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Maple Ridge mechanical contracting business donates $25,000 to food bank

Vanguard Mechanical matched their staff’s fundraising efforts
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Evan Seal, left, with the Friends In Need Food Bank, accepts a $25,000 donation from Jacob Kuehne, owner of Vanguard Mechanical, and his daughter Sophia, 15. (Special to The News)

A Maple Ridge mechanical contractor has donated $25,000 to the local food bank.

The staff at Vanguard Mechanical held various fundraising missions starting at the beginning of October, which were more than matched by the company’s owners for the grand total going towards the Friends In Need Food Bank.

“We also understand there is a greater need than ever this season,” said Jacob Kuehne, co-owner of Vanguard Mechanical, noting that they are thrilled to be in a position to contribute to the community on this level.

This is the eighth year of the fundraising campaign.

Vanguard employee, Lauren Boyes, explained the fundraiser has become a company tradition and contributions have been increasing each year – resulting in this year’s record donation. Fundraising began with the annual kick off on Oct 1, at “Rocktoberfest” a private event held at the Kuehne’s residence.

Each weekend, from Oct. 15 to Dec. 4, venues were booked – at the Save-On-Foods at Westgate Shopping Centre, FreshCo, and Canadian Tire – where employees set up a stand display to collect donations.

Staff volunteered their time in shifts, said Boyes, who organized this part of the fundraising drive, and some were even joined by their children. They handed out flyers, gave out candy canes, sang, and danced. And, she said, the businesses were happy to accommodate them.

“We are so grateful for that,” she said.

Vanguard Mechanical was established in 2005 as a mechanical contractor specializing in new construction projects throughout the Lower Mainland.

READ ALSO: Maple Ridge company raises $20,000 for food bank

ALSO: Demand soars for the food bank in Maple Ridge


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Colleen Flanagan

About the Author: Colleen Flanagan

I got my start with Black Press Media in 2003 as a photojournalist.
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