Local Salvation Army Food Programs benefit

Denham Ford’s seventh annual Hometown for Hunger event raised over $9,000 to support the Cranbrook Salvation Army’s local food programs.

The proceeds from the August 8 event will be permanently invested in the East Kootenay Community Credit Union (EKC) Endowment Fund, which is held by the Community Foundation of the Kootenay Rockies (CFKR). This fund provides a grant, every year, forever, to support Salvation Army food programs in Cranbrook.

Each year, the local Salvation Army provides approximately 24,000 school lunches and 13,000 community meals. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the need in the community has continued to grow.

“We really appreciate everybody’s support for this event, to make it such a success. This was our second year with the dunk tank, and the dunk tank was the place to be on such a hot day!,” said Denham Ford’s Steve Zsillei, event organizer. “Special thanks to the Cranbrook firefighters for filling the dunk tank, Culligan for donating the bags of ice to keep the water nice and cold, Sandor Rentals for providing the dunk tank, tables, and chairs, and Prestige Rocky Mountain Resort for being our first-ever towel sponsor for the dunk tank.”

For the 2022 event, Denham Ford and East Kootenay Community Credit Union each generously matched donations up to $1,000. In addition, special thanks to High ‘R’ Expectations and New West Truck Centres for making major donations to the event.

According to Jean-Ann Debreceni, EKC Director, “As part of our on-going support for our community, East Kootenay Community Credit Union is honoured to have established this endowment fund. Thanks to Hometown for Hunger’s on-going contributions as well as other donations from the community, the fund continues to grow, with the annual grant now over $2,500.”

Rene Kowalchuk, Denham Ford GM, stated, “Denham Ford believes in supporting our community, and we’re so pleased to provide this sustainable, long-term support to our local Salvation Army food programs. Thanks to everyone who helped make this year’s event so successful.”

Mr. Mike’s, Flippin’ Crepes, Auntie Barb’s Cartering, FryBread for Fun$, and Dominos Pizza provided delicious food throughout the event, while attendees enjoyed watching the antics from the dunk tank.

“There’s still time to donate to this year’s Hometown for Hunger event,” stated Lynnette Wray CFKR Executive Director. “We would love to meet and beat the $10,000 mark from the 2021 event, and we have several options for folks to make a tax-receiptable charitable donation.”

Options for donating include the following:

Cheque: Made out to “CFKR”, noting “Hometown For Hunger” in the memo, including the donor’s email address and phone number, Mailed to CFKR at Box 242, Cranbrook, BC, V1C 4H8 or delivered to the CFKR office in the Ground Floor Coworking Space at 131 7th Ave. S., Cranbrook

E-Transfer: to [email protected], Including “Hometown for Hunger” in the notes, as well as the donor’s email address, mailing address, and phone number

Cash: Delivered to the CFKR office in the Ground Floor Coworking Space at 131 7th Ave. S., Cranbrook.

Credit card donations via this link.

Employer-Matching Donation Programs: Please ask your employer if they have a program to match their employees’ charitable donations. This is a quick and easy way to potentially double the value of your donation! For example, CFKR has an active account with Benevity, a service that many companies use for their employer-matching donation programs.

Wray shared her sincere appreciation: “Our heartfelt thanks to Denham Ford and B-104/102.9 Rewind Radio for developing this into one of the fun, charitable events we look forward to in our community. Special thanks to The Painted Frog for sharing their amazing face painting skills and to all our brave dunk tank volunteers!”

Lead image: Kootenay East MLA Tom Shypitka takes the plunge in the dunk tank to help raise funds for our local Salvation Army food programs. Photos by Murray Hayward

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