Skip to content

Vanderhoof Kinettes recognized as national award finalists

The Co-op parking lot was filled with toy-ladden bikers at noon Sunday for the Vanderhoof Toy Run, kick-starting the Kinettes annual Santas Annoymous project.
55145vanderhoofToyrun-web
Bikers lined up at the Vanderhoof Co-op parking lot at noon on Sunday for the annual Kinettes Club Toy Run.

The Co-op parking lot was filled with toy-ladden bikers at noon Sunday for the Vanderhoof Toy Run, kick-starting the Kinettes annual Santas Annoymous project.

Every year the Vanderhoof Kinettes host a number of events to provide food and gifts to low-income families during the Christmas holidays.

This year the project and the Club were given some recognition when they  were nominated as a national finalist for the Hal and Elspeth Rogers National Service Award by Kin Canada.

“It’s a project that our club has done for years and years and no one has actually taken the time to show the rest of Vanderhoof, the district or even Canada what it is we do,” said Natalia Kammerer, President of the Vanderhoof Kinette Club.

“It’s a project that takes months and months and as a club we completely throw ourselves in to it,” she added.

The project starts every year in September with the toy run where bikers from the area congregate at the Co-op parking lot before doing a ride around town with donated food and gifts on their bikes. The ride around ends at the Elks Hall where the bikers can drop off the donations and are rewarded with a hot lunch hosted by the Kinettes.

Next weekend the same event will be held in Prince George.

 

Other events that fall under the umbrella of the Santa’s Annoymous project include the Kinsmen hockey game and the Village Inn brunch.

“The Village Inn open their doors on a Sunday ... and they have a huge buffet with everything you could want for breakfast and all the proceeds they bring in that day go to Santas Anonymous,” said Kammerer.

“The Kinsmen Club also have a big hockey game and people bring canned food and donations for that as well - that all goes into the big hamper drive,” she added.

Just before christmas around 200 hampers are made up for low-income families in the area. The families are chosen through Vanderhoof Neighbourlink.

All the hampers are specific ... so like last year for example, we had a family that was a mother and five girls so they would get a slightly larger hamper than a single senior male,” said Kammerer.

All the hampers are delivered the Sunday before Christmas day.

“Although we didn’t win the award it was great to be recognised ... it gave us a big pat on the back and lots of pride,” said Kammerer.

The Kinettes Club are still on the search for a space this year to make up the hampers.

“Last year it was Daves Auto that donated the building space to us and we were very grateful for that,” said Kammerer.

If anyone would like to donate a space, the club can be contacted on 250-567-2626.