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Fundraising always fun for Team Family Fun

”A big thank you to all our supporters,” says member Mary Ann Kopetski
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Joyce Standbridge (left) and Elaine Kopetski with Team Family Fun were at this month’s West Quesnel Night Market with a sucker pull. (Rebecca Dyok photo — Quesnel Observer)

Fundraising for the Terry Fox Foundation continues to be fun for Team Family Fun which has raised thousands of dollars for cancer research.

Since 2015 the close-knit group of family members has collected more than $100,000 through bottle drives, sucker pulls, concessions, bake sales and even root beer floats.

“We do anything we can think of,” said Mary Ann Kopetski.

Team Family Fun was born in 2002, with their name coming from Kopetski’s young nephew. They supported the Canadian Cancer Society Relay For Life before shifting to the Terry Fox Foundation.

“When we were with Relay For Life, we had three generations of family on them, and now we’re down to just one, but we’re all getting older,” Kopetski said.

Today Team Family Fun consists of five sisters, two brothers-in-law and a cousin.

While the group may have gotten smaller and had to slow down mostly due to health, COVID-19 and Billy Barker Days, which many volunteer for, Kopetski maintains the fun remains the same.

”It’s great because it’s something you can all do together,” she said. “It’s a lot of work, but it’s also great because of the community support you get, so it’s very encouraging and humbling. Their words of encouragement keep us going.”

Kopetski said they have many supporters and sponsors, including the Rotary Club of Quesnel and Johnston Meier Insurance, who provided them with a tent.

Team Family Fun’s main fundraiser is bottle drives held in Bouchie Lake at the Bouchie Lake-Milburn Community Park.

“Most of us have knee and back problems and can’t really walk, but we get out there, and we’ll go to the park and turn in our money,” Kopetski said of next month’s Terry Fox Run. “Some of us just do a little loop around the park as much as possible, but we’ll be there, and then we all go out for lunch.”

In Quesnel, the Terry Fox Run is set to take place at LeBourdais Park on Sunday, Sept. 18, after which Team Family Fun will launch a new year of fundraising.

Kopetski said they hope to return to indoor markets at Bouchie Lake and, in December, to sell Christmas cookie kits.

Do you have something to add to this story, or something else we should report on? Email: rebecca.dyok@quesnelobserver.com



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