KTW Christmas Cheer Fund: Record donation from the Free Radicals
These five groups will be helped by your donations: Y Women's Emergency Shelter, Kamloops Therapeutic Riding Association, Chris Rose Therapy Centre for Autism, New Beginnings Stroke Recovery and Kamloops Brain Injury Association. To donate, go online to kamloopsthisweek.com/cheer.
Kelly Shantz (right) of the Free Radicals Hockey Club delivers, via a physically distanced hockey stick, the team’s annual donation to the KTW Christmas Cheer Fund. Accepting this year’s donation, a record $10,819, is Tim Shoults, operations manager of Aberdeen Publishing and Kamloops This Week.KTW
Fewer players and ice times during the pandemic did not equate to diminished charitable zeal for the Free Radicals Hockey Club.
The group blew away its own record by donating $10,819 to the KTW Christmas Cheer Fund, besting the mark — $8,960 — it established last winter, a few months before the COVID-19 crisis began.
“We do have a good-natured fine system within our club to keep each other buying rounds,” Kelly Shantz, who handles money-collecting and media-relations duties for the Free Radicals, said with a laugh.
“It was pointed out that some of our worst offenders are saving an awful lot of money this year. We said, ‘We know you have that extra dough in your pocket.’”
The KTW Christmas Cheer Fund, which was created in 2001 by Gregg Drinnan at the Kamloops Daily News, provides money to five local organizations. Those groups change every two years, with the exception of the Y Women’s Emergency Shelter, which remains part of the fund every year, at Drinnan’s request.
The other four groups involved this year are Kamloops Therapeutic Riding Association, Chris Rose Therapy Centre for Autism, New Beginnings Stroke Recovery and Kamloops Brain Injury Association.
Fining frugality is, of course, only one method for benevolence employed by the Free Radicals, who pride themselves on giving back to the community.
“It became more of a priority — who we were, as opposed to having a full roster,” said Shantz, noting the Radicals have been around since the turn of the millennium.
“We’ve all benefitted from so many things in our life. We tend to hold each other to account on what we can do to give back.”
Shantz was not sure how the pandemic-shortened campaign would play out from a fundraising standpoint, but the club recently found itself on the verge of a record amount.
“I threw it out there that our new high donator was $250,” Shantz said. “A whole bunch of guys fired off e-transfers to me to catch up. It’s just that kind of group. That’s probably what put us over the top.”
The Free Radicals support a number of other causes, including Kamloops Minor Hockey Association, United Way, First Nations Capacity Fund, Kamloops Youth Soccer Association, Alzheimer Society of B.C., Kamloops Hospice and Special Olympics BC.
Shantz said the KTW Christmas Cheer Fund offers great bang for a benevolent buck.
“We just passed the hat one year out of nowhere for the Christmas Cheer Fund because it seemed like a pretty easy way to support five charities,” Shantz said.
“Then, like so many things in our lives, we kind of got competitive about it.”
Since 2011, the Radicals have raised more than $70,000 for the Cheer Fund.
Donations to the KTW Christmas Cheer Fund can be made directly at the KTW office at 1365B Dalhousie Dr., which is open weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Donations can also be made online at kamloopsthisweek.com/cheer, thanks to a partnership with the United Way Thompson Nicola Cariboo, which will also administer tax receipts to all donors.
THANK YOU, DONORS!
Amy Berard: $25
Susan & Ron Durant: $100
Stella Frame: $100
Anonymous: $50
Anonymous: $100
Debra McNichol: $50
Anna Evenrude: $50
Anonymous: $50
Neil Sarrasin, in memory of Gordon Sarrasin: $100
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Kamloops Aberdeen Lions Club: $180
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Anonymous $100
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Teri Young: $250
Ken Featherstone: $100
Karin Sykes: $100
Anonymous: $50
Julia Wells: $100
Patricia van Rhyn: $50
In honour of Laurel Raffan: $66
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Anonymous: $25
Tiah De Marni in honour of Bruce & Della Campbell: $150
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Lori Nelson: $100
Abstract Registry Services Ltd.: $1,000
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Wayne Houston, in memory of Devon Blackmore: $25
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Phil & Verne Churchill: $100
Paula Gardner: $500
Anonymous: $25
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Country Auto: $2,000
In memory of David Smith, and a thank you to Carmen, Jul, Butch, Sharon, Debbie, Joanne & Michele: $500
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Harm & Deb Fransen: $50
Anonymous: $100
Anonymous: $30
Della Huhn: $20
Joan McQuillan: $100
In memory of Nona Rorison & Rick Rorison: $1,000
Diana Christianson: $4,000
Bryce Herman: $100
Nat Jackson: $100
Anonymous: $50
Anonymous: $50
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Carol & Gary Bacon: $100
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Jacques Lam: $100
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Anonymous: $100
City Centre Auto Service: $1,000
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Surander Singh: $50
Gary & Susan Mcintyre: $50
Tony & Kaz Dufficy: $100
Daniel Dallaire: $150
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Absorbent Products employees: $300
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Anonymous: $25
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John Torda: $50
Ed & Angela Stewart: $100
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Albert Dale Merrett: $100
Dearborn Motors: $1,000
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Anonymous: $100
Anonymous: $50
Norma Chin: $100
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Sharon Elvers: $50
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Trivola Howe, in memory of my cousins, Ian Duck, Grace Hopgood & Dorothy Evens: $100
Anonymous: $30
Anonymous: $100
Anonymous: $100
Evelyn Vipond-Schmidt, in memory of Wilf Schmidt: $200
