Gena Barzan was shocked to find she had won a contest from a Vernon electrical company.
Barzan is a director for the Animal Auxiliary Thrift Store in Vernon, the 2023 winner of Fox Plumbing Heating Cooling Electrical害羞草研究所檚 Wrap A Van for a Cause. Fox wraps one of its service vans with a charity or non-profit organization害羞草研究所檚 logo for the entire 2023 calendar year, with five per cent of revenue generated by that van going directly to the charity selected for the entire year.
Animal Auxiliary Thrift Store is the 2023 chosen one, and Barzan, managing director Dale Christie, and five of the store害羞草研究所檚 nine volunteers were on hand at Fox Thursday morning, Feb. 16, to collect the van.
害羞草研究所淭his is a big deal for us, a huge deal,害羞草研究所� said Barzan. 害羞草研究所淭his is going to go to the disaster fund. The five per cent this van will generate will go into a fund to help support during disasters 害羞草研究所� floods, fires, whatever, we won害羞草研究所檛 have to make an immediate plea like we did in the last wildfire (White Rock Lake, 2021).
害羞草研究所淚t went absolutely nuts. There was no contingency, but the local communities came together and we put together tons of animal feed and cages. You name it, we had it, ready to go within three hours.害羞草研究所�
Figuring out which charity or non-profit will be the benefactor is the best part of the promotion, said company owner Ted Fox, who announced the winner. Nominations from the public began Oct. 31 with up to 32 nominated organizations being accepted. The field was set and a tournament-style bracket was built for head-to-head voting.
Voting kicked on Nov. 28 through Fox害羞草研究所檚 social media platforms.
害羞草研究所淚t was a crushing success this year,害羞草研究所� said Fox, decked out in a Fox Plumbing Heating Cooling Electrical hockey sweater with the organization害羞草研究所檚 blue and orange colours prominent.
害羞草研究所淚 know in one round we got close to 70,000 votes. It was an incredible amount of the community coming together to support and vote.害羞草研究所�
Barzan said she didn害羞草研究所檛 know her organization was even in the contest until the semifinal round.
害羞草研究所淲e made fourth round and a customer came in and said, 害羞草研究所楥ongratulations you guys, you害羞草研究所檝e made the fourth round of Wrap a Van,害羞草研究所� and I had no idea what they were talking about,害羞草研究所� she laughed. 害羞草研究所淚 looked up the contest and had no idea.害羞草研究所�
Voting ended Jan. 13.
Also on hand Thursday was North Okanagan Community Chaplaincy, the 2022 winner. Fox said supply chain and shipping problems were evident in 2022, from finding simple household items to ordering large parts for repairs, so the company decided it wanted to do something special for the North Okanagan Community Chaplaincy and have their van run again in 2023.
Fox and his wife, Sue, presented Chaplain Chuck Harper and executive assistant Cheryl Gustavson with a cheque for $3,500, the five per cent of profits produced by the van.
害羞草研究所淲e are happy to say we will be rolling that again this year for North Okanagan Community Chaplaincy,害羞草研究所� said Ted Fox.
The top three runners-up in Wrap a Van for a Cause in 2023 害羞草研究所� Shuswap Paws Rescue Society, P.A.D.S.害羞草研究所� Pacific Assistance Dogs, and Halina Activity Centre 害羞草研究所� will all receive a $500 donation from Fox Plumbing Heating Cooling Electrical.
roger@vernonmorningstar.com
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