Photo credit: RocketFAN

By Regan Bartel

Domino's donates to BGC Okanagan

Rockets score and Domino’s delivers in helping youth

May 29, 2023 | 6:00 AM

The Kelowna Rockets like to score goals.

Domino’s Pizza, with eight locations in the Central Okanagan, loves giving back to the community.

With the hockey club contributing on the ice, and Domino’s donating $25 dollars for each goal scored this past season, the local not-for-profit ended up winning big to help youth in the community.

Domino’s presented the Kelowna-based Boys and Girls Club, known now as simply BGC Okanagan, with $5,250 dollars during a cheque presentation Friday afternoon.

“It does a ton”, BGC Okanagan Community Engagement Coordinator Richelle Leckey told RocketFAN about Domino’s contribution. “It is impacting the kinds of programs that we can offer the kids and families.”

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“That has been the mandate in the community”, Domino’s Pizza franchisee Jamie Banner added. “I’ve been here 30 years. My kids have grown up here, and if we can give, if we can give to the kids as a helping hand, it keeps them off the streets, and that is our aim.”

BGC’s mission is to provide a safe, supportive place where children and youth can experience new opportunities, overcome barriers, build positive relationships, and develop confidence and skills for life.

“We provide services up and down the valley from Osoyoos to Salmon Arm”, Leckey continued. “Over the last few months, we’ve expanded to include inclusive child care. We have 45 service locations up and down the valley.”

With close to 400 staff, and a large number of volunteers, BGC works with prenatal kids to adulthood, while providing child care.

“People often ask where do we get the funding for all that we do”, Leckey added. “We get federal, provincial, and municipal dollars. We do fundraising and we have generous donors, which is what Domino’s is doing here today, which is amazing.”

Prior to COVID, BGC Okanagan worked with close to 8,000 kids and their families over the course of the year with close to 1500 coming through the door every day.

“We work with youth at risk”, Leckey said. “We do prevention around youth homelessness, and we even have a shelter for youth who are on the streets that are homeless.”

Domino’s Pizza was a major sponsor of Kelowna Rockets radio broadcasts this past season on 104.7 – The Lizard, with locations from West Kelowna to Lake Country.

“Parents at home may be trying their best, but they just aren’t able to do it”, Banner added. “I am happy to step up with free pizzas or donations, that is what we [Domino’s] want to do.”

In a nutshell, BGC Okanagan provides services to young people during critical out-of-school hours, with the Kelowna branch opening its doors back in 1959.

“That is our goal,” Leckey concluded. “When they tell us [families] how we have changed the direction of people’s lives, that is our goal, to give every child who needs it, an opportunity to discover, learn and grow and become amazing people.”