Valley Vonka is Back for Another Sweet Spring Fundraiser
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Originally published by the Comox Valley Record, April 1st, 2026
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.