The Abbotsford Community Foundation (ACF) has announced that the winner of the 2016 Business Philanthropy Award is Valley Carriers Ltd.
This newly created award is sponsored by the Abbotsford Chamber of Commerce.
Chamber president Josh Bach presented the award to Valley Carriers co-owners Erin Parkes and Travis Klassen at the recent National Philanthropy Day luncheon in Abbotsford.
Parkes noted that her grandfather had taught her and Klassen years ago that it was important for a business to give back to the community.
Valley Carriers’ contributions to the community include collecting food and cash donations for the Abbotsford Food Bank; raising $3,000 for the food bank’s Starfish Pack program; and donating gifts-in-kind of soil and bark mulch for school and community gardens.
Valley Carriers also donates a house rent-free to the Cyrus Centre in Abbotsford to house youths who would otherwise be homeless.
And the company is a gold sponsor of the Run for Water and a matching donor for the elementary schools that participate in the run.
This year, 10 of their employees volunteered their time cheering and handing out water and sports drinks to the runners while 25 employees participated in the run itself.
Also during the luncheon, the 2016 Alan and Vivian Trethewey Youth Philanthropy Award was presented to Tripat Sandhu and Jaspreet Sahota – co-founders of the Sikh Sewa International Society of Youth – in recognition of the work done to support organizations such as the Salvation Army and the Abbotsford Food Bank.
The youth award was created two years ago to acknowledge Alan and Vivian for their leadership role in starting the ACF in 1979. This year, the award was presented by J.O. Trethewey – the brother of the late Alan Trethewey – and his wife Marlene.
(Photo below: Tripat Sandhu and Jaspreet Sahota accept the Youth Philanthropy Award from J.O. and Marlene Trethewey.)
