Teresa Fournier, owner of Trail Bay Source For Sports, is this year's winner of the prestigious Norm Bodle Memorial Award.
The prize is given annually to the member who is most supportive of the Sports Distributors of Canada and who encourages and supports other members.
Wow! With a few tears and lack of words, I am truly honoured to receive this award. I know that I wouldn't have been considered for it without the support of my fellow members and head office staff, Fournier said in a press release.
Along with having her name engraved on a plaque that hangs in the lobby of the SDC headquarters in Burlington, Ont. Fournier, a long-time supporter of many initiatives on the Sunshine Coast, received $1,000 to give to the charity of her choice the Ruby Slipper Fund.
Sandie Lanskail, one of the principals of the Ruby Slipper Fund, was thrilled to get the donation.
Teresa said, 'hands down I knew right away where the donation would go,' Lanskail said. The ladies of Ruby Slipper were happy to accept.
In recognition of Fournier's donation, she was invited to place the first red ball on the Ruby Slipper Christmas tree located at the Daily Roast in Sechelt. The donations received there and at the Sunshine Coast Credit Union in Sechelt enable families to better care for their loved ones dealing with cancer.
The Ruby Slipper Fund was started four years ago in honour of Patsy Rothenbush, who succumbed to cancer in July of 2009. One of her most fervent wishes was that other people terminally ill with cancer be accorded the same privilege Rothenbush was to be able to spend their last days at home.
Rothenbush was well aware of the difficulties cancer patients and their families faced monetarily. She asked her friends to remember her by helping others struggling with the challenges of cancer. The Christmas tree bulbs and a spring shoe and handbag extravaganza are the primary fundraisers of the amazing Ruby Slipper Fund.
The fund picks up costs not covered under medical or other extended health plans. During the past year the Fund has also provided for a support group for people dealing with cancer.
If you'd like to support this 100 per cent Sunshine Coast organization, donations will be gratefully accepted at the Daily Roast and the Sechelt branch of the Sunshine Coast Credit Union from now until Christmas. Donations are most welcome any time of year by mail to Box 457, Sechelt, V0N 3A0.
