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Over $6,500 raised during Hometown for Hunger
On August 12, Denham Ford’s 11th annual Hometown for Hunger event brought the community together to raise over $6,500 in support of the Cranbrook Salvation Army’s local food programs.
Every dollar raised from the event will be permanently invested in the StellerVista Credit Union Endowment Fund, which is stewarded by the Community Foundation of the Kootenay Rockies (CFKR), giving the Cranbrook Salvation Army a grant, every year, forever, to keep local food programs running strong.
Each and every month, the Cranbrook Salvation Army provides approximately 2,555 school lunches to local students, 1,250 on-site community meals, and 405 meals delivered to people who are unable to leave their homes, for a total of over 4,200 meals.
According to Captain Geoff Butt who has recently been posted to the Cranbrook Salvation Army, “With the need in the community continuing to grow, and food prices on the rise, every dollar counts, and we sincerely appreciate all the support from the community.”
Denham Ford Marketing Manager/Sales and event co-organizer Steve Zsillei said, “Thanks to amazing support from the community, throughout our 11 years of holding this event, we’ve raised a total of over $70,000 to tackle hunger in our community and show our care for our friends and neighbours who are in need.”
Zsillei added, “A huge thank you to all our sponsors, including Sandor Rentals for their generous support, Hargreaves Mechanical for filling the dunk tank, Culligan for the ice, Prestige Inn for towels, Tim Hortons for the TimBits, the Rockin’ in the Rockies Car Club Cranbrook BC for bringing their amazing classic cars, and Murray Hayward Photography for being our official photographer.”
Sven Sloeserwij from Visit Cranbrook, led the contingent of “local celebrity” dunk tank participants, which also included Travis-Dean Bradley, Cranbrook Chamber of Commerce President (with support from Chamber Vice-President Sheldon Doll), Kayla May from Pattison Media Rewind Radio, and several Rockin’ in the Rockies Car Club members.
For the 2026 event, Denham Ford and StellerVista Credit Union continued their tradition of generosity by each providing a matching donation of $1,000.
In the much-anticipated Timbit eating contest, Corey Ford, a member of the Denham Ford team, defended his title, despite a big increase in the number of competitors. Corey took home a beautiful gift basket that was donated by local Grimm’s representative, Nickolas Zsillei.
CFKR Executive Director Lynnette Wray shared her heartfelt thanks and appreciation: “Very special thanks to Rene Kowalchuk, Steve Zsillei, and the whole team at Denham Ford for 11 years of amazing Hometown for Hunger events! With their support, the StellerVista Credit Union Endowment Fund continues to grow. In the early years, the goal was to provide an annual grant of $500, and, in 2026, the fund granted $5,500 of much-needed support to our local Cranbrook Salvation Army food programs.”
“A big ‘thank you’ to our food vendors: Mr. Mike’s Cranbrook, Sasquatch Grub Shack, The Gifted Chef Filipino Fusion Cuisine and the Top Crop ice cream truck,” Wray stated.
There’s still time to donate to the 2026 Hometown for Hunger event, with several options for individuals and businesses to make a tax-receiptable charitable donation:
Credit card donations via the following link.
E-Transfer: to [email protected], Including “H4H-2026” in the notes, as well as the donor’s email address, mailing address, and phone number
Cheque: Made out to “CFKR”, noting “H4H-2026” in the memo, including the donor’s email address and phone number, Mailed to CFKR at Box 242, Cranbrook, BC, V1C 4H8 or delivered to the CFKR office in the Ground Floor Coworking Space at 131 7th Ave. S., Cranbrook
Cash: Delivered to the CFKR office in the Ground Floor Coworking Space at 131 7th Ave. S., Cranbrook.
Employer-Matching Donation Programs: Some employers have a program to match employees’ charitable donations, through a service such as Benevity. This is a quick and easy way to potentially double the value of your donation!
Lead image: Rockin’ in the Rockies Car Club members present their generous donation to CFKR Executive Director, Lynnette Wray (centre left). Photos submitted
CFKR
