Tag: Kelowna

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April 1, 2021

We could not do what we do without community support. Every contribution matters. As we celebrate Autism Acceptance Month in April, we are excited to share eight different ways that local businesses throughout the Lower Mainland, Vancouver Island and Interior are raising vital funding for the cause!

With 1 in 40 BC children diagnosed with autism, the need for support is greater than ever. Help us build a world where every individual on the autism spectrum is understood, accepted and supported in all community spaces.

Consider visiting one of these local businesses this month!

Meridian Farm Market | April
Across Lower Mainland

This Lower Mainland chain of grocery stores has been a CAN supporter and champion of inclusive employment for years. Last April, Meridian Farm Market raised over $18,000 for CAN! This year, they’ve added some new items to their annual wings and rice cripsy square fundraiser.

  • Locations: Mission, Maple Ridge, Port Coquitlam, Langley, White Rock, Tsawwassen, North Vancouver. Find a store near you
  • Wings Special: $1 of every pound of wings sold throughout the month of April will go to CAN!
  • Treat Specials: Proceeds from the sales of blue raspberry kettle corn, chocolate dipped rice crispy squares, and blueberries will be going to CAN.

Papa John’s | April
Surrey

Run by a CAN family, the King George Blvd location has a long history supporting the cause. In 2019, they invited participants to submit recipes for their new #CANPizza! And this past year, they have been an invaluable partner in our Employment Services and Programs.

  • Location: 10558 King George Blvd, Surrey
  • Specialty Pizza: $1 from every Specialty Pizza bought for delivery or pick up at the Papa John’s on King George Blvd throughout the month of April will go to CAN! Order now.

Mount Arrowsmith Brewing | April
Parksville

This brewery is dedicated to giving back to their Central Vancouver Island community. Each guest that purchases a taster flight is asked to choose between one of two local charities to support! Drop by and let your order contribute to CAN!

  • Location: 109-425 Standford Ave E, Parksville
  • Flight Special: Throughout all of April, CAN supporters can order a flight and choose to have $1 of the sale go to CAN! In response to the latest provincial health orders, the brewery’s indoor area is closed, but you can enjoy your flights on their beautiful outdoor patio or picnic area!

Herbaland | March 31 – April 14
Online

This Richmond-based vitamin and supplement producer is new to the CAN and Canucks family of supporters! This past March 31, they were set to be the presenting sponsor for the Canucks’ 3rd Annual Autism Acceptance Game at Rogers Arena.

  • Locations: Online and in store. Use their Store Locator to find a store near you
  • Merch and Gummy Sales: 100% of merch sales and 10% of vitamin and supplement gummy sales support CAN! Valid from March 31-April 14, 2021.

ZYIA Active | April
Online

Based out of the Okanagan, Paige Ternoway is an Education Assistant who has worked with countless CAN participants first-hand. As a representative of ZYIA Active, Paige and her team are donating proceeds of her sales every year to CAN!

  • Location: Online
  • Active wear sales: For the entire month of April, Paige is donating 20% of her commission to CAN! Shop now!

F45 | April
Vancouver

Functional training delivered worldwide! Committed to inclusion in their studio spaces, F45’s Vancouver location has chosen to support CAN this April.

  • Location: 1348 Granville St, Vancouver
  • Accepting Donations: F45 will be collecting donations throughout the month of April for CAN from their members.

*F45 is welcoming their members for workouts that abide by provincial health orders only.

Treaźe | April 17
Kelowna

Organized by a pair of CAN volunteers in Kelowna, take their treasure hunt challenge in support of the cause! The treasure hunt follows all health and safety precautions and has been approved by the City of Kelowna.

  • Location: The treasure hunt takes place across Kelowna, sign up online
  • Treasure Hunt: Take part in this exciting treasure hunt all across the City of Kelowna! There are prizes for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place! Plus – 90% of the proceeds are going to CAN!

CAN Raffle | Enter by May 1
Online

Throughout their careers, the Sedins were always quick to support CAN at our community events and fundraisers. Now, Elias Pettersson is continuing the tradition of elite hockey and community support in Vancouver. Own signed jerseys from all three Canucks superstars past and present!

  • Location: Buy tickets online
  • Jersey Raffle: Win ALL 3 Canucks jerseys signed by Henrik Sedin, Daniel Sedin, and Elias Pettersson! Buy a ticket for $5, three for $5 or ten for $20. Enter by Sat, May 1 at 10 PM.

Must be 19+ and within BC.

 

April 20, 2020

 “No matter what, Nina shows up with her bubbly, positive personality. You can’t help but feel happy when she’s around!”
-Kayla Ungaro, CAN Regional Coordinator in Kelowna

This National Volunteer Week, the spotlight is on our incredible BC-wide team in green. What motivates them to give back? What are their favourite memories supporting our participants and families?

We have seen their impact every day in our programs and events ever since we began in 2008. We can’t wait to share their stories with you all week on social media!

Today, we are excited to celebrate Nina Gaspari in Kelowna.

Outside of her busy schedule working at a restaurant and studying biochemistry at UBCO, Nina has dedicated countless week nights and summer days to CAN. In two years, she has volunteered in Gymnastics, Active, Multisport, Weekly Youth & Adult Programs and Summer Day Camps.

Learn more about becoming a CAN volunteer!

“I remember checking in with Nina after her first couple of weeks volunteering,” recalled Kayla Ungaro, CAN Regional Coordinator in Kelowna. “She beamed with excitement that volunteering at CAN was the highlight of her week!”

“Some individuals have an innate ability to connect with participants and be that positive part of their week – that is definitely Nina.”

You’d think it was enough that Nina was finding time to support our program every week. But despite her busy schedule, she went above and beyond last summer. Joining up with fellow CAN volunteer and personal friend Morgan Painchaud, the duo helped organize a benefit concert at the OK Corral. Featuring local Okanagan talents like Ben Klick, Hillside Outlaws and Michael Daniels, Country For CAN raised over $2,500!

We are so lucky to have such enthusiastic volunteers who support our programs with such passion. What drives Nina to dedicate so much time for our participants and families?

“My intention is to demonstrate how to be friendly to one another. I want to help create an environment where CAN participants feel they can try something that they wouldn’t normally do.”

“So any time a child, youth or adult is able to interact with another one confidently, it puts such a big smile on my face.”

In just two years, Nina has volunteered in over 30 weekly sessions at CAN. Among her many hours supporting our participants, she shared with us one of her favourite memories from our Multisport program.

“During the basketball lesson, we were playing pass. The kids were originally paired up with staff and volunteers. But part way through the lesson, one of the kids asked another if he would play pass with him instead,” Nina recalled.

“Although this seems like a very small thing to do, it made me so happy that he had developed the social skills to reach out to a fellow peer.”

This past Winter, Nina took her skills for building social connections among participants to our Weekly Youth & Adult Program.

“I absolutely love playing games and chatting with them,” Nina said. “They are always challenging my perceptions on many things and I always find myself looking forward to the next one.”

The world needs more people like Nina. Lucky for CAN, we have hundreds who share her genuine passion for supporting kids, youth and adults with autism.

While our in-person programs are on hold for the time being, it goes without saying that our CAN volunteers are missing our participants and families immensely.

Learn how we are continuing to support our CAN community during COVID-19 at canucksautism.ca/homeactivities.

“I am so appreciative of what CAN is able to do for so many families,” said Nina. “It is so nice to see how these kids and youth look forward to coming to see us each week — just as much as we look forward to seeing them!”

Additional reading

Former hockey player gives back at CAN skate

Meet Siobhan: CAN participant & part-time employee

Kyle Boyle: Why I volunteer for CAN

Additional info

What kind of training to CAN staff and volunteers receive?

What is each staff and volunteer’s role in CAN programs?

Become a CAN volunteer!

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Jul 26, 2018

Endless sunshine and a desire to give back made for a fantastic day on the links this past Saturday in Kelowna. Presented by Scotiabank, over 100 golfers came out for the 17th Annual Kelowna Rockets Golf Tournament, raising vital funding for Canucks Autism Network (CAN) programs in the region.

With an early afternoon start, participants had the exclusive opportunity to golf and dine alongside dozens of Kelowna Rockets alumni. The former WHL players in attendance included current NHL stars Shea Weber, Josh Gorges and Luke Schenn, among others.

Stationed on the course at hole 16, we were on hand to provide golfers a fun break from the friendly competition. Given the hockey-themed flavor of the event, CAN staff challenged participants and Rockets alumni to a “saucer pass” contest.

A man shoots a hockey puck into a miniature net on a golf course.

On their way to the next hole, golfers also had the opportunity to enter our WestJet Gift of Flight Raffle, while learning about CAN programs from our staff.

Purchase your raffle tickets for WestJet’s Gift of Flight online now!

Later that night at the event dinner, CAN’s Manager of Strategic Partnerships, Ryan Yao, shared more about the importance of the event to our efforts in Kelowna.

“With 1 in 66 children diagnosed with autism in Canada, and over 1,000 in the Okanagan region alone, the need for support is growing,” Ryan explained to the room full of golfers and alumni. “Since 2015, we have been so fortunate to have the generous support of the Kelowna Rockets and Rockets Alumni Foundation. Their shared commitment to our mission has been integral to the delivery of our programs in this region.”

On behalf of all our staff, volunteers and families at CAN, thank you to the organizers and participants of the 17th Annual Kelowna Rockets Alumni Golf Tournament.

Because of you, hundreds of children, youth, young adults and families living with autism in Kelowna can learn new skills, develop friendships and make lifelong memories at CAN programs.

Learn more about how you can help at canucksautism.ca/support!

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Dec 23, 2017

Whether it’s photos with Santa or a festive lights display, the holidays are marked by the special outings that we have with loved ones. That’s why Canucks Autism Network (CAN) was so thrilled to host the Holiday Skate yesterday for over 25 families with autism in Kelowna.

As with all CAN family events, yesterday’s celebration was offered free of charge and provided a non-judgemental environment where families with autism could enjoy themselves in the community.

This was Kelsey General’s second year at the Holiday Skate. A single mother of two boys on the spectrum, Kelsey travelled an hour from Penticton so they could spend the holidays with CAN.

With two-year-old Lincoln strapped to her back, Kelsey strolled around the rink alongside Brentley, her oldest. At three years old, Brentley already has a season of CAN’s weekly skate program under his belt and loves being on the ice.

After a few laps around the rink, Kelsey and her boys retreated to the sidelines where CAN volunteers waited with hot chocolate and photos with Santa.

It was just over a year ago that the Generals had their first experience with CAN. “I saw an ad on Facebook for a family picnic event that CAN was hosting in Kelowna.”

With both sons diagnosed, she recalled how challenging it was for her to enjoy the same outings together as a typical family. “When you go to typical events, one thing you might encounter are lots of lines,” she explained. “But for my kids, waiting around is not usually feasible. After 10 seconds, Brentley would start yelling and the people around us wouldn’t understand why. It was very isolating.”

Though Kelsey and her sons live nearly an hour away, she eagerly signed up for CAN’s family event.

“It was a place where the kids could run around and just be themselves,” Kelsey remembered. “But in addition to that, we got to meet other families with autism too. It had a very community-like feel.”

In the year that followed, Kelsey signed up for two more family events — the first Holiday Skate in December 2016 and a Family Bowling event in April 2017.

“I thought I was going to break my back supporting Brentley on the ice, but Kayla [CAN’s Regional Coordinator in Kelowna] came and helped me.” Kelsey continued, “At the bowling event, Bentley was running down the lane while my youngest was throwing balls at other people.”

But what struck Kelsey most is that she didn’t have to worry about what other families thought. At CAN’s family events, everyone is familiar with the challenges that autism can pose. And whether it was a staff member or another family, there was always someone there to support. “One of the other families came up to me and offered to help. They simply understood.”

As soon as Brentley turned 3, Kelsey signed him up for the weekly programs too. To date, he has done all three of CAN’s Early Years programs for children aged 3-6 — I CAN Be Active, I CAN Swim and I CAN Skate.

“I tell a lot of other parents about CAN and they tell me, ‘Well, my kids don’t listen to anything.’ But here, they make adaptations for the kids to be successful — eating snow on the ice for the whole first session if that’s what it takes!”

For Kelsey, attending a CAN family event was her first step to seeing what her son was capable of on the ice. It was the first step to being part of a community. And hopefully, the first of many more CAN holidays to come!

For more information, please visit our Family Events webpage.

For more information on becoming a member, please visit canucksautism.ca/join.

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