Community Spirit Powers Record-Breaking $112,600 for YANA Ride

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Originally published by Comox Valley Record – August 29, 2025
The 2025 YANA Ride has crossed the finish line for another year, and the Comox Valley has once again proven just how powerful community can be. Riders, donors, sponsors, and volunteers came together to raise a record-breaking $112,600 to support local families who must travel to access medical care for a child or pregnant mother.

This year’s ride celebrated the power of teamwork. Participants teamed up with friends, family, co-workers, and riding crews to form 25 teams, making this summer of riding for a cause close to their hearts unforgettable. Together, 235 participants of all ages and abilities joined in from August 1 to 17, hitting trails, roads, and paths with purpose and passion. The top three fundraising teams – Coastwood Cares, Pedal Pirates, and Ale Blazers – set the pace, collectively raising well over $30,000. With one major contribution still in process, the top fundraising team, Coastwood Cares, led by Mark Purcell, had received over $14,000 in pledges as of the last count this year.

The fundraising and celebrations culminated on August 17 with the Party in the Park, featuring fun at every turn. Upon entering the park, the first stop was the recognition stations where fundraising riders received exclusive YANA Ride t-shirts, gift cards and certificates donated by generous sponsors, and their choice of a YANA Ride tote bag or sports towel. Throughout the rest of the park, attendees enjoyed live music by DJ Inuk and Christy Vanden, a lively beer garden, Taoist Tai Chi demonstrations, and delicious snacks. The family fun zone was filled with face painting, bouncy castles, yard games, a Little Wheelers course, and the Comox Valley Toy Library Society’s popular toy station. The excitement of the day hit a high during the announcement of the 50/50 and Air Canada winners and the second annual Golf Ball Drop, where hundreds of golf balls rained down from a Comox Fire Rescue truck basket in an epic spectacle that is quickly becoming a fan favourite.

“The Ride is about so much more than biking,” says YANA Executive Director Kelly Barnie. “It is truly a celebration of community spirit and kindness, and of how the Comox Valley rallies behind its own. We want to send a huge thank you to every rider, donor, volunteer, and sponsor who helped make the incredible success of this event possible. You are all the reason we get to say yes to our families. Being able to sign off emails by saying, ‘Please know your community has your back,’ is something more special than I will ever possibly be able to explain.”

Register & Rally Your Crew for the 2025 YANA Ride!

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The annual YANA Ride brings together riders of all ages, abilities, and disciplines in one massive community-wide event to raise funds in support of YANA families.

Register – Make a Pledge – Get Info

Registration starts June 1, 2025, and participating is as easy as 1-2-3!

  1. REGISTER & RALLY – Round up your friends, family, coworkers or riding crew and register as a team! Rallying together makes fundraising more fun and impactful — and every team member’s tax-receiptable registration donation counts toward your collective goal. Prefer to ride solo? No problem — individual riders are always welcome too! However you roll, you’ll be riding for local families who need it most.
  2. RIDE & RAISE – Choose your Challenge tracking distance, time, number of trails, or number of communities you’ve ridden in, OR chart your very own course. Ride on Sunday, August 17th, or any day between August 1st to 17th, collecting pledges along the way. 
    • Distance Challenge – YANA supported 271 children and pregnant mothers last year. 
      • Gather pledges for the 271 kms you ride for this challenge. 
    • Time Challenge – YANA helped families with 588 medical trips last year. 
      • Gather pledges for the 588 minutes you ride for this challenge. 
    • Trail Challenge– YANA helps children tackle the toughest terrain of their medical journey. 
      • Gather pledges as you ride 3 off-road trails for this challenge. 
    • Communities Challenge –  YANA helps families from every Comox Valley community. 
      • Gather pledges as you ride in 3 communities for this challenge.
    • OR Chart Your Own Course riding and gathering pledges as you ride between Aug 1st-17th. Consider becoming a YANA Ambassador Rider to help promote YANA’s fundraising efforts by sharing your adventures.
  3. REUNITE at the massive PARTY IN THE PARK celebration on Sunday, August 17th from 11AM to 4PM at Comox Marina Park. Riders, families, friends, and YANA supporters far and wide are welcome!!

This is a party you won’t want to miss! Party in the Park highlights include:

  • $1000 Comox Bike Co. gift certificate grand prize draw! All registered riders at the Party in the Park can enter to win
  • Finish line and congratulatory stations
  • Sponsor-donated prizes for every fundraising rider and the official 2025 YANA Ride t-shirt for the top 200 fundraisers
  • Beer garden featuring Ravens Moon Cider and Gladstone Brewing
  • Silent Auction of bike gear and accessories
  • Live music and entertainment
  • Taoist Tai chi demonstration with a chance to join in and try it yourself
  • Activities for kids, and kids at heart, including face painting, bouncy castles, and the Comox Valley Toy Library Society’s toy station
  • Air Canada Raffle, 50/50 Draw & Golf Ball Drop Tickets
  • Your favourite Marina Park food trucks, baked goods, and seaside snacks
  • …..and more community fun!

 

Register – Make a Pledge – Get Info
Become a YANA Ride Ambassador
Volunteer for the 2025 YANA Ride
Online Silent Auction Aug 1-17

 

A Ride of Thanks: How the Knopp family is giving back for baby Autumn

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When Samantha Knopp arrived at the hospital 32 weeks into her pregnancy, she wasn’t expecting to meet her baby girl so soon.
Originally published by the Comox Valley Record 2025-07-24

 

In a whirlwind of events, Autumn Knopp was born eight weeks early and immediately flown to Victoria for specialized neonatal care. Samantha Knopp was transported by ambulance shortly after, while the rest of the Knopp family remained in the Comox Valley, unsure of what would come next. That’s when YANA stepped in.

“Kourtney [the Client Care Coordinator at YANA] was wonderful. She reached out right away and made sure we could all be together,” shared Knopp. “She found a hotel for my husband and our older daughter, Jozlyn so that we could stay close.”

The support didn’t end there. When Autumn was transferred from Victoria to Nanaimo’s NICU, Kourtney once again helped the Knopps find accommodations near the hospital so they could remain close to their newborn. “YANA was there every single day we needed something,” Knopp said. “Kourtney was a wealth of knowledge. She connected us with all the supports we needed. We weren’t prepared for what happened, but YANA helped us through it all.”

Thanks to YANA, the Knopps were able to stay together throughout Autumn’s 20-day NICU journey, easing the emotional and financial stress of being far from home.

Now, the Knopp family is giving back by participating in this year’s YANA Ride. Riding for baby Autumn, her big sister Jozlyn is raising funds for YANA so they can continue supporting families like hers. Every day after daycare, Jozlyn jumps on her bike and rides home, each pedal stroke a symbol of hope, resilience, and gratitude.

“We’re riding for Autumn and for all the families who will need YANA one day,” said Knopp. “We want to give back to the organization that was there for us when we needed it the most.”

At the time the article was written, Jozlyn Knopp was just a few hundred dollars away from reaching her $2,000 fundraising goal. Let’s help her get there! Donations can be made by clicking the “Register – Make a Pledge – Get Info” button at www.yanacomoxvalley.com.

Every contribution supports YANA’s mission to ensure Comox Valley families with children or pregnant mothers needing medical care away from home can stay together and focus on what truly matters: healing and being there for each other. YANA’s Executive Director, Kelly Barnie, sums it up best, “Every time someone rides, donates, or cheers a little rider like Jozlyn on, they become part of something powerful. Together, we make sure that no family is ever alone during one of the hardest times of their life. That’s what YANA is all about.”

To participate in the 2025 YANA Ride, donate to a rider like Jozlyn, or get more information about joining the fun at the August 17th YANA Ride Party in the Park, visit www.yanacomoxvalley.com.

Valley Vonka golden ticket countdown: Sweet treats for a great cause

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Originally published by the Comox Valley Record, April 25, 2025

Black Press Media Staff  – Comox Valley Record

Calling all chocolate lovers — time’s almost up!

You have until Monday, April 28, to turn in your golden tickets for this year’s Valley Vonka contest. This isn’t just a chocolate fix — it’s a treasure hunt.

Hidden in more than 3,000 bars made by Comox Valley’s own Hot Chocolates are five golden tickets, and at least three are still out there. The bars are scattered across participating businesses throughout the Valley, so your chances are still very real.

Need a place to start? You can still pick up Valley Vonka bars at Peninsula Co-op and Hot Chocolates — but don’t wait, they won’t last long. Each chocolate bar you buy supports YANA (You Are Not Alone), a local non-profit that helps Comox Valley families with children who need to travel for medical care.

Each golden ticket is worth between $780 and $1,000. Prizes include:

  • The Ultimate Relaxation Package: A luxurious stay at The Old House Resort & Spa, a delectable dinner at a local restaurant, and a family spa day (Value: $1,000)
  • A Healing Escape: Experience the magical Healing Caves at the Kingfisher Pacific Resort and Spa, an experience for four (Value: $780)
  • Save on Fuel: A Peninsula Co-Op Gas Card (Value: $1,000)
  • Shopping Spree Time: A Canadian Tire Shopping Spree (Value: $1,000)
  • Grocery Goodness: A Quality Foods Gift Card (for Comox and Courtenay stores – Value: $1,000)

So whether or not you find a ticket, you’re doing something great for your community.

Find gold, do good, and don’t forget — tickets must be turned in by April 28!

YANA Helps Comox Valley family after premature birth and B.C. journey

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Originally published by the Comox Valley Record, April 16, 2025

 Erin Haluschak – Comox Valley Record

Théodore Labrecque made an early appearance in the world this past December, and his birth gave his parents an expected adventure throughout the province, with help thanks to YANA.

Parents Rebecca and Jean-François Labrecque son’s birth took a surprise turn when he was born prematurely in the Valley.

The Labrecques went to the North Island Hospital Comox Valley, but due to complications, they had to find a neonatal intensive care unit.

“We were originally sent to Victoria, then Nanaimo and then Vancouver, but they were all full,” explains Jean-François. “As we were waiting in the hospital (getting ready to leave), a nurse came up to us and handed us an envelope from YANA with some money.”

The couple took an emergency flight transfer to Kamloops where Rebecca had a C-section; Théodore was born on Dec. 3, 2024 at 8:13 p.m. Because he was being monitored for jaundice and had to spend extra time feeding, the family was required to stay in the area for longer than expected.

Jean-François says in the original envelope there was a note from YANA that told him to contact the organization once the couple had settled with their newborn. He called YANA and, nearly right away, was transferred funds to help support the family for food and transportation, as they didn’t have a way of returning to the Comox Valley.

“Within a short time, I had a link to a car rental, funds for the ferry and for gas. We even had a stop in Pemberton with a hotel booked because we didn’t want to travel the whole way in one day with a newborn – everything was organized for us.”

He adds that both he and Rebecca are still in awe of the community’s generosity and how effortlessly the support came together.

“Rebecca knew of YANA from community fundraisers, but it is still amazing to see it (in action.) The nurse at the hospital just gave us an envelope, and overall (YANA) was so good as it saved us a lot of (expenses).

As for Théo, he’s been thriving and gaining weight just as he should. The family recently returned from a visit with loved ones.

***

The Valley Vonka – a major fundraiser for YANA, is ongoing in the Comox Valley. Businesses throughout the community are selling chocolate bars (by donation) with the chance to find one of five Golden Tickets inside the bar. A Golden Ticket qualifies the redeemer to one of five grand prizes, values anywhere from $780 to $1,000.

Chocolate bars are available at:

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