HELPING HAND
A group known for its charitable efforts is helping to combat cancer with a donation to Royal Columbian Hospital, which serves the Tri-Cities.
The Buddhist Compassion Relief Tzu Chi Foundation of Canada made a $29,000 contribution to the RCH Foundation for a colonoscope to be used at the ambulatory care unit. The equipment will assist physicians to detect life-threatening colon cancer.
Since 2003, Tzu Chi Canada has donated more than $240,000 to the hospital foundation, a spokesperson said.
ALL THE WAY
The 525 songsters who gathered near Lafarge Lake set a record for the city of Coquitlam last month.
On Dec. 22, the city - as part of its holiday celebrations and Park Spark program - invited the public to sing Jingle Bells in an attempt host the largest choir for the Christmas tune.
City spokesperson Kathleen Vincent reported this week the event hit the top for Record Setter.
THANKS
Crossroads Hospice Society, which has a centre in Port Moody for the dying, accepted two large donations from the community recently.
For the seventh year in a row, New Westminster Police donated proceeds from their annual golf tournament in memory of police sergeant Keith Logan.
The latest contribution of $20,500 brings their grand total for Crossroads to $101,152.
And RBC employees in Port Moody, Burnaby and New Westminster handed over $2,110 to the non-profit group from its annual Denim Days.
Employees bought and wore Crossroads pins for a chance to "go casual" and don their denims. To date, RBC has raised over raised $9,141 in support of Crossroads.
TREE CHIP
The annual Christmas tree chip by the Port Coquitlam firefighters this month fueled in some $4,100 for the B.C. Professional Firefighters' Association Burn Fund.
25 YEARS
A Port Coquitlam city employee was recognized at Monday's city council meeting for her quarter century of service with the municipality.
Trish Lemire started with PoCo in 1987 as an on-call administrator; she is now overseeing the green waste operations at multi-family units, PoCo Mayor Greg Moore said.
POMO ART
Port Moody Mayor Mike Clay opened the first council meeting of the year with an introduction to Port Moody Arts Centre's new wood exhibit.
Belcarra woodturner Des Wilson showed council two pieces - a jewellery box and natural-edge bowl - that will be part of the Greater Vancouver Woodturners' Guild display called Not Just Round, which opened last night.
Meanwhile, council also heard a delegation from J Peachy, the creative director of Canadian Sound Therapy Arts Society, who spoke about planning for the Burrard Inlet Fish Fest.
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