Revelstokians celebrate the spirit of giving

online-spirit-of-givingEditor’s Note:

In the spirit of giving The Revelstoke Current is pleased to present photos of the people and organizations that are tangibly helping to make this a truly Merry Christmas for those who are less fortunate. We honour their efforts to make our community one that really cares for everyone. Merry Christmas!

Christmas generosity doesn't always mean giving gifts or donations. Time and effort, too, are important contributions and these four lovely young ladies — (from left to right) Miss Revelstoke Princess Diane Young, Miss Revelstoke Grizzlies Saara Pacanainea, Miss Loyal Order of the Moose Amber Hart and Miss Revelstoke Crime Stoppers Karina Foisy — certainly contributed both to the Food Bank on Saturday. These four members of the Revelstoke Ambassador program put in a full morning packing hampers. David F. Rooney photo
Christmas generosity doesn't always mean giving gifts or donations. Time and effort, too, are important contributions and these four lovely young ladies — (from left to right) Miss Revelstoke Princess Diane Young, Miss Revelstoke Grizzlies Saara Pacanainea, Miss Loyal Order of the Moose Amber Hart and Miss Revelstoke Crime Stoppers Karina Foisy — certainly contributed both to the Food Bank on Saturday. These four members of the Revelstoke Ambassador program put in a full morning packing hampers. David F. Rooney photo

Patti Larson, Community Connections' outreach services manager and coordinator of the agency's Food Bank (left), accepts 300 lbs. of food and $370 in Cooper's food vouchers from the Revelstoke Snowmobile Club's Kathy Burke about two weeks ago. Burke said the club, which was again this year the first group to donate to the Food Bank's Christmas Hamper program, collected the donations from generous snowmobilers from across western Canada and the northwestern U.S. Photo courtesy of Kathy Burke
Patti Larson, Community Connections' outreach services manager and coordinator of the agency's Food Bank (left), accepts 300 lbs. of food and $370 in Cooper's food vouchers from the Revelstoke Snowmobile Club's Kathy Burke about two weeks ago. Burke said the club, which was again this year the first group to donate to the Food Bank's Christmas Hamper program, collected the donations from generous snowmobilers from across western Canada and the northwestern U.S. Photo courtesy of Kathy Burke

Bruce Ross (left) of the Knights of Pythias presented Brenda Kessler, executive director of the Revelstoke Hospice Society, with a cheque for $4,000 on Wednesday. Hospice needs about $26,000 a year to continue offering hospice services in our community and is hard pressed to secure ongoing financial support. It was one of the organizations that was hit hard by the provincial government's decision to deny grants to community organizations this past autumn so the generosity of the Knights of Pythias was particularly appreciated. "It's all about service," Ross said. "It costs our members about three hours a week to but the return in terms of making our community a better place to live is incalculable." David F. Rooney photo
Bruce Ross (left) of the Knights of Pythias presented Brenda Kessler, executive director of the Revelstoke Hospice Society, with a cheque for $4,000 on Wednesday. Hospice needs about $26,000 a year to continue offering hospice services in our community and is hard pressed to secure ongoing financial support. It was one of the organizations that was hit hard by the provincial government's decision to deny grants to community organizations this past autumn so the generosity of the Knights of Pythias was particularly appreciated. "It's all about service," Ross said. "Doing what we do might cost our members maybe three hours a week but the return in terms of making our community a better place to live is incalculable." David F. Rooney photo

The Loyal Order of the Moose was very generous to the Community Connections Food Bank this year. Dave Kruger (left) presented Patti Larson with a cheque for $1,500 raised through the Moose Lodge's regular bingo games while Moose member Cindy Cota (right presented her with a $1,000 cheque for the annual Christmas Hamper Program on Tuesday evening. David F. Rooney photo
The Loyal Order of the Moose was very generous to the Community Connections Food Bank this year. Dave Kruger (left) presented Patti Larson with a cheque for $1,500 raised through the Moose Lodge's regular bingo games while Moose member Cindy Cota (right) presented her with a $1,000 cheque for the annual Christmas Hamper Program on Tuesday evening. David F. Rooney photo
Staff at the Mount Revelstoke Glacier National Parks' offices had a great time helping the Community Connections Food Bank's Chirstmas Hamper Program with gifts worth $400 and $600 in cash for 20 children and six families. Parks staff wanted to express their particular appreciation to Video Express, The Bargain Store, First Impressions, Chelsea Lamont and all the staff who picthed in. David F. Rooney photo
Staff at the Mount Revelstoke and Glacier National Parks' office had a great time helping the Community Connections Food Bank's Chirstmas Hamper Program with gifts worth $400 and $600 in cash for 20 children and six families. Parks staff wanted to express their particular appreciation to Video Express, The Bargain Store, First Impressions, Chelsea Lamont and all the staff who picthed in. David F. Rooney photo
Royal Bank staff pose with some of the gifts they put together for the Christmas Hamper Program this year. All of the gifts will got help make this Christmas as happy as possible for families and kids who might otherwise have nothing to smile about. David F. Rooney photo
Royal Bank staff pose with some of the gifts they put together for the Christmas Hamper Program this year. All of the gifts will go to help make this Christmas as happy as possible for families and kids who might otherwise have little to smile about. David F. Rooney photo
Revelstoke Credit Union staff Miya Hayman, Dawn Cowley, Tracey McKinney and Tannis Kungl load gifts purchased by generous Credit Union employees and managers into Roger Bertrand's van for delivery to the Community Connections Food Bank and Christmas Hamper Depot Tuesday morning. David F. Rooney photo
Revelstoke Credit Union staff Miya Hayman, Dawn Cowley, Tracey McKinney and Tannis Kungl load gifts purchased by generous Credit Union employees and managers into Roger Bertrand's van for delivery to the Community Connections Food Bank and Christmas Hamper Depot Tuesday morning. David F. Rooney photo

Brent Lea (right) hands Community Connections Food Bank Coordinator Patti Larson a cheque for $4,265 he personally raised by conceiving, designing and printing a calendar featuring local vintage automobiles. Lea sold the calendars through local businesses and by hitting every conceivable public event for the last several months. Every dime from the calendar sales went to the Food Bank. His extremely generous donation of time, effort and money deeply moved Larson. "This was something he didn't have to do," she said after the presentation. "He just wanted to make a difference and he chose the Food Bank. I simply don't have the words to express my appreciation for this." David F. Rooney photo
Brent Lea (right) hands Community Connections Food Bank Coordinator Patti Larson a cheque for $4,265 he personally raised by conceiving, designing and locally printing 400 calendars featuring local vintage automobiles. Lea sold "in excess of 300" calendars through local businesses and by hitting every conceivable public event for the last several months. Every dime from the calendar sales went to the Food Bank. His extremely generous donation of time, effort, creativity and money deeply moved Larson. "This was something he didn't have to do," she said after the presentation. "He just wanted to make a difference and he chose the Food Bank. I simply don't have the words to express my appreciation for this." David F. Rooney photo
Staff at the CIBC gathered around the Angle Tree in the lobby of the financial institution Friday to urge compassionate Revelstokians to come in and select an angel, each one representing a child who needs a gift to make this Christmas a happy one. "The Food Bank provides us with a list and we create the angels from it," said CIBC staffer Staci Thur. "People pick an angel and purchase gift for the child indicated on the angel and return it — gift wrapped — to us and the Food Bank picks it up and distributes them to right children." There are still several angels left on the tree and you could be one of the people who can help make some child's Christmas a brighter one this year. David F. Rooney photo
Staff at the CIBC gathered around the Angle Tree in the lobby of the financial institution Friday to urge compassionate Revelstokians to come in and select an angel, each one representing a child who needs a gift to make this Christmas a happy one. "The Food Bank provides us with a list and we create the angels from it," said CIBC staffer Staci Thur. "People pick an angel and purchase gift for the child indicated on the angel and return it — gift wrapped — to us and the Food Bank picks it up and distributes them to right children." There are still several angels left on the tree and you could be one of the people who can help make some child's Christmas a brighter one this year. David F. Rooney photo
Judy Krywa (left) and Marian Peppler (right) of the Beta Sigma Phi sorority pose with Community Connections Food Bank Coordinator Patti Larson Friday as they dropped off a couple of large gift bags intended for the Food Bank's Christmas Hamper Program. David F. Rooney photo
Judy Krywa (left) and Marian Peppler (right) of the Beta Sigma Phi sorority pose with Community Connections Food Bank Coordinator Patti Larson Friday as they dropped off a couple of large gift bags intended for the Food Bank's Christmas Hamper Program. David F. Rooney photo
Community Connections Food Bank Coordinator Patti Larson poses with Glen Whitlock, director of BC cable for YourLink Inc. which owns RCTV, as he hands her a cheque for $259 raised by RCTV through a special promotion in October. Under the terms of the promotion every penny of that's month's special $9.99 Internet hookups were donated to the Food Bank this Christmas. David F. Rooney photo
Community Connections Food Bank Coordinator Patti Larson poses with Glen Whitlock, director of BC cable for YourLink Inc. which owns RCTV, as he hands her a cheque for $259 raised by RCTV through a special promotion in October. Under the terms of the promotion every penny of that's month's special $9.99 Internet hookups were donated to the Food Bank this Christmas. David F. Rooney photo

Blair van Leur, Grand Knight of St. Francis of Assisi Council #4712 of the Knights of Columbus, presents Patti Larson, Community Connections Food Bank coordinator, with a cheque for $625, raised through the Knights' annual Grey Cup Party. Door prizes from Fresh and Modern Hair Design, ther Hillcrest Hotel, Zala's Steak House, Work 'n' Play, Revelstoke Printing, the Canadian Pacific Railway and the donation of a large-screen TV projector by Community Futures helped make the party — and the subsequent donation to the Food Bank — a success. The Food Bank is in the midst of its annual Christmas Hamper program. David F. Rooney photo
Blair van Leur, Grand Knight of St. Francis of Assisi Council #4712 of the Knights of Columbus, presents Patti Larson, Community Connections Food Bank coordinator, with a cheque for $625, raised through the Knights' annual Grey Cup Party. Door prizes from Fresh and Modern Hair Design, ther Hillcrest Hotel, Zala's Steak House, Work 'n' Play, Revelstoke Printing, the Canadian Pacific Railway and the donation of a large-screen TV projector by Community Futures helped make the party — and the subsequent donation to the Food Bank — a success. The Food Bank is in the midst of its annual Christmas Hamper program. David F. Rooney photo

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