children and youth here in the Central Okanagan. This event was as impactful as it was inspiring, raising essential funds and meaningful awareness for the CYAC by connecting us with a wonderful group of new supporters eager to make a difference. Thank you to Kevin, Linda, and everyone who participated – you are making a powerful impact in the lives of children and families near and far!

Thank you, Jennifer. For years now, Jennifer and Unhinged Boutique have been quietly bringing comfort to vulnerable children during some of their scariest times. Through a special program, they have been providing the children we work with the softest blankets you can imagine. When a child is being asked to be so brave, having something new and soft to cuddle can help them muster the courage they need.