Vernon RCMP get in the spirit of giving

VERNON – Between attending car accidents on winter roads, looking for missing people, and investigating criminal cases, Vernon police officers are finding time to give back to the community this holiday season.

Vernon RCMP officer Cpl. Yannick Lescarbeau, along with several hockey coaches and managers, organized a charity hockey tournament in support of the Sick Kids Foundation last weekend at Apex Mountain, near Penticton.

“The idea came to Cpl. Lescarbeau during the managing of his Atom team, ages 9-10. (He) noticed families of healthy young players also dealing with siblings with various disabilities. Two of the children on his team have some form of disabilities,” RCMP spokesperson Gord Molendyk said. “As a result of this he started to look for opportunities to help the families as well as educate his players about those children that are less fortunate and the need to show acceptance and compassion when dealing with them.

The tournament raised over $10,000 for the foundation, which treats more than 100,000 children across Canada every year.

Teams from Williams Lake, West Kelowna and Penticton also participated in the event.

Officers from the Vernon detachment also dressed in red serge and spent time serving Christmas lunches to seniors in Enderby and Vernon recently.

“(The) lunch and interaction was enjoyed by all who attended,” Molendyk said.

To contact the reporter for this story, email Charlotte Helston at chelston@infonews.ca or call 250-309-5230. To contact the editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.