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YANA is a community organization offering help to Comox Valley families who need to travel for medical treatment for a child or for a pregnant mother. Our purpose is to improve access to healthcare by providing travel funding and accommodation.
The Comox Valley Record is back again with the sweetest contest of 2026.
Presented by The Record, Hot Chocolates and Sure Copy Courtenay, this year’s Valley Vonka contest is sponsored by Peninsula Co-op, Quality Foods, Canadian Tire, Pacific Mist Sapa and Hydropath, Old House Hotel, Locals Restaurant, the Kingfisher Oceanside Resort and Ohspa.
The idea is simple: starting on April 1, there will be 3,000 chocolate bars available for sale at participating locations across the Valley. Five of those bars will have winning tickets, entitling the winner to one of five amazing prizes from our sponsors. The bars, made by the Valley’s own Hot Chocolates, are a prize in and of themselves, but there might be something extra special inside.
With prizes worth up to $1,000 up for grabs, there really isn’t a reason to not participate. Prizes are:
– The Old House and Spa, Local Restaurant: Dinner and a family spa day (value $1,000)
– The Kingfisher Oceanside Resort and Spa: Healing escape in the healing caves with four people (value $780)
– Shopping Spree at Canadian Tire (worth $1,000)
– Fill the Fridge: A Quality Foods gift card (worth $1,000)
When and if you find a golden ticket, don’t wait! Bring it down to the Comox Valley Record office (407D Fifth Street, Courtenay) to claim your prize.
All proceeds from the contest go directly to Y.A.N.A. which recently celebrated its 40th anniversary.
YANA’s mandate is to provide financial support families who need to travel outside of the Comox Valley, even if it’s to Campbell River, Nanaimo or Victoria to access medical care for children under 19 or pregnant mothers. The main focus though offering fully-furnished accommodation for those travelling for medical reasons to Vancouver.
Over the years, YANA has helped well over 2,000 children and families.
“We have super-solid data from the past 10 years and it was at 2,000 children helped with 4500 medical trips and it was $2.7million in support that’s been given in the past 10 years” said Executive Director Kelly Barnie.
”In one year it was about $379,000 in support and we were 586 trips last year” she adds.
She says the group went through a transition year in the 90’s where the non-profit went from a fully volunteer organization to one where the first part-time staff member was hired to run the operation. Today there are two part-time and two full-time employees along with a volunteer core of 70-100 people.
Many of those volunteers have direct connections to youth and families who were assisted by the charity.
“Most people, whether it’s one degree of separation or a few, most people in town 40 years know someone who’s been helped” she says.
While there are currently other similar organizations such as Jeneece Place in Victoria or Ronald McDonald houses worldwide, Barnie believes YANA’s concept was the first in British Columbia.
”There are some things that are similar to YANA but that is my understanding, the model of supporting funding and accommodation is the first” she says.
Barnie says the Comox Valley group is often called upon from other communities to get information on, including on how the group handles its finances.
”Keeping costs low, making good choices investing wisely and working hard to fundraise. We’re 97 per cent self-funded, we’re not reliant on grants that can either come or go” she says.
For forty years, this community has done something extraordinary.
When a Comox Valley family hears the words, “You need to leave home to get the medical care your child needs,” this community answers with one word: yes.
Yes, we will help you get there. Yes, we will make sure you have a place to stay. Yes, we will make sure cost is not the thing that keeps you up at night.
That spirit was on full display at this year’s Big Love Benefit, where our community came together and raised a remarkable $209,000 for YANA families.
In YANA’s 40th anniversary year, that support carries special meaning.
For four decades, this organization has been powered by the quiet commitment of people who believe deeply in standing beside families when they need it most. Behind every YANA trip is a network of supporters who continue to show up with compassion, generosity, and care.
Big Love is a celebration of that spirit.
It’s volunteers who give their time, sponsors who invest in this work, bidders who raise their hands, and supporters who believe deeply that no family should face a child’s medical journey alone.
This year’s event included a joyful nod to 1986, the year YANA began. Big hair, bright neon, cassette tapes, and a whole lot of laughter filled the room as we celebrated forty years of YANA and the people who have made it possible.
To everyone who attended, volunteered, donated, sponsored, bid, and believed in YANA this year, please know how deeply grateful we are. Your kindness ensures that when a Comox Valley family needs to leave home for care, the care of home travels with them.
We dedicate the love, support, and celebration of Big Love 2026 to the memory of Jim Williams, whose quiet strength helped carry YANA, especially in its earliest days.
Sandra Williams was our founder, and her name is one YANA supporters everywhere know well. Like so many things in life, her work was made possible by someone who stood steadily beside her.
In a year where we celebrated forty years of community showing up for one another, it feels especially fitting to honour the behind-the-scenes dedication that helps something like YANA take root and grow.
Our deepest gratitude to Jim and to the entire community that continues to carry this work forward.
The Big Love Benefit is YANA (You Are Not Alone)’s premier annual dinner and auction, celebrating the generosity, kindness, and connection that define our community. This unforgettable gala brings together friends, fun, and a shared commitment to ensuring local families never feel alone during medical challenges.
Big Love 2026 takes place on Friday, February 27, 2026, at the Florence Filberg Centre. For those unable to attend in person, the event will once again be livestreamed, making it possible for supporters near and far to take part.
A 40th Anniversary Celebration
This year’s Big Love Benefit marks a major milestone as YANA celebrates 40 years of supporting Comox Valley families. To honour the year it all began, Big Love 2026 will rewind to 1986 with a night inspired by nostalgia, memory-lane moments, and 80s-era fun. Guests are encouraged to embrace the spirit of the year, whether that means full retro flair or a few subtle throwback touches.
For the first time ever, the Big Love online silent auction will be free and open to everyone. You do not need to attend the event or purchase a ticket to browse and bid. The auction opens February 17 and runs right through to the close of the live event on February 27, featuring incredible experiences, local treasures, and one-of-a-kind items, all in support of YANA families.
Supporters can also take part in Big Love by purchasing Big Love 50/50 tickets and WestJet raffle tickets, open to everyone across BC. These raffles are your chance to win and your guarantee of supporting YANA families!
Tickets can be purchased online, and every ticket sold helps ensure families can stay together when they need to travel for medical care.
The Big Love Benefit is a powerful reminder of what the Comox Valley does best. When families face the unthinkable, this community shows up with compassion and care. The success of Big Love depends on the generosity of sponsors, donors, volunteers, and supporters who believe in walking alongside families when it matters most.
Thank you for being part of this extraordinary community. We cannot wait to share another unforgettable Big Love night with you!
YANA’s beloved handmade Christmas Crackers are back for the 2025 holiday season! For over twenty years, these festive favourites have brought joy to local homes and vital support to YANA families.
Each cracker is filled with the usual delights, and 50 lucky ones contain special prizes, including a breathtaking diamond ring donated by Mark the Gold Guy and appraised by Tim Haley.
Crackers are $5 each (cash only) and will be available starting November 13th at retailers across the Comox Valley. Don’t wait, they sell out fast!
❤️ Huge thanks to Somers Private Wealth of RBC Dominion Securities! Their sponsorship covers the costs of this fundraiser, ensuring 100% of proceeds are used directly to help local families in need of medical travel support.
“YANA gave my parents an apartment to live in near the hospital. Mom and Dad told me that YANA was able to help us because we lived in the Comox Valley, where people cared a lot.”
You Are Not Alone. A familiar phrase we all know and share to offer both comfort and reassurance. For the residents of the Comox Valley, however, it also means a coming together of people—a community.
You Are Not Alone (commonly known as YANA) is a charity based in Courtenay, BC, that offers accommodations and funding to Comox Valley families who require medical treatment beyond our region. It was originally founded in 1986 by Sandra Williams after her daughter, Roberta, was diagnosed with congenital heart failure. They were referred to Vancouver for medical treatment—with a long haul of frequent, lengthy, and costly visits.
During this time, Sandra realized that countless other families were in the very same situation, and eventually, with the help of her family and a dedicated group of volunteers, she spearheaded the creation of a way to help: the You Are Not Alone (YANA) Fund Society. Now, after nearly 40 years of service, YANA has become a powerful example of what can be made possible when a community comes together.
Depending on the year, approximately 94 to 98 per cent of the organization’s funds are generated on their local events and community contributions. Just last year, in 2024, YANA successfully raised over $450,000—helping 271 families with 588 medical trips. Of those donations, 96 per cent came from right here, in the Comox Valley.
These remarkable initiatives are powered by YANA’s small but mighty team. They organize and host three major fundraisers every year: the YANA Ride, a community-wide bike event; YANA Christmas Crackers, a festive sale of 5,000 handcrafted holiday crackers; and the YANA Big Love Benefit, a dinner and auction celebrating local philanthropy.
These events are made possible thanks to the hard work of dedicated volunteers and the generous sponsorships of local businesses. One such business who lends a helping hand is Sure Copy, a locally owned print shop committed to supporting its Comox Valley community.
Like many charities, YANA carefully stewards every dollar to keep administrative costs low and maximize impact for families. To help, Sure Copy sponsors their print services, ensuring that YANA has everything covered, from posters and thank-you cards to event program booklets and more. “Our operational budget is extremely low because the simple fact is every dollar we spend is one less dollar we have to use for our families,” explains Kelly Barnie, YANA’s executive director. “It can be a difficult circle to be in, but when someone steps up like Sure Copy has, it breaks that cycle.”
Budgets and bills haven’t been the only obstacles YANA has had to overcome. “2020 – 2021 was a time where everything changed,” says Kelly. “All of our events were in person so we had to come up with a lot of different ways to do what we do, but we were determined to find a way to do it.”
Many of YANA’s fundraising gatherings had to evolve into virtual alternatives—online auctions, chart-your-own-course bike routes, and more. But that was only half the battle. As Kelly explains, “Any changes we made required a big effort in communication to ensure the community was made aware.”
Although these innovative solutions enabled YANA to continue raising funds for families, it all came at a price. “Amidst the heat of it all, Sure Copy stepped up and became our go-to,” Kelly shares. “Their support granted us the ability to make choices that best served our families without worrying about the cost. In a way, it’s not just printing. For us, it’s a form of freedom.”
Today, YANA has fused both in-person and virtual options for all their fundraisers. Born of necessity during the adverse conditions of 2020, going partly virtual has resulted in a continuous, compounding growth in donations year after year.
“We used to think our limitation was available space. For instance, the Big Love event—we’d sell out in like 12 seconds.” Kelly reflects, “In hindsight, however, our limitation was actually accessibility. These changes revolutionized not only how we deliver our fundraising events but also made them accessible to anyone who’s a YANA supporter.”
For the past 40 years, YANA has not only worked tirelessly to serve the families of the Comox Valley but has fostered, in many ways, a communal heart. It’s a place where neighbours help neighbours—a coming together of beautiful people.
Sure Copy has proudly been supporting and sponsoring local organizations who enrich the Comox Valley community for over 20 years. Their commitment to supporting local initiatives is founded on their dedication to empowering communities and building lasting relationships.
