Boston Bar School "Cookie Monster" Fundraiser
Donation protected
We have had some requests on how to donate money off-line. Anyone wishing to donate can drop of cash or cheque donations. Cheques can be made out to Riley Forman. We will be keeping a record of all donations we receive.
You can reach out to Amanda or myself to drop off donations or they can be mailed to
Riley Forman
Box 1507
Hope, BC
V0X-1L0
We have created a facebook page for people to see updates and also this is where we will post all of our financial records showing how the money has been spent. https://www.facebook.com/bbcookiemonster
Currently we have raised $4,500 in offline funding.
A message from our team:
The start of the Covid-19 pandemic was just the beginning of a very difficult two years for Boston Bar, BC. Extreme weather events during the past two years pummeled the Fraser Canyon and cut Boston Bar off from the rest of the world countless times. From fires and floods, to record snowfall, avalanches, mud and rockslides, these devastating events served to cripple an already struggling economy. To help lift the spirits of the students of Boston Bar Elementary/Secondary School, the Connect Media Team has launched a fundraiser in tribute to the memory of a beloved long-time resident (and Boston Bar School employee) known locally as the “Cookie Monster”. We’d be incredibly grateful if you are able to donate to Boston Bar School or share this link. And this summer, when it is safe to travel the Fraser Canyon, we encourage you to visit and support local businesses between Hope and Cache Creek / Lillooet to help their communities begin the arduous climb to recovery. Thank you for your support!
Boston Bar School Cookie Monster Carving and School Fundraiser
I couldn't put it any better than Shawn when he said an absolute legend has been lost. If you have ever lived in Boston Bar, you likely knew who Ron Westerlund was -- which is unusual, because he wasn't a man who loved the limelight; and he wasn't the kind of guy to talk your ear off. To most of us, we knew him as someone who worked really hard and never expected an ounce of recognition in return.
Ron served the communities and the families of Boston Bar, North Bend and the surrounding communities through his role at the school for almost 30 years, and raised his family in North Bend as a resident for 60 years. He was an excellent gardener, a dog lover, and dedicated in his service to our community and his job in Maintenance at the Boston Bar School. You may not have known Ron very well, in fact, some of the kids at the school may not have even known his real name, but everyone knew he was the Cookie Monster. Although he liked to tease that he’d steal our cookies, he never did.
In recognition of all he did for our schools, we would like to install a giant Cookie Monster carving at the Boston Bar School. This will be to honour Ron’s memory, and bring some fun, colour, and happiness to all the future kids (and kids-at-heart) of Boston Bar.
We have spoken with carver Ryan Villiers who has created a long list of incredibly realistic carvings, including Jim Carrey as The Mask, John Candy, Sasquatch, and both the Rambo and Grinch carvings in Hope. Ryan has agreed to carve the Cookie Monster and is ready to add it to his job queue. In addition, we’ve reached out to Victor Smith and the Hope Communities in Bloom (who are the caretakers of the Hope carvings) for consulting, as well as volunteers and equipment needed to install it safely to prevent water damage and rot.
I have already reached out to the Westerlund family through Ron's daughter in-law and my long-time friend, Amanda Westerlund, before pursuing this group effort. The immediate family members have given their blessing to move forward with this heartfelt tribute to a beloved man who left an impact on so many in the community.
Ron may have loved the idea of this fun carving being created, as well as fundraising for Boston Bar, but we can almost guarantee that he wouldn't have wanted any fuss about him. We will respect that in this process by focusing our efforts on the carving and fundraising for Boston Bar Elementary/Secondary School.
We estimate that the costs of carving, including installation and materials will total to be $10-12 thousand dollars. 100% of funds donated will go directly to the carving and Boston Bar School. Any excess funds raised will go to Boston Bar School for supplies or student scholarships. Records of this will be posted on the Boston Bar Facebook group or by request to myself or Amanda Westerlund. This summer, we will do some offline fundraisers to help reach our goals and will update those results on the Boston Bar Facebook Group as well. It is possible to reduce our price if we can get our hands on a very large piece of cedar and volunteers to transport it to the carver in Edmonton. If you are able to help with that, please let myself or Amanda know.
Thank you for supporting Boston Bar School! Our sincere appreciation goes out to everyone who is able to help in any way, through contributions or sharing this link; and thank you to the school board, union members, and Cookie Monster fans everywhere, in memory and honour of Ron.
You can reach out to Amanda or myself to drop off donations or they can be mailed to
Riley Forman
Box 1507
Hope, BC
V0X-1L0
We have created a facebook page for people to see updates and also this is where we will post all of our financial records showing how the money has been spent. https://www.facebook.com/bbcookiemonster
Currently we have raised $4,500 in offline funding.
A message from our team:
The start of the Covid-19 pandemic was just the beginning of a very difficult two years for Boston Bar, BC. Extreme weather events during the past two years pummeled the Fraser Canyon and cut Boston Bar off from the rest of the world countless times. From fires and floods, to record snowfall, avalanches, mud and rockslides, these devastating events served to cripple an already struggling economy. To help lift the spirits of the students of Boston Bar Elementary/Secondary School, the Connect Media Team has launched a fundraiser in tribute to the memory of a beloved long-time resident (and Boston Bar School employee) known locally as the “Cookie Monster”. We’d be incredibly grateful if you are able to donate to Boston Bar School or share this link. And this summer, when it is safe to travel the Fraser Canyon, we encourage you to visit and support local businesses between Hope and Cache Creek / Lillooet to help their communities begin the arduous climb to recovery. Thank you for your support!
Boston Bar School Cookie Monster Carving and School Fundraiser
I couldn't put it any better than Shawn when he said an absolute legend has been lost. If you have ever lived in Boston Bar, you likely knew who Ron Westerlund was -- which is unusual, because he wasn't a man who loved the limelight; and he wasn't the kind of guy to talk your ear off. To most of us, we knew him as someone who worked really hard and never expected an ounce of recognition in return.
Ron served the communities and the families of Boston Bar, North Bend and the surrounding communities through his role at the school for almost 30 years, and raised his family in North Bend as a resident for 60 years. He was an excellent gardener, a dog lover, and dedicated in his service to our community and his job in Maintenance at the Boston Bar School. You may not have known Ron very well, in fact, some of the kids at the school may not have even known his real name, but everyone knew he was the Cookie Monster. Although he liked to tease that he’d steal our cookies, he never did.
In recognition of all he did for our schools, we would like to install a giant Cookie Monster carving at the Boston Bar School. This will be to honour Ron’s memory, and bring some fun, colour, and happiness to all the future kids (and kids-at-heart) of Boston Bar.
We have spoken with carver Ryan Villiers who has created a long list of incredibly realistic carvings, including Jim Carrey as The Mask, John Candy, Sasquatch, and both the Rambo and Grinch carvings in Hope. Ryan has agreed to carve the Cookie Monster and is ready to add it to his job queue. In addition, we’ve reached out to Victor Smith and the Hope Communities in Bloom (who are the caretakers of the Hope carvings) for consulting, as well as volunteers and equipment needed to install it safely to prevent water damage and rot.
I have already reached out to the Westerlund family through Ron's daughter in-law and my long-time friend, Amanda Westerlund, before pursuing this group effort. The immediate family members have given their blessing to move forward with this heartfelt tribute to a beloved man who left an impact on so many in the community.
Ron may have loved the idea of this fun carving being created, as well as fundraising for Boston Bar, but we can almost guarantee that he wouldn't have wanted any fuss about him. We will respect that in this process by focusing our efforts on the carving and fundraising for Boston Bar Elementary/Secondary School.
We estimate that the costs of carving, including installation and materials will total to be $10-12 thousand dollars. 100% of funds donated will go directly to the carving and Boston Bar School. Any excess funds raised will go to Boston Bar School for supplies or student scholarships. Records of this will be posted on the Boston Bar Facebook group or by request to myself or Amanda Westerlund. This summer, we will do some offline fundraisers to help reach our goals and will update those results on the Boston Bar Facebook Group as well. It is possible to reduce our price if we can get our hands on a very large piece of cedar and volunteers to transport it to the carver in Edmonton. If you are able to help with that, please let myself or Amanda know.
Thank you for supporting Boston Bar School! Our sincere appreciation goes out to everyone who is able to help in any way, through contributions or sharing this link; and thank you to the school board, union members, and Cookie Monster fans everywhere, in memory and honour of Ron.
Organizer
Riley Forman
Organizer
Hope, BC
