Watch Mayor Basran sweat with tough questions and hot wings, all in the name of a good cause. All proceeds from this event will go directly to The Bridge Youth & Family Services.

With addiction at an all time high, the Bridge Youth & Family Services is desperately needing funds to build a much needed youth recovery house to support Okanagan youth struggling with addiction. JCI Kelowna sees the need for this, and decided to take the opportunity to reinvent a popular and well received community event, to generate revenue for a local project that is in dire need in our community. All funds raised from the Community Hotseat go directly towards supporting this local impact project, and struggling youth in your own community. Together, we can make a change to end the addiction crisis in the Okanagan.

The Kelowna Junior Chamber International Farm Project began with a quarter acre of Kelowna farmland, no funding and a little group of volunteers who didn't know much about farming.

Last year, the Trinity Baptist Church Foundation offered a piece of their 23-acre community farm Helen's Acres to Kelowna chapter of the junior chamber known as the Jaycees. Project chair David Kemp was quick to take the opportunity to start a community farm.

“We took it over, a small rag-tag group of people, self-funded,” he said.

They had no money, but a simple goal: Grow food for charity.

"We scraped together enough stuff to farm about half of it. But we did it all wrong," he said.

While the group wasn’t short on passion, they were lacking on gardening experience. However, the year wasn’t a total loss.

“Most of it was a disaster, but we had some really big successes,” he said. “We had tons of potatoes that came off, tons of squash."

Kemp’s original idea was simply to farm the land, and donate the produce to the Karis Support Society, a non-profit organization that provides resources and support for women recovering from addiction and mental health challenges.

However, in the past two years, the project has had other positive effects in the community Kemp didn’t anticipate.

"Everyone who came out to the farm last year are building home gardens, hatching chickens at home, and are going back out this year with a renewed passion,” he said. "It’s kind of like we’re bringing a new generation of people into farming."

This year, the group approached the growing season with the lessons they’d learned from last year’s mishaps in mind, putting resources into planning and research.

Some volunteers, although they aren’t farmers, have applied their own career expertise to benefit the project.

“That’s what’s really cool, everyone is providing their little piece that they do,” Kemp said.

A landscaper helped with setting up irrigation, and another member involved in data analysis has taken charge of tracking growth on the farm.

“It’s infectious, people start seeing what we’re doing, working hard, seeing us failing, and they buy in,” he said. "They really want to help."

Over the past year, project volunteers ran several fundraising initiatives to support the farm. Kemp hopes that in years to come, they can get more land and even more volunteers involved in the project.

“I’d like it to be a community resource where people can learn about gardening and make mistakes,” he said. “And all the while, grow a ton of produce for the community."

The events they had planned for this year had to be postponed due to COVID-19, but Kemp hopes to make them a reality next season.

“We would have a sauerkraut-making session with all the cabbages coming off, so we could teach people what to do,” he said. “Or we’d have a hot sauce making lesson with all the hot peppers."

Education has always been, and will continue to be, a central component to the project.

"We’ve concentrated a huge amount on not only getting the farming right, but also getting the word out,” he said. "Just trying to share what we’re doing and share the beauty of the farm."

The farm is open for anyone who wants to visit, help out or just learn about growing their own food.

“At 9 a.m. every Saturday from May until the end of October, we’re going to be out there and welcome anyone to come out,” he said.

Kemp added that all visitors leave with some fresh produce from the farm, free of charge.

The plot is located at 2424 Mayer Road in Kelowna.

JCI Kelowna is proud to announce the launch of an online version of their yearly Valleydrive fundraiser to support the Central Okanagan Food Bank. Over the previous 2 years, JCI members have passed out flyers outside of local grocery stores and collected over 25,000 pounds of food and $10,000 in cash for the COFB. This year, they're pleased to announce a transition to an online fundraising drive to help raise much needed funds for the food bank. Any donations are welcome, as is a simple share of the event page to try and raise awareness of the situation at the COFB.

"The demand at the local food bank is understandably high right now and they are struggling to keep up. No one in the Okanagan should have to worry about food right now, so supporting the Central Okanagan Food Bank at this time is massively important." says Matt Jackson, Event Chair.

"What a lot of people may not realize is that the Central Okanagan Food Bank doesn't receive any government funding, so they rely solely on donations to operate. They also supply food to over 30 other local nonprofits and charities who help individuals in a wide range of situations, such as people with disabilities, emergency shelters, and beyond. So if the Food Bank can’t keep up, thousands of people in Kelowna are going to go hungry."

To donate, please visit trellis.org/valleydrive

Junior Chamber International (JCI) Kelowna is adapting to the current measures of social distancing by launching their annual Valleydrive fundraiser online.

Previously, JCI members passed out flyers outside of grocery stores and collected food and cash donations. This year, however, that is not an option.

Instead, their fundraiser for the Central Okanagan Food Bank will accept donations online only, and the link can be shared across all social media platforms.

"What a lot of people may not realize is that the Central Okanagan Food Bank doesn't receive any government funding, so they rely solely on donations to operate," said Matt Jackson, of JCI said in a press release.

"They also supply food to over 30 over nonprofits and charities…So if the food bank can't keep up, thousands of people in Kelowna are going to go hungry."

The fundraiser will run for one month. It only takes a $20 donation to feed one person for a day, and $300 for a month's worth of groceries.

To donate, click this link.

Finalists have been named for the City of Kelowna’s 45th annual civic and community awards.

The date of the awards ceremony is under review because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The city hopes to come up with more details in the coming weeks.

Nominees are:

— Bob Giordano Memorial (coach/sport administrator of the year) — Darcy Rysz, Kelly Hettinga, Ron Koch

— Bryan Couling Memorial Award (athletic team of the year) — KSS Owls AAAA girls volleyball team, KSS Owls girls curling team, Kelowna under-16A ringette elite

— Female Athlete of the Year — Emma Cannan, Madelyn Hettinga, Megan Hart

— Male Athlete of the Year — Cooper Humphreys, Jordan Cheyne, Trevor Brigden

— Female Augie Ciancone Memorial Award (young athlete) — Madelyn Hettinga, Melaina Corrado, Tessa Ivans

— Male Augie Ciancone Memorial Award (young athlete) — Braden White, Matt Hopley, Roan McCarthy

— Champion for the Environment — Friends of Black Mountain Society, Operation Take Two, Treehouse Forest Preschool

— Teen Honour in the Arts — Ava Clark, Rowyn Grenier, Sarah McIntyre

— Honour in the Arts — Erin Scott, Peter MacLeod, Stephen Buck

— Young Citizen of the Year — Abby Kiehlbauch, Kritika Dave, Yvonne Wood

— Fred Macklin and Sarah Donalda-Treadgold Memorial Award (citizen of the year) — Al Hildebrandt, Gail Harrison, Robin Jarman

— Corporate Community of the Year Award — Avalon Event Rentals, Prestige Hotels and Resorts, Valley First Credit Union

— Central Okanagan Foundation Volunteer Organization of the Year — Cops for Kids, JCI Kelowna, Project Literacy.

The Young Citizen of the Year finalists will receive funding toward their post-secondary education through the Payton and Dillon Budd Memorial Fund Youth Scholarship. The award recipient will receive $2,000 while each of the two remaining finalists will receive $1,000.

The recipient of the Teen Honour in the Arts award will receive a $500 entrance scholarship to UBC Okanagan, courtesy of the faculty of creative and critical studies.

Speaker series GLEAN back to build community this March

Speaker series GLEAN is back this March with an event focused on building community, hosted by Junior Chamber International Kelowna.

The night of storytelling and interactive discussion will host local business leaders, sharing their experiences and insights on how to build stronger communities.

Speakers include Accelerate Okanagan chief executive Brea Lake, Valhalla Angels founder Randy Thompson, and Dustyn Baulkham, founder of Rebellious Unicorns and general manger of the Kelowna Pride Society.

JCI Kelowna project manager Ryan Lancaster says audiences will be encouraged by the wisdom and thoughts of leaders chosen to speak.

“Our ongoing GLEAN series focuses on creating a bridge between those that have accomplished great things in our community, and those aspiring to be the next generation of local leaders.”

The event takes place on Tuesday, Mar. 3 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Innovation Centre.

Tickets include two alcoholic or non-alcoholic beverages at the event, and networking with local innovators and entrepreneurs.

For tickets and more information on the event, visit the website.

The Super Bowl is just around the corner and it’s not just football fans that are excited.

Even the most casual observers of sports will be gathering with friends to watch the big game, whether it’s for the action, the gambling, the beers or the snacks.

While many will choose to watch the game in the comfort of their own home or a friends place, there are plenty of spots to go out and catch the game in Kelowna.

We’ve compiled a quick list of seven central spots in Kelowna that you can’t go wrong watching the game.

Although these will all be great Super Bowl parties, there are definitely other venues that will be hosting fun events on Sunday, so be sure to look around before making a final decision.

We also have to point out that this list doesn’t include any bars in West Kelowna or Lake Country.

So without further adieu, here’s a few great spots to catch Sunday’s big game and cheer on the Kansas City Chiefs or San Francisco 49ers!

Dakoda’s Sports Bar
Once again, JCI Kelowna will be hosting a Super Bowl party at Dakoda’s. For $20, you’ll get entry into the party, a chili dog, a beer and a raffle entry. There’s also door prizes!

Super Bowl Party 2020

Super Bowl Sunday is back and JCI is hosting a watch party at Dakoda’s Sports Bar and Grill, starting at 2:30 p.m.

Tickets are $20 and there will be a ton of door prizes including a TV, pools, raffles, games and much more

Normally a politician will keep an answer vague when they are clearly saying no.

On a couple of occasions during the Junior Chamber International Kelowna luncheon on Tuesday, Mayor Colin Basran didn’t dance around the issue. He simply said you’re out of luck.

The event gave Kelowna’s young adults a chance to grill the mayor on the issues with which they are most concerned, and one such query revolved around transit. UBCO student union president Romil Jain told the mayor that students who choose affordable housing—instead of the more costly rental properties next to the university—are handcuffed by the fact that transit doesn’t serve some of those areas. Jain wanted to know how the city was going to close that gap.

“It’s tricky, but what I would say is we likely won’t be able to close that gap,” Basran said. “We’re going to have neighbourhoods (where) there is not the population density for us to be able to justify spending the money to run a partially full or even empty bus for a few students or a few people who are going to use it.

“In the next 20 years, we anticipate 40,000 to 50,000 new residents. Where we want to try and direct as much of that growth as possible is in our urban centres, where we can then justify—because we have the population density—of investing in the transit and connectivity of those urban centres with areas like UBCO and our airport and others.”

Transit is clearly one of the main issues on the minds of Kelowna’s young professionals, as are housing, the arts and quality of life. Those were the main themes among the approximately 15 questions or concerns Basran heard from the crowd at Coast Capri Hotel.

Some of the highlights from Tuesday’s lunch included:

• Basran was asked what the city could do to address the “sunshine tax” and drive down the cost of living. He said the city can only continue to grow its economy and create more high-paying jobs.

• The crowd generally felt there could be more spaces for the arts and more public gathering locations that don’t involve alcohol.

“What council will be grappling with over the coming years is who should be responsible for that space, who pays for it and who operates it,” said Basran, who added there are no spaces for the arts that are “imminent.”

• A JCI Kelowna member said all the new rental spaces in the city are great but don’t do anyone any good because they’re too expensive.

“Right now rent control is not something council is considering,” Basran said. “… From the things that I’ve seen, rent control has actually been far more detrimental long term than beneficial. Speaking for myself, I’m not a fan of rent control.

“We would rather try to increase the supply, and by doing such hopefully create more availability and, as a result, see the softening of rents that way.”

• A member of the audience said he thought DropBike’s presence in the city last summer was “cool.”

“So did we,” Basran said, noting it was the business’ decision to pull up stakes and leave the community earlier this year.

• The city’s new short-term rental restrictions were a concern of some in the crowd who said the Residential Tenancy Act makes long-term renting too risky of a proposal.

“Right now is it the top priority when it comes to housing in our community? No,” Basran said, noting supportive housing is the No. 1 issue in that department. “But it is on our list and we are aware of it, absolutely, because I know there are people in our community who are choosing not to rent their property out long-term because they feel like they have no recourse if they do come across a bad tenant.”

Kelowna mayor has frank answers at JCI Kelowna luncheon

Normally, a politician will keep an answer vague when they are clearly saying no.

On a couple of occasions during the Junior Chamber International Kelowna luncheon on Tuesday, Mayor Colin Basran didn’t dance around the issue.

He simply said you’re out of luck.

The event gave Kelowna’s young professionals a chance to grill the mayor on the issues with which they are most concerned, and one such query revolved around transit.

UBC Okanagan student president Romil Jain told the mayor that students who choose affordable housing — instead of the more costly rental properties next to the university — are handcuffed by the fact that transit doesn’t serve many of those areas. Jain wanted to know how the city might close that gap.

“It’s tricky, but what I would say is we likely won’t be able to close that gap,” Basran said. “We’re going to have neighbourhoods (where) there is not the population density for us to be able to justify spending the money to run a partially full or even empty bus for a few students or a few people who are going to use it."

Five years ago, the JCI's in Kelowna weren't open to women. Today they have a female president. And Danielle Hofer is glad to be a part of the progression.

Prior to the 2015 vote to allow women into the Kelowna JCI's there was a separate women's chapter. When the all women's chapter folded, according to Hofer, the Kelowna JCI's were faced with a choice. "The timing was really quite magical for me," recalled Hofer. "In 2016 I was able to join and it's been a great experience ever since."

The vice president is also a woman, so Hofer's presidency is not some kind of anomaly. And she sees it as a reflection of a community where women can feel comfortable in leadership roles.

"Especially with the work I'm doing with the Woman's Enterprise Centre," she said. "Working with women entrepreneurs we're seeing that more and more women are starting businesses, reaching their goals and I'm just happy to be part of it."

The JCI's today have a very diverse membership, and it's not just for entrepreneurs. "We've got people who work in auto body shops, we've got entrepreneurs, we've got lawyers, accountants, people like me who work at not-for-profits, artists, yoga instructors..." listed Hofer.

She said people join to improve leadership skills, to network, and just to meet a lot of great people. The organization also gets behind events that are good for the community at large, so there are things to feel good about.

The next big event for the JCI's is Mayor's Luncheon on November 12. "That's an opportunity for everyone in Kelowna to have a conversation with the Mayor and City Council," said Hofer. The group is also looking forward to its fundraising Lip Sync Battle November 14th at Munin's Post and she has plans to perform. It's a perfect example of how the JCI's find fun ways to get good things to happen.

The community will get a chance to get up close and personal with Kelowna Mayor Colin Basran.

JCI Kelowna hosts its fifth mayor's luncheon on Nov. 12.

The luncheon, hosted by the Kelowna Jaycees, is an opportunity for members of the public to engage in a "meaningful dialogue" with the mayor on topics affecting the city.

This year's luncheon focuses on the topic “what can the City of Kelowna do to attract and retain young active citizens to live and stay in our community, in particular around quality of life, housing and transportation?”

Join us for the 2019 JCI Mayor's Luncheon presented by Pushor Mitchell.

This lunch hour event is structured to allow members of the community to engage in meaningful dialogue with Kelowna City Mayor Colin Basran.

This is an excellent opportunity to get involved and actively shape our community. The food is going to be delicious and the networking opportunities are plenty.

This 5th annual event sells out each year. We look forward to seeing you there!

Agenda:

11:30 am Registration Opens

12:00 pm Event Starts

Mayor gives welcome speech
Plated Meal Served
Guided Discussion and Questions

1:30 pm Event Wraps Up

Thank you to our generous sponsors!

Buy your tickets on Trellis: https://trellis.org/jci-mayors-luncheon

Welcome to the 2019 JCI Kelowna Lip Sync Battle!

Calling all hair bands, disco divas, rappers, girl groups and boy band wanna-be's! This Lip Sync Battle will bring together some of Kelowna's best (and worst) performances!

Songs must be pre-selected and should be clipped around 2 minutes in length.

Individuals and groups up to 5 people welcome.

This event is a fundraiser for JCI Kelowna's effective speaking champions to compete at the national and international level.

Please bring a food bank donation as this event is replacing "trick or eat" this year.

Please complete the below form if you are battling. (We need your song in advance!)
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc-m-Da_HjTS0NeoESsuO6ieqllkAlrCOiVfD14o5SUKYkLew/viewform?usp=sf_link

Tickets here: https://trellis.org/lip-sync-battle-presented-by-jci-kelowna?fbclid=IwAR04_6aIaMQSb-OVV6sJ1-5hDhOWLn_ZoK-DQdSNszXCehV4T9PcAIjmB4I

JCI Kelowna elects the first female president in history

JCI Kelowna has elected its first female president.

Danielle Hofer is the first female chapter president in the organization's 84 years.

JCI Kelowna is a group of young individuals who aim to improve the community and are affiliated with Junior Chamber International.

Hofer will assume the position on Jan. 1.

Since joining the group in 2016, Hofer had assumed the roles of director of training and vice-president.

"She has been an integral part of the organization, and I look forward to what she’s bringing to the role in 2020," said outgoing president Trevor McTavish.

Hofer believes being elected as the first female president plays an important role for gender equality.

"I am honoured to be elected the first female president of this chapter, and I couldn't be more honoured to be building on the amazing work the women and men have done to get us to this point."

In 2016, JCI Kelowna changed its rules to include women.

JCI Kelowna dates back to 1935, focusing on giving young people the opportunity to grow professionally and personally.

JCI Kelowna elected its first woman president in its 84-year history.

Danielle Hofer, who had been on the board for two years, will officially take on the role Jan 1, 2020.

"This was an important night for gender equality," she said. "I am honoured to be elected the first female president of this chapter and I couldn't be more honored to be building on the amazing work the women and men have done to get us to this point."

Hofer previously held roles of director of training in 2018 and vice-president in 2019.

JCI Kelowna changed its bylaws to include women in 2016 in response to the women's chapter, JCI Okanagan folding. JCI Kelowna has since emerged as the leading group of young active citizens in Kelowna, drawing from all industries and helping to shape future leaders.

The 2020 elected board: Past President: Trevor McTavish, (ClearPath Wealth Management), President: Danielle Hofer, (Women's Enterprise Centre ), Vice President: Jenny Meyers (Art by JET), Secretary: Grace Manders, (Crowe MacKay LLP), Treasurer: Graham Fawcett, (QHR Technologies), Training Director: Katie Krebs, (Okanagan Co-Op), Membership Director: Ester Pike, (YMCA Okanagan) Social Director: Sean Daniel Springstead (WSP), Communications Director: Cody Pollard, (Fermented Dining), Director of External Events: Amal Alhuwayshil (Speaker, Yoga instructor)

JCI Kelowna is announcing a new keynote speakers event that's set to take place on Oct. 1 at the Kelowna Innovation Centre.

The event will take place from 5 to 9 p.m. and will feature three iconic Okanagan working professionals - including Metabridge founder Steve Wandler, historian Sharon Simpson, and former Walt Disney citizenship program director Nicole Rustad.

JCI Project Manager Ryan Lancaster explained that each speaker was chosen uniquely to ensure they matched the "building legacy" theme for the event.

"Steve has built an amazing foundation through his tech legacy. Sharon will speak towards the legacy builders of what is Kelowna today. Nicole brings her experience around creating corporate social responsibility for local companies," he said.

Audience members will also have an opportunity to talk with the speakers during the event, Lancaster noted.

"Each presentation will be about 30 minutes, and speakers will have discussions for about 10 minutes. To be honest, we don't know where the conversation will lead. We want to create a space for that," he stated.

JCI Kelowna is a a local, non-profit organization aiming to create better active citizens in local communities.

The upcoming GLEAN event, which stands for Grow. Lead. Educate. Activate. Nurture., is a series of fireside conversations on interesting and relevant topics with some of the Okanagan’s inspiring leaders, innovators and entrepreneurs.

The theme for this first event is Building Legacy — sharing stories and strategies of what it means to build an incredible legacy for yourself and the community.

This hybrid of storytelling and interactive discussion will focus on different topics, each curated with speakers who can engage in innovative conversations that inspire local leaders.

Presented by the Junior Chamber International (JCI) Kelowna and the Okanagan Young Professionals (OYP) Collective, these dynamic groups are creating a vibrant culture and community that attracts and retains young professionals to the Okanagan Valley through a variety of volunteer, social, professional, sports, arts, cultural events and activities.

To follow their mission, JCI and OYP have paired with Valhalla Angles to present insight from three accomplished speakers with the knowledge to help you build a lasting legacy of your own.

The speakers are:
Steve Wandler, dedicated to supporting Canadian technology entrepreneurship and investment, he founded Metabridge to connect startup entrepreneurs with mentors and VCs.

Sharron Simpson, a Kelowna keeper of time tells stories of the thought-leaders who shaped Kelowna as we know it today.

Nicole Rustad, a champion for world change, her initiatives include Disney's Hour of Code and Club Penguin’s Coins For Change.

Each of these speakers has created an extensive legacy for themselves and will now teach everyone willing to attend how to make a lasting impact on the Okanagan.

GLEAN Part 1: Building Legacy will take place on Tuesday, October 1st at the Innovation Centre Theater on Doyle Avenue.

Doors open - 5:30 pm

Networking - 6 to 7 pm

Speakers - 7 to 9 pm

Purchase your $25 ticket to this networking event and receive two beverages along with an evening of bonafide legacy building presentations from three amazing speakers.

This innovative idea is to build towards the GLEAN Summit in Spring 2020 following along a common theme as speakers discuss how local legacy projects and successful businesses were developed in the Okanagan.

Follow GLEAN on Facebook for more information and to stay in-the-know about future events, watch the Accelerate Okanagan events page and keep checking in on this Innovation Series.

Click here to purchase tickets to the first GLEAN event on October 1 and begin building your legacy.

The second annual ValleyDrive for food bank donations run by JCI Penticton and JCI Kelowna was a resounding success, with the organizations collecting 3,600 lbs of food and 2,292 respectively for their communities.

“The community really showed their support for ValleyDrive and was really appreciative of the fact we were there,” said Harpreet Sidhu, JCI Penticton president. “The number of people who made a point of thanking us and telling their stories of how the Salvation Army and food bank had helped them at some time in their past and how great it was that it’s still helping those made the day even more special.”

“We really appreciate the efforts by Harpreet and everyone and all of the businesses that sponsor this event,” said John Rankin, food bank manager at the Salvation Army in Penticton. “(After Christmas) we experience a slow season so this really helps fill the gap. Now are shelves are fully-stocked for the next while.”

This is the first year that JCI Kelowna took part in the campaign, and Sidhu said “it’s a great way for us as different chapters to work on a project together.”

“It helps us build stronger relationships between the two communities,” said Sidhu. “Here in Penticton we raised (more) food. So for us it’s great to have bragging rights for this year. Next year we’ll have to up our game to raise more food again.”

Many of the best young minds in our community are working hard to make the world a better place. Later this month, they come together to show the world what they've got and to compete for a $5 thousand first prize. It's the 7th annual Sustainable Development Challenge. A winner from last year, RSS student Keneisha Charles, and Danielle Hofer from JCI Kelowna (sponsor) stopped in to tell us about an event that celebrates our city's future leaders.

"This event focuses on youth," said Hofer, "enabling them to create projects that are making an impact on the world."

Participants have already been through a vetting process and those competing receive mentorship and guidance along the way. Hofer said it prepares them to make the best of their ideas and their presentations.

"By the time the students get to that competition stage, they're ready."

Charles is thrilled to see last year's winning presentation taking shape.

"My team at Rutland Senior Secondary developed 'Take Two' which is a plastic recycling workspace," said Charles. Her project didn't just win the contest, but it's coming to fruition at RSS. "We are going to be able to recycle at least 36 percent of our school's waste effectively diverting it from landfill, by creating new items with that."

Six teams will be vying for this year's title.

The event goes February 27th at the Mary Irwin Theatre with newly elected City Councillor Loyal Wooldridge handling MC duties. Tickets are by donation, but space is limited. To reserve ahead click here.

It's organized by GECCO the Global Empowerment Coalition of the Central Okanagan and Global Citizen Events.

An Okanagan-wide organization is helping to stock local food bank shelves.

JCI Chapters in Vernon, Kelowna and Penticton, in partnership with Black Press, will host the The Valley Drive, a four-hour food drive to end food shortages in the Okanagan.

In Vernon, the food drive will take place, Saturday, March 24, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the two Save-On-Food outlets at Village Green Centre and The Shops at Polson Park.

An Okanagan-wide organization is helping to stock local food bank shelves.

JCI Chapters in Vernon, Kelowna and Penticton, in partnership with Black Press, will host the The Valley Drive, a four-hour food drive to end food shortages in the Okanagan.

In Vernon, the food drive will take place, Saturday, March 24, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the two Save-On-Food outlets at Village Green Centre and The Shops at Polson Park.


"This is a huge initiative and we’re excited to take part," said Jason Keis of JCI Vernon. "This will help raise awareness people may not have about food bank shelves being empty after Christmas.

"We’re excited to bring this to the community."

The Valley Drive initiative, created by JCI Kelowna’s Cody Pollard, was developed in response to the massive shortages experienced by all food banks in the Okanagan at the end of the Christmas giving season.

After realizing most of the public is not aware of this issue, and bringing it to the attention of the JCI Kelowna chapter, The Valley Drive initiative was struck to combine forces and prevent another year of shortages for the children, families, and neighbours most in need in the communities.

"Please join us on that day to fill the grocery bag of someone who can’t," said Keis.

JCI Kelowna hosted their annual Mayor's Luncheon on Tuesday afternoon at the Kelowna Yacht Club as a way to spark conversation and engage the community.

Business professionals of all ages took in the event, where critical themes within the community were thoroughly discussed.

The 2017 event focused on three key topics: Business, sports and recreation as well as arts and culture.

Unlike previous years, this event featured a roundtable discussion following Mayor Basran's enthusiastic and informative speech, as opposed to the usual Q&A.

During his address to the audience, Mayor Basran touched on topics that are at the forefront of many community members minds. From homelessness and Kelowna’s population increase to the job market and tech sector, no topic was left undiscussed.

Though the event is meant to ignite important conversation, the serious nature was far from intimidating as jokes were cracked and laughs shared.

https://youtu.be/_K9n6SFJy0s

The second annual Rene Bourgault Legacy Golf Tournament took place on Friday afternoon at the Bear and Quail Golf Course in Kelowna.

The tournament was created by Bourgault four years ago, and following his passing his family and fellow JCI Kelowna members decided to carry it on in his memory, adding a philanthropic twist by supporting up and coming entrepreneurs.

The event welcomed dozens of Kelowna business professionals as well as Bourgault’s close friends and family who had the chance to enjoy a day out on the green, having a blast playing golf, enjoying mini games and remembering an adored community member.

The Rene Bourgault Legacy Golf Tournament presented by Synlawn will be returning for its sophomore year on July 21st, and with it will be a celebration of remembrance for a Kelowna local who was adored by his community.

Rene Bourgault started the tournament to support different local organizations. Since then, it has turned into a beautiful day to remember Bourgault.

“Everyone knew him and he helped so many. So after losing him, we didn’t want his tournament to dissolve. We decided to keep it going as a way to remember his vibrant personality and all he did in a positive way,” said Shereen Abbas, social director for JCI Kelowna.

Hosted by his fellow JCI Kelowna members, the event takes place at the Okanagan Golf Club. Those who attend can expect nine holes of golf in the beautiful Kelowna weather, mini games throughout the course and a hole-in-one contest where they can possibly win either a Subaru or a Lexus. After nine holes, a delicious dinner will follow with an auction and a chance to win some great prizes.

Besides having a great time, the event honours Bougault’s philanthropic legacy. The funds raised through ticket sales, the auction and the raffle will go towards a grant that will be given to Community Futures, in order to help up-and-coming young entrepreneurs get their start.

In following suit with most JCI Kelowna events, attendees can also expect abundant networking opportunities with other professionals and entrepreneurs.

Tickets for the tournament and dinner are available on Eventbrite, and they are quickly disappearing! Don’t miss this fun-filled day where an important member of the Kelowna business community is remembered.

At the BC/Yukon JCI Regional Convention, JCI Kelowna was recognized as the Chapter of the Year for 2016. 2016 also marked the year that JCI went-co-ed after over 80 years. The membership now includes nearly 90 young professionals in the local chapter. JCI is Junior Chamber International and they represent business people between 18 and 40 all over the world who simply want to do better by their community. The Rene Bourgault Legacy Golf Tournament sponsored by SYNLawn on July 21 gives the late young professional his own legacy while creating a grant for Community Futures that will be awarded to a local young entrepreneur. To register go to Eventbrite.

Known for his love of golf and charismatic character, Rene Bourgault was an active part of the Kelowna community who founded the Jaycees annual golf tournament.

Following Bourgualt's death, JCI Kelowna decided to continue his legacy with grant in his name for a deserving entrepreneur using proceeds from the golf tournament.

Bourgault, supported many events and fundraising initiatives in Kelowna, as well as was considered to be highly involved in the community.

The tournament he created continues on as the 2017 Rene Bourgault Legacy Golf Tournament presented by SYNLawn and will bring together over 140 professionals at the Okanagan Golf Club.

Funds raised will create a grant through Community Futures to provide start-up funding to an outstanding young entrepreneur in our community.

A ticket to the tournament includes a nine-hole Texas scramble tournament on the Bear Course, with carts for each team, a roast beef buffet dinner, raffle and draw prizes.

A portion of the proceeds will also be used to help fund professional and entrepreneurial development programs for local JCI members as Bourgault was an engaged member of the JCI Kelowna.

The annual golf tournament takes place on July 21, from 2:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.

On March 29th the Kelowna Jaycees hosted their annual Experience Night event at the Kelowna Film Factory.

The event welcomed those who are curious and want to learn more about the Jaycees as they got the opportunity to mix and mingle with members.

The event welcomed those who are curious and want to learn more about the Jaycees as they got the opportunity to mix and mingle with members.

Based around the idea of networking and learning, those in attendance got to spend the evening not only gaining more information on the Kelowna Jaycees and what they do in the community but making connections.

In addition to the great networking experience, attendees could also enjoy refreshing beverages courtesy of Okanagan Spirits, tasty appetizers, interesting speaker presentations as well as have a chance to win a door prize.

Community Futures Central Okanagan is pleased to announce that a Business Development Bursary has been launched in the Central Okanagan as a result of a generous donation received from Kelowna Jaycees on behalf of Rene Bourgault, a young entrepreneur who passed away suddenly in 2015.

Recipients of the bursary will receive business assessment, counseling, training and funding support for their new business.

“It is the intent of this bursary to support young entrepreneurs who might not normally be able to get support for their new business” states General Manager Larry Widmer. “Rene was a passionate young entrepreneur who struggled to get support for his new business when he was starting out so it is appropriate that this bursary will go to those that need it and deserve it most” explains Widmer. “We have a lot of valuable resources that will be made available to the recipients of this bursary that will greatly improve their chances of success”.

Community Futures Central Okanagan is a community based not for profit corporation that was established in 1990 that contributes to the social and economic well being of the Central Okanagan by providing small business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs access to services tailored to their individual needs. From financing to training programs, Community Futures is a full support centre for new and existing businesses.

The Mayor's Luncheon presented by the Kelowna Jaycee's made a return to Kelowna on Tuesday afternoon - back by to popular demand.

More than 100 local entrepreneurs attended the intimate event to listen to Mayor Colin Basran describe City Council's current and future plans for Kelowna and its rising business industry, as well as mix-and-mingle with local business owners.

The event was held at the Laurel Packinghouse for it's second year, adding a more personal feel in the close setting. Attendees dined on a delicious lunch, catered by Kitchen Sync Catering, while mingling with other young business professionals.

Mayor Basran offered an enthusiastic speech, discussing some of the current local issues Council is trying to alleviate, such as homelessness, housing shortages, and the burgeoning, local technology industry.

He also spoke fondly of our beautiful city saying, "I am so thankful to live in such an amazing place."

Basran also mentioned how impressive it is that our tech and business industry has grown so rapidly. He spoke of continuing to grow this sector, including his plans to help entice young families to come to Kelowna and university graduates to stay here.

Following his discussion, attendees had the opportunity to ask questions and share their hopes for Kelowna's future.

This event gave many local, young entrepreneurs the opportunity to meet and mingle with each other, as well as receive a picture of what our Mayor and City Council envision for Kelowna in the years to come.

David Kemp is a lawyer, which is a great thing for Kelowna because his passion and attention to detail are over the top.

You have already probably seen him out in the community representing Thomas Butler LLP. He will be practising in general business law and real estate, with a focus on real-estate development.

He also recognizes the growing film industry moving to the Okanagan, so he is building a practice in entertainment law as well.

Maybe he will be a star in the next big lawyer movie, too. This kid's got talent.

Come celebrate the grand opening of the new Baby n Me location happening this Saturday.

Don and Nicole Blevens are the owners of this local family owned business and they will have prizes and give aways all weekend, so make sure to stop in.

You can't miss it; it's the brightest pink building you have ever seen near Harvey and Cooper.

I met this family because they helped some random stranger at the airport that just happened to be my best friend so know you can count on them to help your growing family too.

The first of its kind. Change The Game Community Youth Fair is happening on Oct. 13 from 10 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. in City Park.

This youth fair is about inspiring and empowering youth to get involved and celebrate their community.

Activities and events at the fair will educate and encourage kids to take action and demonstrate how they can be part of positive social change by working together to give back to the causes they care about.

The outcome will be a fun, educational and life changing field trip offered for the first time to kids across the Okanagan.

With 1,500 Grade 6s attending they, would appreciate a few more volunteers. Visit http://www.changegamers.com/events/ for all the details.

Kelowna's Chamber of Commerce has kicked off Small Business Month by selecting the 2016 Business Leader — Tony Stewart.

He will be honoured at our 29th Annual Business Excellence Awards on Oct. 13 along with 30 other finalists in different categories.

Tickets are on sale until the end of the day.

Check out their Small Business week (Oct. 16-22) events – something for everyone from education to networking. Register for any of the events during October.

The Kelowna Jaycees held their elections last night and I am proud to announce that Graham Moir will be the 2017 president.

Graham has been an active member since he joined and is currently chairing their new Legacy Project. Graham, who works at the Spence Valuations Group, is one of the smartest guys I know.

I hope you will support him at work and in his new role as president. Congratulations, Graham, you deserve it.

Cider, Cask & Cheese. If I didn't know too much about B.C. Tree Fruits Cider Co., I would think this is a strange combination, but they have never let me down before, so I am willing to give it a shot.

They say "Whoever said wine and cheese were the perfect pairing have clearly never tried cider with cheese."

Go celebrate B.C. Cider Week by tasting their three ciders with local Okanagan cheeses and one surprise cask from our cellar masters.

This all happens on Oct. 15 from 11:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. at the cidery.

The Farm Credit Canada office here in Kelowna is proud to be the tractor tour for our district this year.

Prairie Coast Equipment has donated a tractor and trailer for them and they will have a designated route planned on Oct.13 to pick up food donations from the community to then take them to the Food Bank.

Also their office building (FCC, Canadian Western Bank, Glazier Polley Barristers & Solicitors and Seeger Law) is also holding a BBQ on Oct. 11 in their front parking lot with all proceeds going to the Food Bank as well.

See you there for lunch.

Make it a great week.

Do you have a community project, idea or concern that needs some expert attention – the Kelowna Jaycees want to help.

The 2016 Kelowna JCI Legacy Project is looking for a ideas for projects that will help tackle some of the biggest problems in Kelowna.

"We believe in bettering ourselves by improving our community for generations to come," said Ryan Lancaster in the promotional video.

"So if you've seen a challenge in our community or a problem the Jaycees can tackle reach out to us."

Those with submissions ideas are encouraged to 'like' the Kelowna Jaycees Facebook page and then enter their submissions to legacy@kelownajaycees.com.

"We want to hear from you, we want your ideas," added Lancaster.

Back by popular demand… it’s time to cozy up with Mayor Colin Basran, eat lunch and talk about the future of Kelowna.

The Kelowna Jaycees will be hosting the second annual Mayor’s Luncheon on Oct. 11 and tickets are now available.

"We're really lucky because Mayor Basran is a super cool dude. He's been kind enough to come on board with this and make it a fun event," said Ryan Lancaster with the Kelowna Jaycees.

Lancaster said it’s important for young professionals to know what’s going on in the city.

"It's more important than most people probably realize. It's important to have an understanding of what's happening in the city because for young professionals it's a place we want to make our home and run our businesses."

Among the goals of the Kelowna Jaycees is to make an impact in the local community. Lancaster said the group felt that connecting the leaders of the city in a transparent and informal environment would be one way to do that.

"This is our city and if we don't take the opportunity to help lead it then it's going to be led for us."

Last year, Basran spoke of the importance of young professionals in the community. This year, the mayor will speak about what he has planned for the coming year, including how changes will affect young entrepreneurs.

There are only 140 tickets for the small intimate lunch.

The first official Rene Bourgault Legacy Golf Tournament took place Friday afternoon at the Bear and Quail Golf Course in Kelowna. The event hosted by the Kelowna Jaycees gave many the opportunity to come together and celebrate the young local entrepreneur, who tragically lost his life last year.

Bourgault had initially organized the event in years passed to raise money for the Kelowna Women's Shelter. This year organizers have shifted the focus onto remembering Bourgault and giving part of the money to the Kelowna Jaycees to create a bursary to support young and struggling entrepreneurs.

YouTube

This event was a great way to get outside and remember someone who had such an impact on so many while being surrounded by friends.

To see more photos of this great event and the awesome participants, click here!

There is just a few days left to grab your tickets to the inaugural Rene Bourgault Legacy Golf Tournament.

The golf tournament was initially created by Bourgault himself as a benefit for the Kelowna Jaycees, but after his tragic death last year, the Jaycees took it on themselves to honour him.

Bourgault's life was cut short in a tragic rafting accident in August of 2015, just 27 days before he was set to marry the love of his life.

Bourgault is described as a driven and successful entrepreneur who was passionate about giving back to the community.

When Bourgault started in business, he struggled to secure financing, and was outspoken about creating opportunities for young entrepreneurs.

To carry that forward, the Jaycees are using this event to raise funds to support motivated young people in the community start on their own paths of entrepreneurship and business.

The event features a nine-hole Texas scramble golf tournament, a roast beef dinner, a whole bunch of side games, beverages, food and much more.

The July 15 tournament at Bear Course at the Okanagan Golf Club, presented by SYNLawn, is open to all golfers, from beginners to pros.

You can sign up as a group, or as an individual and we’ll find a group for you.

The Kelowna Jaycees are working with a Kelowna woman who lost her fiance in a white water rafting incident in order to bring hope and opportunity to others.

The young professional organization is working with Rene Bourgault’s fiancé Chelsea Ray to host a Legacy Golf Tournament in his name. Participants of all ages are encouraged to join in on the fun, which will take place on July 15 on the Bear Course at the Okanagan Golf Club.

“The Jaycees are working with Rene's fiancé Chelsea and she would like part of the proceeds to go to Community Futures to start a bursary for up and coming entrepreneurs," said Kelowna Jaycees president Kevin Lavigne. "Rene was told he wouldn't make it in business, but he proved a lot of people wrong and we want to help another young professional be as successful as he was."

There will be a silent auction, a hole-in-one prize of a Subaru, a raffle, and lots of laughs guaranteed, say organizers. But, most importantly, the tournament will support young entrepreneurs in the community. This is something Bourgault strongly believed in.

“Rene was an active member of the Jaycees and we are proud to be continuing the annual golf tournament, which he started and continued to run successfully over the last two years, in his name and to carry out his legacy in supporting the community,” added Lavigne.

Previous fundraising went to the Kelowna Women’s Shelter. Participants can sign up in a group or as an individual and tickets, which can be purchased online, include a nine-hole Texas scramble, a roast beef buffet dinner, raffle and draw prizes.

“Rene was a unique person that our community unfortunately lost last August. Rene was a driven and successful entrepreneur and he was passionate about giving back to the community. When Rene started in business, he struggled to secure financing, and was outspoken about creating opportunities for young entrepreneurs. To carry that forward, this event is raising funds to support motivated young people in our community start on their own paths of entrepreneurship and business.”

A portion of the proceeds will be used to help fund professional and entrepreneurial development programs for local Jaycees.

It’s in you to give; however, not everyone donates.

Canadian Blood Services is reaching out to residents who have never donated blood before and asking them to consider giving. Because you never know whose life could be saved with a blood donation.

Gayle Voyer, with Canadian Blood Services’ British Columbia and Yukon region, says 50,000 donors are needed nationally between now and the end of June, with an average of 45 to 60 donors giving blood in Kelowna each week.

“That is equivalent to 2,000 new donors in Kelowna this year," she said. "Across the country we need 100,000 new donors nationally, so that is a pretty big number.”

The hope is National Blood Donor Week, which kicked off June 13, will get new donors to sit down, roll up their sleeves and give blood.

Kelowna resident Amanda Sweeney knows the true value of giving blood after her mother’s life was saved thanks to several donations.

“Four years ago, last Tuesday, my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer and during that entire process ended up needing a double mastectomy,” she explained. “A routine operation didn’t turn out so routine.”

Sweeney’s mother was put into critical care and needed 11 units of blood.

“I can absolutely say that without those people who took 40 minutes of out their day to donate, those 11 people, she wouldn’t be here,” said a grateful Sweeney, adding she too is now a blood donor.

One of those people who gives whenever they can is Alexander Duncan. He has donated blood since he was just 16 years old and has now given more than 100 times.

“All it’s going to cost me is a little bit of time and if I can help somebody that is great. Plus, I wanted to see how it was done,” he said of the reason he first gave so many years ago.

In Kelowna, the Canadian Blood Services tries to get 100 people in the door each day that they are open.

“In our population we have had a number of people who have thought about stopping, they see our sign, but they haven’t made a commitment,” said Voyer. “I just encourage them to just walk through the doors and we make it really easy from that point on.”

National Blood Donor Week runs until June 18 and those who donate are encourage to post their experience to social media using the hashtag #givelife.

Kelowna marked National Blood Donor week on Tuesday as city Coun. Tracy Gray proclaimed the week on behalf of the mayor.

June 14 marks National Blood Donor Day, and to celebrate Gray was on hand with the daughter of a local recipient whose mother wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for a blood donor. Gray said that since Kelowna is the largest community in the region, the need for blood donations is ever-growing not just for locals but those who are sent to Kelowna General Hospital.

“All of the donations collected here are used in our city and in our province. Kelowna’s blood donors are literally the life blood of this organization,” explained Gray.

Amanda Sweeney knows first hand how important blood donations are as her mother needed one when she underwent surgery for a double mastectomy.

“Four years ago last Tuesday my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer. During that entire process she ended up needing a double mastectomy. A routine operation didn’t turn out so routine and after four hours of surgery turned into eight, which then turned into 12 hours of surgery she was put into critical care.”

Sweeney’s mother needed 11 units of blood as a result of the surgery.

“Without those people who took 60 minutes out of their day to donate, those 11 people, she wouldn’t be here. I’m getting married this year and my mom is going to be walking me down the aisle, I can’t say how thankful I am for those people who donated.”

To celebrate the day, the Kelowna Jaycees were at the blood clinic in Kelowna not only to donate, but to challenge other Jaycee members in the Okanagan to get out and donate.

National Blood Donor week runs from June 13 to 18 and is a time for those who donate and those considering to donate to go to their local clinic and give the gift of life.

A local group of young professionals have put together a clever video to welcome a Dragon into their organization.

The Kelowna Jaycees have made W. Brett Wilson — a Kelowna businessperson, investor and a former star of the reality TV show Dragon’s Den — an honorary member. And to mark the occasion they put together a short video that was released to YouTube this week.

The Kelowna Jaycees are a group of young professionals between 18 and 40 who gather together for networking and to help raise money and support for local charities and organizations.

The two minute video features half a dozen members comically debating whether or not to allow Wilson into their club.

They video references the recent decision to allow women into the club for the first time since the group was founded in 1935.

The Kelowna Jaycees are hitting the ground running in 2016, increasing membership and making an impact in the community.

Known more formally as the Junior Chamber International (JCI), the group continues to make headlines — from its volunteer initiatives, to its decision to become a co-ed organization, to the one of its flagship projects happening tomorrow, the newly named BDO Leadercast Kelowna 2016.

“The junior chamber is going through a very great expansion and shift, and the Leadercast event is one of our big events. We are really excited about the things we are doing to it this year and how we are incorporating some of our new members,” says Jaycees communication director Ryan Lancaster.

“At its core, Leadercast is about leadership, it's about personal development, it is about community, it is about inspiration, it is about entrepreneurship, it is about intrapreneurship.”

The event is broadcast live each year from Atlanta to 100,000-plus people in hundreds of hosting locations around the world, including Kelowna.

Speakers this year include Steve Wozniak, Kat Cole, James Brown and dozens more. The Kelowna event will be hosted by Raghwa Gopal, CEO of Accelerate Okanagan.

This year’s theme is “Architects of Tomorrow” and will focus on “what it means to be a visionary leader.”

The Kelowna event will be attended by more than 200 of the area’s most influential leaders and will be hosted at the UBC Okanagan campus this year. Tickets will include the event itself and will be followed by a networking social.

Lancaster says events like Leadercast are why the Jaycees are buzzing right now. He adds that a move last year by the Jaycees to include women in their membership has been met with excitement from the community.

“When the vote came through, we were delightfully surprised it went through and delightfully surprised with how seamlessly the transition happened,” says Lancaster.

He says since the change, the Jaycees membership has grown exponentially, climbing from 60 members last year to almost 100 in the recent months.

“Women just showed up to our next meeting in droves, which was awesome,” says Lancaster.

He says women have played a vital role in the success of their recent events and events to come.

“The concern was that the dynamic would change, old boys club, blah blah blah, but it didn't. When women started getting involved it was another person to offer value to our work. It was really seamless and it has been great for the organization as a whole,” says Lancaster.

“We are all still a group of good positive people who are trying do personal development, trying to connect with their community and trying to get back. Whether you are male or female, that is an across the board motivation.”

He says he believes in the mandate of the group strongly, as it has been crucial in his own personal and professional development.

“A lot of what we do is training and business and personal development. The first meeting I even went to was a self-defence class,” laughs Lancaster.

“I was kneeing a bag being held by the president at the time. From that to amazing training sessions with other community members. It is so awesome. It is a great group of young professionals looking to better themselves and better their community.”

If you're interested in this year's BDO Leadercast Kelowna 2016, click here to buy tickets.

“The schedule is full of amazing people,” says Lancaster.

“Whether you are an entrepreneur or a intrapreneur or you just want to be a better leader, Leadercast will leave you feeling inspired. It will motivate you and it will give you the simple life lessons and professional lessons that you can take back and apply to your life.”

Following a weekend of inspiration and professional development, members of the Kelowna JCI (Jaycees) gave back to the Central Okanagan Food Bank.

“We are a group of young people that provide development opportunities to create positive change in our community, and this is one of the ways we are doing that,” said community project organizer and JCI member Corrie Oman.

Sleeves were rolled up and clothes were casual as the Jaycees cleaned the food bank inside and out, from top to bottom.

“We have a group of volunteers doing a cleaning project,” explained Oman. “The food bank doesn't have a budget for cleaning, a lot of it is done by volunteers. So, every once in awhile it is good to do a really thorough clean on the days that they are closed.”

Once the food bank shelves were shining, the Jaycees volunteers teamed up for a competitive scavenger-hunt food drive, collecting donations for the food bank throughout downtown Kelowna.

“We are giving our time, there have been donations so there is giving of money and there is also giving of food today,” adds Oman.

Teams raced the clock to hit food drive stations at August Luxury Motorcars car, Edgecombe Builders, Safeway, Interior Savings, Valley First, EcCompass, Castanet and back to the food bank.

Teams collected items desperately needed by the food bank including toilet paper, baby food, tuna, fresh produce, dry pasta and food hampers.

To add to the incentive, the winning scavenger-hunt team was treated to a special ride in an August Luxury Motorcars Ferrari.

Sunday's community project was the final event of the the JCI Regional Convention held over the weekend.

Saturday night a gala and awards dinner was held featuring speakers including Kelowna mayor Colin Basran and W. Brett Wilson from Dragons' Den.

“It was a phenomenal presentation last night,” added Oman.

The Kelowna Jaycees are affiliated with Junior Chamber International (JCI); a worldwide federation of young leaders, between the ages of 18 and 40.

People who watched teams build sculptures out of food cans liked the Kelowna Jaycees' project best at the seventh annual Canstruction competition in Orchard Park mall.

The Jaycees won the People's Choice award for their project featuring Super Mario, a castle and a flag.
Canstruction is an annual fundraiser for the Central Okanagan Community Food Bank and Salvation Army.

The jurors' favourite was first-time participant Capri Insurance's "Hangry" Bird.

Other winners were:
Honorable mention — St. Joseph’s Elementary
Structural Ingenuity — CEFA
Best Use of Labels — Okanagan Adventist Academy
Best Meal — KSS.

There are only two days left for you can see the amazing can sculptures at Orchard Park Mall.

The theme of this year’s Canstruction is games, and includes sculptures of Super Mario, Lego, Angry Birds and many more.

This is the seventh year the local fundraiser has stacked cans to raise money for the Central Okanagan Community Food Bank. Schools, businesses and organizations collected more than 20,000 cans of food for the displays, with donations going to the Food Bank and the Salvation Army.

The competition started Feb. 29 with winners announced yesterday, March 4.

Juror’s chose Capri Insurance Services sculpture of a character from Angry Birds as best display but Kelowna Jaycees-JCI Kelowna won people’s choice. St. Joseph Catholic Elementary School took honourable mention and CEFA Kelowna won for structural ingenuity. Okanagan Adventist Academy won best use of labels and KSS took best meal.

After deciding to allow female members, membership has surged at the Kelowna Jaycees. In just one month, the membership count has gone from 60 to 80.

The group, which was previously male-only, has decided to capitalize on the momentum and is holding a social evening to tout the organization and attract new members. The session is March 8 at the Laurel Building. Register for $10 on the Kelowna Jaycees Facebook page.

The Jaycees are a junior chamber of commerce for business people up to age 40 who want to work on personal and professional growth.

The Kelowna Jaycees only recently became a coed organization and their new, more diverse membership, is ready to make a splash in the community and reach out to even more potential members.

Since the vote to be coed, the Jaycees have gone from having 60 members to over 80 in just a month.

hopes of building up even more support, they’re hosting an open event called ‘Experience JCI Kelowna’ night at the Laurel Packing House on March 8th.

Anyone who wants learn more about JCI and the work they do in the community can attend. So far, about 200 people have RSVP’d on Facebook.

Tickets will be $10 at the door and include a cocktail from Okanagan Spirits, a drink from Rider Cider, Big Surf, and an assortment of delectable appetizers by Chef Ben Pallett's 'Kitchen Sync Catering'.

The Jaycees have also announced changes to their flagship event, Leadercast.

BDO Canada LLP, a Canadian accounting firm, has come on board as the 3-year title sponsor of the Jaycees premier leadership event, now renamed BDO Leadercast Kelowna 2016 - brought to you by the Kelowna Jaycees.

Leadercast is the largest one-day leadership event in the world. The event is broadcast live each year from Atlanta to hundreds of hosting locations around the world, including Kelowna.

Speakers this year include Kat Cole, President @ FOCUS Brands, James Brown, from CBS News, Steve Wozniak, Co-Founder of Apple, and many more.

This year is themed “Architects of Tomorrow” with a focus on being visionary leader.

In Kelowna, the Jaycees event will be held at the UBC Okanagan campus.

“We saw this as a great opportunity to both grow our event and engage young local leaders as well,” said Gene Bernier, Leadercast Co-Chair, in a statement. “The Jaycees are all about being better so with this year’s event we wanted to give this opportunity not only to established professionals but to young professionals or students that will soon be entering the professional world who need important professional development skills as well.”

Early bird tickets are on sale for BDO Leadercast Kelowna 2016 until February 29, 2016 at only $100, but will be going up to $130 on March 1st, 2016.

Tickets include, a full day of leadership, and networking, a catered lunch, an after event networking social, a light breakfast,

Tickets are available at online at Eventbrite.

It took 85 years, but the Kelowna Jaycees is no longer a boys-only club.

The Kelowna branch of the young professionals and entrepreneurs club was segregated by gender until Thursday when over 75 per cent of its members voted to open the club up to women.

"A lot of the guys felt that this was their thing. The guys wanting to get together and have a poker night kind of thing," said past Jaycees president Sean Glendinning. "Girls have their night ... their book clubs, their wine clubs."

"If you are looking to attract the smartest young professionals in Kelowna, by adding the smartest women in the Okanagan and Kelowna region, that can only benefit the chapter."

The Kelowna Jaycees are one of the oldest chapters of Junior Chamber International, a worldwide federation of young leaders aged 18 to 40.

They were also one of the last to be segregated by gender.

Glendinning says that around 1987 the group changed its constitution to allow women to join, and for a while they did.

But in the 1990s, the women broke off to start their own group and Jaycees became all male again.

Glendinning told Radio West guest host Josh Page that the issue of letting women into the club had been a perennial one, but members were comfortable with women having a separate club and working with them on occasion.

He said the bylaw forbidding women largely stayed on the books because it required 75 per cent of the members to vote to change it.

The Kelowna Jaycees are now officially a co-ed organization, which aligns their policies with affiliated business organizations around the globe.

A motion to vote was brought forth at Thursday night’s general meeting, which was attended by over 60 Jaycees members, alumni andsSenators.

In a press release issued by the organization, Kevin Lavigne, the Jaycees new President for 2016 said he was optimistic about the change.

“I’m so excited to be leading this incredible organization and I would like to invite all of Kelowna’s young professionals to come see what JCI is all about," said Lavigne.

The group vigorously discussed the topic before the vote. With an 85 year history in Kelowna and a membership of past and current members that include many of the community’s top business, social and political leaders, there was much to discuss on how the organization should best move forward.

It was only natural, then, that their often criticized exclusion of women be highlighted. No other chapter of the Junior Chamber International— a business networking group that has chapters around the globe—excludes women.

"The Kelowna Jaycees have grown from a mere five person membership at times in the early '90s to now being one of the largest and most prominent community groups in the Okanagan," reads the release.

"Over the course of night the members all shared stories of what the Jaycees had meant to them. Some had joined for the social network and had found a camaraderie of brothers to call lifelong friends, others had joined to grow their business experience and had found a wealth of knowledge and personal growth, and yet others had joined to simply give back and had found purpose and a passion for helping the community."

In the end the group saw this vote as an opportunity to build upon the foundations they had all crafted over the last 85 years.

“Expanding our membership to co-ed allows us to reach further into the community and create a stronger lasting impact. It allows us to grow our network like never before giving us access to all of the top young professionals in the Okanagan,” said Ryan Lancaster, this year’s Communications Director for the group.

Last year’s President Sean Glendinning has been a member for seven years, and said he's never been more proud to be a Jaycee.

“I have seen our momentum change as we have continued to grow over the last couple years and now we can truly fulfil our vision of being the premiere leadership development organization in Kelowna," said Glendinning.

The Kelowna Jaycees are affiliated with Junior Chamber International and are active participants in a number of community building activities.

The Kelowna Jaycees are very excited to announce that as of today they have officially voted to become a co-ed organization. A motion to vote was brought forth at last night's general meeting which was attended by over 60 Jaycees members, Alumni and Senators. This vote ushers in a new era for the Kelowna Jaycees, with a vision and passion to grow and be better both as individuals and community leaders.

As like any motion the group took up a vigorous discussion on the topic. With an 85 year history in Kelowna and a membership of past and current members that include many of the community's top business, social and political leaders, there was much to discuss on how the organization should best move forward. The Kelowna Jaycees have grown from a mere 5 person membership at times in the early 90s to now being one of the largest and most prominent community groups in the Okanagan. Over the course of night the members all shared stories of what the Jaycees had meant to them. Some had joined for the social network and had found a comradery of brothers to call lifelong friends, others had joined to grow their business experience and had found a wealth of knowledge and personal growth, and yet others had joined to simply give back and had found purpose and a passion for helping the community. In the end the group saw this vote as an opportunity to build upon the foundations they had all crafted over the last 85 years. "Expanding our membership to co-ed allows us to reach further into the community and create a stronger lasting impact. It allows us to grow our network like never before giving us access to all of the top young professionals in the Okanagan," said Ryan Lancaster, this year's Communications Director for the group.

Kevin Lavigne, the Jaycees new President for 2016 expressed his optimism regarding the vote saying "I'm so excited to be leading this incredible organization and I would like to invite ALL of Kelowna's young professionals to come see what JCI is all about.

Last year's President Sean Glendinning has been a member now for 7 years. "I have never been more proud to be a Jaycee," he said. "I have seen our momentum change as we have continued to grow over the last couple years and now we can truly fulfil our vision of being the premiere leadership development organization in Kelowna."

The Kelowna Jaycees are affiliated with Junior Chamber International (JCI); a worldwide federation of young leaders, between the ages of 18-40. The Kelowna Jaycees are best known for their work with the Boys and Girls Club; most prominently the group revitalized the former Glenn Avenue School into the Kelowna Jaycees Downtown Youth Centre. Other community projects include annually participation in the Foodbank's Canstuction project, organizing clothing drives for the Gospel Mission Shelter, establishing and growing Leadercast Kelowna which hosts a live event of the world's largest leadership conference, and finally the now newly renamed annual Rene Bourgault Legacy Golf tournament which last year donated over $2000 to the Women's Shelter and The Elizabeth Fry Society.

Ryan Lancaster
Communications Director