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Photos: Canfor-Vavenby gives to United Way

Donations from Vavenby division exceeds last year’s total
Keith McNeill
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(L-r) United Way employee workplace campaign committee members John Gerber, Fran Johnson, Madeleine deVooght, Sam Braaten and Chris May (missing from photo are David Ash, Christina Fillion, Tony Casey and Jonathan Allen), United Way North Thompson board member Leslie Groulx, and Kristi Rintoul, senior manager of community impact for United Way Thompson-Nicola-Cariboo, celebrate Canfor-Vavenby raising more money this year than it did last year.

By Keith McNeill

Canfor-Vavenby raised more money for the United Way in 2016 than it did in 2015, and apparently it exceeded that number again in 2017.

Division manager Steve Planeta isn’t revealing this year’s total, however. Canfor-Vavenby has won forest company’s Polar Cup two years in a row for raising the most money for the United Way out of any division on a population basis.

READ MORE: Canfor helps United Way

Planeta would like to make it three years in a row. Some of the other divisions haven’t even begun their fundraising, however, and he fears that if he releases the total number, the other divisions will know what target to shoot for.

Despite the secrecy, one of the goals this year was, if they reached $40,000 by Oct. 11, there would be pie-throwing during a free lunch for employees.

Last week the Vavenby workers celebrated with a free lunch at the sawmill, provided by the United Steelworkers executive from Kamloops.

Also on hand were United Way representatives to present the plant fundraising committee with recognition for their work.

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(L-r) Canfor employee Dean Landmark looks altogether too enthusiastic as he throws a pie at Steelworkers Local 10417 president Marty Gibbons and maintenance supervisor Nicholas Dunne
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Canfor-Vavenby division manager Steve Planeta (l) is congratulated by United Way representative Kristi Rintoul for exceeding the amount raised last year for the charity.