By Amy Baechmann
This summer has proven that our community is strong and always willing to help through the tough times, in many different situations.
On Sunday the 24th of September, a Skate and Bake fundraiser was held at the South Cariboo Rec Center to help support the Ross family. Owen Ross has been fighting a type of leukemia called Blastic Plasmacytoid Dendritic Cell Neoplasm since August 2015.
Denise Balbirnie, a friend of the Ross family decided to put the fundraiser together as a way to help the family. Balbirnie’s son has been in the same class as Owen since kindergarten and Owen has been a member of minor hockey since he was five, as well as refereeing.
Many of Owen’s classmates and friends have talked with him through social media.
“He is pretty active in the hockey community,” Balbirnie says.
In the beginning of September, after the first hockey meeting, Balbirnie brought the idea of having a fundraiser for the family to the board to ask if Minor Hockey would be able to do something to show the club and community’s support for the family. She then contacted Canlan to see if they could do something during their public skate and Canlan said that they would donate all the money raised at the skate to the family.
“Everybody was really excited about that.”
At the event, many people brought baked goods which they donated to the cause, and the arena was open for people to go for a skate. Balbirnie said she hoped that they would make at least $500 to donate to the family, which would help greatly.
“Anything that we can make for the family is really helpful, but I think that when you are far away from home then you don’t get to see your neighbours and community members, and realize how much we are thinking of them and supporting them.
“They’re so far away, I think that just a big public support is almost as important as the money.”
In the end, the Skate and Bake Fundraiser raised $1,787.05 for Owen and his family.
Another big fundraiser planned for the family are two Escape Rooms, which will be set up at Peter Skene Ogden Secondary School.
This fundraiser is the brainchild of, and is being planned by, Natalie Sass, another friend of the family.
“I thought it would be fun to bring an escape room to 100 Mile and this is kind of a win-win, where we can do it as a fundraiser and something fun to do in the community.”
Sass’ sons are close friends of Owen and they have helped plan out the Escape Rooms.
The idea of making Escape Rooms came from them both having participated in an Escape Room in the past.
Students, parents and some teachers from the 100 Mile House Elementary School are helping plan this fundraiser.
Escape Rooms are designed so that the people inside must decipher a series of clues to get out, or escape.
Sass brought the idea of building the rooms to the PSO PAC after talking to other parents. She hopes that they will have the rooms up and running by 21st and 22nd of October and then have them run for two weekends. After that, they’ll see how it goes from there. All the proceeds will be going to the family.
More information on the Escape Rooms will be advertised soon, and bookings will be taken in as soon as the rooms are planned and ready.
