The Filipino-Canadian Association of the East Kootenay and A&W restaurants in Cranbrook, Kimberley and Invermere held a fundraising day for local families whose relatives were affected by the devastating Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines earlier this month, and the people of the East Kootenay really came through.
As well as accepting donations through proceeding days and weeks, A&W donated one dollar from the sale of every breakfast sandwich and two dollars from the sale of every Teenburger on Friday, Nov. 22. Members of the local Filipino community came down to help out, and the whole day had a festive atmosphere.
Bob Cartier later reported that the fundraiser collected roughly $7,500 in Cranbrook, $700 in Invermere and $600 in Kimberley, for a total of $8,600.
It was determined that six Cranbrook families have relatives who have been directly affected by the typhoon, which destroyed homes in Leyte and Cebu provinces. One family in Invermere and one in Fernie were also affected. Some cash donations will go directly to those families, while the lion's share of the monies collected through food sales will be matched by the federal government, via ANCOP International Canada, which is the official organization through which the government matches those funds.
Greg Pascuzzo of the Cranbrook Colonels hockey team was on hand last Friday, as was Len Bousquet of the Colonels and VOT (Very Old Timers) hockey team. The Colonels donated $1,000 to the cause, the VOTs gave $500.
Bob Cartier, owner of the Cranbrook and Kimberley A&Ws, said the restaurant will continue taking donations until Dec. 8.