WEDNESDAY January 2, 2013 Vol. 28•No. 1 ••• $1.25 inc. H.S.T.
COMOX VALLEY
ARTS
SPORTS
Just in Time Choir shares sounds of Christmas with Comox Valley seniors. page 8
Team Knockout taking their game to the next level with recent success at MMA events. page 19
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Teen personifies Christmas spirit Renee Andor Record Staff
13-YEAR-OLD ASHLEE PILON spent the $180 she received in Christmas cash from her relatives on necessities for Comox Valley families in need instead of on herself. She plans to drop the items off at the Comox Valley Salvation Army’s Family Services department next week. PHOTO BY RENEE ANDOR
A Courtenay teen received $180 in Christmas cash and she gave every last penny away. Ashlee Pilon, a 13-yearold Mark R. Isfeld student, usually receives cash gifts from her extended family so she can go shopping for whatever she feels she needs. But instead of buying clothes, make-up or the usual technological gadgets most other 13-year-old girls would spend their Christmas cash on, Pilon decided to go shopping for families in need. “There are lots of families that are not quite as fortunate as some of us are,” said Pilon. “So I figured I might as well put it to a good cause rather than just buying things…when I already have everything I need and there’s lots of families who don’t have everything they need — so that’s why I
decided to do that.” Pilon spent her money on a selection of neccessities which she plans to drop off at the Comox Valley Salvation Army’s Family Services department next week. She picked out non-perishable food items like cereal, oatmeal, granola bars, cookies and tuna. “And then I also got some baby items, so like baby diapers, and baby wash and shampoo and conditioner and toiletries and stuff, because those are other things that are quite expensive for families but that are necessary,” she added. Pilon came up with the idea to donate her Christmas cash after she and her friends collected cans of food instead of candy for Halloween for Hunger this fall. “I think Christmas is supposed to be more about giving than receiving so that was my good deed of the year.” writer@comoxvalleyrecord.com
Valley generosity boosts Sally Ann fund over top Renee Andor Record Staff
The Comox Valley Salvation Army may have been behind on its fundraising goal the week before Christmas, but the Valley stepped up donations last week. “Our goal for this Christmas season was to raise a total of $250,000,” Lead
Pastor Darryl Burry said Friday, adding the local Salvation Army had hoped to raise $110,000 through its annual Christmas Kettle campaign and $140,000 through its mailer campaign. “As of today, we have raised $270,000 in total, so we’re $20,000 above our goal. That’s “absolutely amaz-
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That’s absolutely amazing, seeing as the week before Christmas we were about $20,000 behind what we would normally be at that point of the year. Darryl Burry
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ing, seeing as the week before Christmas we were about $20,000 behind what we would normally be at
that point of the year. The Comox Valley, once again, has stepped up to the plate and we have exceeded
our goal.” Burry added “every penny” will stay in the Valley to help the Salvation Army provide programs and services like its emergency food bank, clothing and furniture vouchers, support for people going to rehabilitation or detox and its parenting program. “All of our community
ministries are supported throughout the year from these funds,” noted Burry, adding he would like to extend “an absolutely huge thank you to everybody who helped make this possible this year because it wouldn’t be possible without the generosity of the Valley.” writer@comoxvalleyrecord.com
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