News
Comox Valley’s six-year-old Aria shines as YANA’s 2024 diamond ring winner
Posted on
YANA (You Are Not Alone) Comox Valley has finally found this year’s 2024 Christmas Cracker diamond ring winner – six-year-old Aria.
Originally published by the Comox Valley Record 2024-01-21
From L to R: Kelly Barnie, YANA executive director, Aria Cole, cracker ring winner, Garret Cole, Aria’s dad , Kourtney Van Velzen, YANA client care co-ordinator.
YANA (You Are Not Alone) Comox Valley has finally found this year’s 2024 Christmas Cracker diamond ring winner – six-year-old Aria.
The magical win is particularly special, as it celebrates a family deeply connected to YANA, embodying a story of generosity and gratitude across generations.
Aria’s grandparents, Shaun and Mae, have been dedicated supporters of YANA’s annual Christmas Cracker campaign, purchasing 100 or more crackers every year. Their passion for YANA stems from personal experience: decades ago, their son Garret, Aria’s dad, was a YANA child.
Garret’s journey with YANA began decades ago when he needed to travel to Vancouver after an X-ray revealed concerns about a broken ankle due to a skiing accident. At the time, Garret’s dad was starting his construction business, and his mom worked in retail. The unexpected four-day trip was a financial and emotional strain, but YANA stepped in to provide essential support, making the journey manageable for the family during a challenging time.
Now, years later, the family’s connection to YANA has come full circle with Aria’s big win.
Adding to the magic of this moment is a unique family twist: several years ago, Garret’s brother, Byron, won YANA’s diamond earrings at a Christmas party. In a touching gesture, he gifted the earrings to their mom, Mae. Last summer, Mae passed them on to Byron’s fiancée, who wore the sparkling set on her wedding day. Now, with Aria’s win, the family adds another joyful chapter to their YANA story.
Now, Aria is the proud winner of YANA’s stunning diamond ring set. She plans to keep them safe in their special box until they fit perfectly and she can wear them and tell their chapter of the story proudly.
“This was such a beautiful reminder of YANA’s lasting impact on families and the incredible support we receive from the Comox Valley community,” said Kourtney Van Velzen, YANA’s client care co-ordinator.
This year’s YANA Christmas Cracker campaign was a success thanks to the incredible support of the Comox Valley community. Special thanks go to Somers Private Wealth of RBC Dominion Securities for sponsoring the fundraiser, Mark the Gold Guy at Comox Valley Pawnbrokers for donating the gorgeous grand prize diamond ring set, and the tireless volunteers who handcrafted and distributed all 5,000 Christmas crackers.
Congratulations to Aria and her family on this unforgettable win, and thank you to everyone who supported YANA this holiday season.
Thank you Tessa Procter and the two lucky winners of your Holiday Giveaway who BOTH decided to choose YANA as the recipient of your generous donations!
We’re so thankful for your support and generosity! Thank you for creating such a special opportunity to give back and support local this season.
TALK ABOUT SERVING OUR COMMUNITY! We are just brimming with pride alongside this incredible crew at Comox Fire Rescue!
Thank you so much for donating a whopping $7100 to YANA through fundraising efforts such as the annual Christmas Tree Chipping held this past weekend! We can’t thank you enough for the years of tremendous support you’ve been to both YANA and our community!
A HUGE THANK YOU to our local Tim Hortons teams at Lerwick Rd, Cliffe Ave, and Anderton Rd for helped us raise an incredible $3567.82 for YANA during the Tim Hortons Holiday Smile Cookie week! We had such a wonderful time spreading kindness and holiday smiles. Thank you for supporting us again this season!
We want to send a heartfelt thanks to local realtor, Mason Walker, for continuing to donate a portion of his commission to YANA and many noteworthy charities each year since 2014. Thank you Mason – what a wonderful way to cap off a decade of making a difference in your community!
We want to extend a HUGE THANK YOU to the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 28 in Cumberland who recently donated over $52,000 to Comox Valley charities – including $2,500 towards YANA!
This level of generosity makes such a tremendous difference to the lives of so many. We are beyond grateful and proud to live where we do, surrounded by incredibly caring and dedicated people in our community.
A tiny break from our winter holiday posts to send a HUGE THANK YOU to Happy’s Source for Sports and the Red Sox Masters team for your amazing generosity! We are beyond grateful for the surprise donation of $1000 raised at this year’s annual Halloween Dance! Your support means the world to us and our YANA families—thank you!!
This holiday season, we’ve been blown away by the kindness and generosity from our incredible community.
From fundraising and volunteering to heartfelt donations, Comox Valley friends—both old and new—your dedication and enthusiasm in helping YANA continue to make a world of difference in the lives of local families. Thank you for making this season brighter for so many.
We simply can’t thank you enough for being part of this journey with us this past year. On behalf of YANA families and our team here at YANA, we wish everyone a joyful, hopeful, and peaceful holiday season.
A BIG thank you to the lovely group of Sunnydale Ladies for raising $900 in support of YANA this month! A delicious Christmas Luncheon is such a wonderful way to come together and keep our bellies and hearts full this holiday season. Thank you so much to each of you for your generosity!
OPERATION MANI CLAUS made it to YANA this year with the most wonderful donation in support of our local families!! Thanks to Mike & Mike and the wonderful crew at Manitoulin Transport and Diamond Delivery for sharing the holiday spirit with us! We truly appreciate your support!!