05/10/2026
A few years ago, I was invited to sit on the committee for the Campbell River Hospice Child & Youth Grief Program — and I honestly don’t think I left that first meeting the same person. Listening to the heartbreaking realities so many children and youth in our community were facing. I found one statistic especially alarming— did you know that when a child loses a sibling to su***de, they face a 50% increased risk of considering su***de themselves? Neither did I, and as someone personally impacted by su***de and as a parent to young kids, that hit differently. I’ve always believed we can’t only respond after people are struggling — we need to invest in prevention, support people earlier, and care for the root, not just the aftermath. Joining this committee gave me the chance to do just that — together, our committee gathered 20 community leaders and businesses, raised $240,000, and launched the program right here in Campbell River. In the first two years alone, it supported more than 934 children and youth and provided over 1,835 hours of free specialized grief counselling. When I reflect on what this community has built, I feel so proud — but mostly just deeply grateful that these kids have somewhere to turn during their hardest moments. The need is still very real and this program depends on ongoing donor support to keep running, so if you’d like to learn more or contribute, please reach out. And to Campbell River — thank you, from the bottom of my heart. Thank you for supporting our family and OK Tire. Your support allows our family to give back to programs like this that matter so deeply to us. We couldn’t have done this without you!💛