A 10-year-old local student has won first place in her age category in the Pacific Salmon Foundation’s second annual Kids Salmon Art Contest. The winning submission is a watercolour of salmon darting through bull kelp.
The contest attracted more than 500 art submissions, inspired by salmon, from students ages four through 17 from across B.C. and the Yukon. The contest raises awareness of declining salmon populations amid a multitude of challenges brought on by climate change and habitat loss.
“Seeing salmon through the creative eyes of young artists is such an inspiration and reminder of why we must do everything to help conserve salmon for generations to come,” said Michael Meneer, CEO and president of the foundation.
“We are so grateful to every artist, parent, and teacher who took the time to celebrate salmon by entering PSF’s Kids Salmon Art Contest. The impressive artistic interpretations of salmon anatomy, life cycles and challenges to their survival demonstrate the students’ profound awareness of salmon. Their passion and thoughtfulness about salmon is a promising indicator for the future of salmon stewardship.”
• For more information on the contest and to view the submissions, go to psf.ca.
>>> RV company helps to stock food banks
Arbutus RV and its six Vancouver Island RV Lifestyle Centres held a fundraising campaign during October and November, raising a total of $20,000 for Island food banks.
“The need this year was even greater than ever,” said Craig Little, owner and president of Arbutus RV. “Our local communities are desperately looking for the resources to help a growing community of families in need.
“As a Vancouver Island business of 35 years that is family-run, guided by old-fashioned family values, we all wanted to work hard to give back and support our local community food banks so that even more families had the opportunity this year to break bread together over the holidays and beyond.”
Little thanked the front-line volunteers for making a lasting difference in their local communities.
>>> Construction team raises cash for families
Members of the Vancouver Island Construction Association raised more than $20,000 in groceries and toys for families in need.
It will use $13,000 to purchase grocery gift cards that will be distributed to Island elementary schools to be given to families throughout the year.
“Working directly with families, often we go beyond our educator role and learn the realities of the hardship many of our families are currently facing,” said Shauna Coey, principal of Georgia Avenue Community School in Nanaimo.
“Being able to offer support outside the classroom for our students and their families is essential in our community school. We are always appreciative of the generosity of Vancouver Island Construction Association members this time of year and thank them for their continued support of our school community.”
Other recipient schools include Ruth King Elementary in Langford, Tillicum in Saanich, George Jay and Oaklands Elementary Schools in Victoria, and Cedar Elementary in Campbell River.
Each elementary school received $2,150 worth of grocery gift cards to give to families in their school communities that need it the most.
“Even through uncertain economic times, VICA members always step up with their generosity year after year, making a difference in our Vancouver Island communities,” said Rory Kulmala, CEO of the association.
“We are fortunate to have a strong construction economy on Vancouver Island, allowing our members to express their support for the communities in which we work and live. The holidays can be a stressful time for anyone, and we hope our donations will be able to ease that burden for those in need.”
In addition to the grocery gift card program, $7,000 worth of new toys were donated to CFAX’s Santa’s Anonymous, The Great Nanaimo Toy Drive and the Parksville Society of Organized Services. A $500 donation was made to the Ladysmith Resource Centre.
>>> Stores get together to donate gift cards
Greater Victoria Save-on-Foods stores have rallied together in support of families staying at Jeneece Place, donating $800 worth of gift cards.
“Thank you on behalf of all the families staying at Jeneece Place while their children are receiving health care,” said Veronica Carroll, CEO of the Children’s Health Foundation of Vancouver Island.
“This generous contribution will fill the pantry so that families can use food in the pantry to make their own meals between hospital visits, and don’t have to worry about grocery shopping.
“Families have told us how much it means to have the support and compassion of donors like Save-on-Foods so that they can focus on their child’s health.”
This is the eighth year that the eight local stores have got together to make the donation possible.
“We hope to make life a little bit easier for the families staying there,” said Lionel Gjerde, Save-on-Foods’ Colwood store manager.
“Our eight stores share a commitment to supporting important causes in our community and we are happy to come together for the families staying at Jeneece Place and the foundation that runs this important facility.”
>>> Bottle drives raise funds throughout year
The Rotary Club of Oak Bay, supported by The Oak Bay High School Alumni, raised almost $8,650 through bottle drives in 2022.
Volunteers held bottle drives on the first Saturday of each month, except September, last year.
For the first eight months, all money raised went towards the Jack Wallace Memorial Track Project. In the last three months, the proceeds were split 50/50 with the Threshold Housing Society (one of the residences of the organization is located in Oak Bay). The 50/50 split will continue for 2023.
The volunteers will continue to host their no-sort bottle drives in 2023, between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. on the first Saturday of the month (except this month, when it will be held on Jan. 14) at the back parking lot of Oak Bay High School (Cranmore Road entrance).
• To donate, go to canadahelps.org/en/charities/oak-bay-rotary-foundation. For more information, go to oakbayrotary.ca.
parrais@timescolonist.com
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