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A Ride of Thanks: How the Knopp family is giving back for baby Autumn
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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.
WOW! ⛳️
A huge and heartfelt THANK YOU to Scott Parsons and everyone involved in the Bud Englund Memorial Contractors Cup Charity Golf Tournament for raising an incredible $9,540 for YANA!
This amazing total will go directly toward helping local families in their time of need. Your generosity, effort, and community spirit continue to blow us away.
We are so grateful to be part of a community that rallies together in such a meaningful way. THANK YOU for keeping Bud’s legacy alive through compassion and giving.
Big shoutout to Alexander Gingras for being an absolute YANA rockstar! Your donation is helping local families when they need it most — and proving once again that kindness lives right here in the Comox Valley. 🙌
Thanks for stepping up, spreading love, and showing us all what community support looks like! We’re so grateful to have you in the YANA family.
🚗 A big thank you to Jenika Martin for turning her Dodge 1500 into something truly meaningful!
Through the Your Choice to Donate program, Jenika chose YANA as the recipient of the proceeds from scrapping her vehicle—and we are so grateful for her generosity and support.
Every act of kindness helps us continue supporting local families when they need it most. Thank you, Jenika, for making your donation count in such a special way!
HUGE thank you to the amazing team at Storage Works Cumberland!
We are beyond grateful for their incredibly generous donation of a storage unit to YANA. This is a total game changer for us — allowing us to safely house, protect, and keep track of our event inventory all in one organized space.
Thanks to Storage Works, we can now be more efficient with our time, make the most of our generous volunteers, and stay ready to roll for all the community events and fundraisers that keep YANA strong.
From all of us at YANA: thank you, thank you, thank you!
🍫✨ A sweet THANK YOU to the Comox Valley Record, Hot Chocolates, and Parker’s Appliances & More for once again making magic happen with the annual Valley Vonka fundraiser! We are beyond grateful that YANA was chosen again as the recipient of such an amazing chocolate-fueled fundraiser! Thanks to this incredible community initiative (and a whole lot of delicious chocolate bar sales), a whopping $18,000 was raised to support local families.
To everyone who bought a bar, shared the excitement, or helped spread the word — thank you for making a difference, one chocolate bar at a time!
A special shoutout to the amazing Grade 6 Division 11 students at Royston Elementary for their incredible support of YANA!
These young entrepreneurs raised funds for YANA through their Entrepreneur Fair this past school year—and we are so inspired by their creativity, generosity, and community spirit! ✨
Thank you for choosing to support local families through your hard work. You are making a difference, and we’re so proud of you! 👏
A big, heartfelt thank you to Irene — a proud great-grandma beaming with love for her tiny miracle! 💕 Born a little early but growing like a champ, this sweet babe is already showing the world what strength looks like. Your generous donation to YANA in our family’s honour means so much to us. Thank you for celebrating life’s little victories with us! ❤️
🎉 Exciting news, Comox Valley! A warm welcome to The Collective Good, a beautiful new store in Courtenay that’s already making a difference! 💛
They’ve just launched their own house line, Plenty Goods, a collection that celebrates life here in the Comox Valley—and even more incredible, 10% of all profits from Plenty Goods will be donated to YANA to support local families. 🙌
To kick off the giving, Maria “Nana” Williams has already made a generous donation to YANA to start the fundraising off strong. Thank you, Maria! And thank you to the entire team at The Collective Good for your heart, your vision, and your support.
We’re cheering you on and wishing you all the success as you grow in our community! 🌿🛍️
WOW! Huge shoutout and heartfelt thanks to Kirk and the entire Will Power Slo-Pitch crew for raising an incredible $8,056 for YANA at their 4th Annual Charity Softball Tournament! 🥎
Your energy, dedication, and community spirit continue to amaze us year after year. We’re so grateful for your ongoing support and for rallying such an amazing group of people around a cause that means so much.
