Charity and Donations

Alan Rudson is fundraising for materials to make wooden toy cars for the Great Nanaimo Toy Drive. (Karl Yu/News Bulletin)

Hobby woodworker fundraising to build cars for Great Nanaimo Toy Drive

Christmas charity campaign launches later this week

Alan Rudson is fundraising for materials to make wooden toy cars for the Great Nanaimo Toy Drive. (Karl Yu/News Bulletin)
Carolyn Iles, director for the Great Nanaimo Toy Drive, is already gathering up donations for the 39th annual charity event to ensure every child in Nanaimo has gifts at Christmas. (Chris Bush/News Bulletin)

Organizers set to kick off this year’s Great Nanaimo Toy Drive

Nanaimo charity campaign ensures children have presents under Christmas trees

Carolyn Iles, director for the Great Nanaimo Toy Drive, is already gathering up donations for the 39th annual charity event to ensure every child in Nanaimo has gifts at Christmas. (Chris Bush/News Bulletin)
Youth 20/20 Can members Tara Feindel, left, Cam Sim, Sonja Ferg and Brandon Murphy will be in front of Save-On-Foods at Country Club Centre on Saturday, Oct. 30, from 11 a.m.-6 p.m. for Halloween for Hunger, a non-perishable food donation drive in support of Loaves and Fishes Community Food Bank. (Chris Bush/News Bulletin)

Youth volunteers in Nanaimo collecting for Halloween-themed food drive

Youth 20/20 Can holding Halloween for Hunger on Saturday, Oct. 30

Youth 20/20 Can members Tara Feindel, left, Cam Sim, Sonja Ferg and Brandon Murphy will be in front of Save-On-Foods at Country Club Centre on Saturday, Oct. 30, from 11 a.m.-6 p.m. for Halloween for Hunger, a non-perishable food donation drive in support of Loaves and Fishes Community Food Bank. (Chris Bush/News Bulletin)
Nanaimo Foodshare staff and volunteers at Cline farm. (Photo submitted)

Rotary Club supports Nanaimo Foodshare’s educational programs

Rotary Club of Nanaimo donates $10,000 for outdoor food preparation area at Cline farm

Nanaimo Foodshare staff and volunteers at Cline farm. (Photo submitted)
An anonymous donor bought 72 cases of Girl Guide cookies, to be donated to local charities. The same donor has now directed more than $15,000 to Girl Guides of Canada in the area over the past two years. (Black Press file photo)

Anonymous donor in Nanaimo buys 864 boxes of Girl Guide cookies

Same person has now provided more than $15,000 in support to Girl Guides of Canada over two years

An anonymous donor bought 72 cases of Girl Guide cookies, to be donated to local charities. The same donor has now directed more than $15,000 to Girl Guides of Canada in the area over the past two years. (Black Press file photo)
Piper, left, and Page Hilland read together, and hope the Great Nanaimo Toy Drive will receive book donations so that hundreds of children will have new books to read this Christmas. (Photo submitted)

Great Nanaimo Toy Drive trying to get an early start on collecting books for Christmas

Toy drive organizers put out call for donations

Piper, left, and Page Hilland read together, and hope the Great Nanaimo Toy Drive will receive book donations so that hundreds of children will have new books to read this Christmas. (Photo submitted)
Bret Bickerton, left, and Owen Gardiner, crew from Rugged Coast Research Society, untie a new research vessel at Brechin Boat Ramp on Thursday, Oct. 7. The Nanaimo-based non-profit, which transports clean-up crews to remote areas of Vancouver Island to remove debris, held a boat cruise to celebrate its fundraising efforts that made the vessel’s purchase possible. (Karl Yu/News Bulletin)

Nanaimo non-profit shows off rugged new boat for coastal cleanups

Donations allow for purchase of vessel capable of transporting 10 tonnes of marine debris

Bret Bickerton, left, and Owen Gardiner, crew from Rugged Coast Research Society, untie a new research vessel at Brechin Boat Ramp on Thursday, Oct. 7. The Nanaimo-based non-profit, which transports clean-up crews to remote areas of Vancouver Island to remove debris, held a boat cruise to celebrate its fundraising efforts that made the vessel’s purchase possible. (Karl Yu/News Bulletin)
Signy Madden, United Way Central and Northern Vancouver Island regional director, says the area has seen more food security issues during the COVID-19 pandemic. (Karl Yu/News Bulletin)

United Way trying to support ‘high-impact’ social programs through tough times

United Way launches fundraising campaign with goal of $1.3 million for the north and central Island

Signy Madden, United Way Central and Northern Vancouver Island regional director, says the area has seen more food security issues during the COVID-19 pandemic. (Karl Yu/News Bulletin)
Lieut. Blair Pinker, left, and firefighters Micah Chesher, Steve Nicks and Jared MacLeod and their fellow firefighters collected donations at several grocery stores across Nanaimo this month to help fund the fight against muscular dystrophy. (News Bulletin file photo)

Nanaimo firefighters’ boots stuffed with donations at this year’s drive

Donations tallied about $18,000 for Muscular Dystrophy Canada

Lieut. Blair Pinker, left, and firefighters Micah Chesher, Steve Nicks and Jared MacLeod and their fellow firefighters collected donations at several grocery stores across Nanaimo this month to help fund the fight against muscular dystrophy. (News Bulletin file photo)
Tour de Rock rider and Nanaimo RCMP Const. Cydney MacNeill has her hair cut by Dan Awalt, co-owner of Heavy D’s Barbershop, outside the Coach and Horses Pub on Sunday, Sept. 26. (Greg Sakaki)

Riders motivated by the cause as Cops for Cancer Tour de Rock comes through Nanaimo

RCMP constable gets head shaved at event hosted by Island Corridor Foundation

Tour de Rock rider and Nanaimo RCMP Const. Cydney MacNeill has her hair cut by Dan Awalt, co-owner of Heavy D’s Barbershop, outside the Coach and Horses Pub on Sunday, Sept. 26. (Greg Sakaki)
Deni Bezeau, owner of Deni’s Dynamite Deals, set up his thrift store at the corner of Bruce Avenue and Seventh Street in Nanaimo to raise money for high school extracurricular programs and other organizations in need of cash. He now donates about $11,000 monthly. (Chris Bush/News Bulletin)

Nanaimo thrift store’s deals help out Harewood neighbourhood

Deni’s Dynamite Deals donates thousands of dollars every month

Deni Bezeau, owner of Deni’s Dynamite Deals, set up his thrift store at the corner of Bruce Avenue and Seventh Street in Nanaimo to raise money for high school extracurricular programs and other organizations in need of cash. He now donates about $11,000 monthly. (Chris Bush/News Bulletin)
Father and son

A Cycle of Giving: Tour de Rock rolls on

September is often viewed as a time of change and of starting…

  • Sep 20, 2021
Father and son
Lieut. Blair Pinker, left, and firefighters Micah Chesher, Steve Nicks and Jared MacLeod will be out with firefighters collecting donations at various grocery store across Nanaimo to help fund the fight against muscular dystrophy this weekend. (Chris Bush/News Bulletin)

Nanaimo firefighters trying to give muscular dystrophy the boot

Boot Drive happens at various grocery stores in Nanaimo this weekend, Sept. 18-19

Lieut. Blair Pinker, left, and firefighters Micah Chesher, Steve Nicks and Jared MacLeod will be out with firefighters collecting donations at various grocery store across Nanaimo to help fund the fight against muscular dystrophy this weekend. (Chris Bush/News Bulletin)
‘Rogan the Painting Dog’ creates artwork featured on Foley Dog Treat Company packaging as part of a charitable partnership. (Photo submitted)

Painting ‘paw’-digy motivated by B.C. doggie treats

Nanaimo’s Foley Dog Treat Company partners with artistic pooch on charitable initiative

‘Rogan the Painting Dog’ creates artwork featured on Foley Dog Treat Company packaging as part of a charitable partnership. (Photo submitted)
Rogan the Painting Dog creates artwork featured on Foley Dog Treat Company packaging as part of a charitable partnership. (Photo submitted)

Painting dog motivated by Nanaimo doggie treats

Foley Dog Treat Company partners with artistic pooch on charitable initiative

Rogan the Painting Dog creates artwork featured on Foley Dog Treat Company packaging as part of a charitable partnership. (Photo submitted)
Surrey teen Sia Sidhu has been raising money for BC Children’s Hospital in a variety of ways in recent years. This year's "Team Sia" fundraiser involves a raffle of more than 60 prizes donated by sponsors. (submitted photo)

B.C. girl, 13, raises over $32K for BC Children’s Hospital, launches new raffle

Several hospital departments have benefitted from Sia Sidhu’s fundraising work in recent years

Surrey teen Sia Sidhu has been raising money for BC Children’s Hospital in a variety of ways in recent years. This year's "Team Sia" fundraiser involves a raffle of more than 60 prizes donated by sponsors. (submitted photo)
Tucker, the starving bobcat rescued by Langley’s Critter Care, is doing well, but he will need new accommodations. The wild animal rehab centre has launched a sponsorship campaign to help pay for it. (Critter Care video)

VIDEO: B.C. animal rehab centre offers a chance to sponsor rescued bobcat

Tucker is doing well, but he will need a new enclosure

Tucker, the starving bobcat rescued by Langley’s Critter Care, is doing well, but he will need new accommodations. The wild animal rehab centre has launched a sponsorship campaign to help pay for it. (Critter Care video)
Bikes for Kids volunteers Eddie Goncalves, Mel Huggins and Greg Nowik fix up bikes at the group’s downtown location earlier this week. (Greg Sakaki/News Bulletin)

Nanaimo’s Bikes for Kids reaches milestone as it gives away its 1,000th bicycle

Volunteers have been refurbishing used bikes for five years

Bikes for Kids volunteers Eddie Goncalves, Mel Huggins and Greg Nowik fix up bikes at the group’s downtown location earlier this week. (Greg Sakaki/News Bulletin)
Nanaimo-Ladysmith Schools Foundation’s Stock the Lockers campaign is on until Aug. 31, seeking to raise money for students in poverty. Pictured here are Crystal Dennison, foundation executive director, and John Eivindson, assistant manager of Coastal Community Credit Union’s Labieux Road location. (Karl Yu/News Bulletin)

Stock the Lockers campaign starts to raise money for back-to-school in Nanaimo-Ladysmith

Stock the Lockers goes until Aug. 31 to help less fortunate students in school district

Nanaimo-Ladysmith Schools Foundation’s Stock the Lockers campaign is on until Aug. 31, seeking to raise money for students in poverty. Pictured here are Crystal Dennison, foundation executive director, and John Eivindson, assistant manager of Coastal Community Credit Union’s Labieux Road location. (Karl Yu/News Bulletin)
Dairy Queen Canada, with multiple stores in B.C., announced recently it has rescheduled its annual Miracle Treat Day normally seen this month to Oct. 28. A portion of the proceeds from all Blizzards sold on that day in British Columbia will go to the B.C. Childrens Hospital Foundation. (Mike Mozart/Flickr photo)

Blizzards forecast in BC in October – each raising funds for children’s hospital care

Dairy Queen’s Miracle Treat Day reset for Oct. 28 in province and across Canada

Dairy Queen Canada, with multiple stores in B.C., announced recently it has rescheduled its annual Miracle Treat Day normally seen this month to Oct. 28. A portion of the proceeds from all Blizzards sold on that day in British Columbia will go to the B.C. Childrens Hospital Foundation. (Mike Mozart/Flickr photo)