Stay Tuned

Christine and I are working out a Jammin' for Joel with Arbonne International Fundraising event. I will post when we have the details sorted out.

I need to thank Christine from Arbonne International for a great auction item and for her continued support.

A link was shared with me and this article is worth sharing here too. Thank you to the Ruttkiewicz family!!!

Family of the Year: Soke family honoured with significant tribute
By Jim Sinclair - Sooke News Mirror - December 05, 2007

The Ruttkiewicz family didn’t see it coming, and when they heard they’d been selected as the British Columbia and Yukon Community Newspapers Association “Family of the Year,” mom Michelle says she thought it was a gag.

Local resident Grania Bridal, someone not especially wellknown to the family of four, is the one who had nominated the family for the award.

Required in the nomination process was a 500-word essay about how the family made their own or someone else’s wishes come true. “They’re an inspirational family,” declared Bridal on her decision to nominate the Ruttkiewicz’. Happily, the Sooke News Mirror had a role to play in the process, as Bridal explained. “A few weeks ago they were SEAPARC Stars of the Week,” she said. “I saw the write-up on them and two pages later the ad for the Family of the Year nominations, and thought, ‘Duh?’ I’d known of them also because I’m a member of the Sooke Arts Council and they offer up wall space for our annual art show so I knew they were patrons of the arts already, and that’s wonderful.”

The Ruttkiewicz’s prize package included a trip to Vancouver for a Disney on Ice presentation. For elder son Marlon the high-speed elevator to the family’s 30th floor hotel room was one of the highlights of the trip. A $500 donation is also to be made to the charity of the family’s
choice. “We were just blown away,” said father Andreas of the distinction.

Andreas and Michelle own and operate the Little Vienna Bakery and Restaurant in Sooke. Andreas described some of what they’re involved in that may have led to the nomination. “We provide all of our leftover goods to Vital Vittles and the women’s shelter,” he said. “We have two kids with special needs so we’re involved heavily with CASA (Sooke Cooperative Association of Service Agencies) and our school (Poirier elementary)... and just in general with the community.”

The boys, 10-year-old Marlon and seven-year-old Quinn, are happy and active, and both enjoyed their Vancouver experience. As well as being a big sports fan Marlon loves to play the drums. Quinn likes doing pretty much whatever his older brother is doing.

“There must be a million-and-a-half families who deserve it as much as we do,” said Andreas of the award. “It’s a total honour,” said Michelle. “We’ve both been on cloud-nine about it in the last week. It’s a good reminder when we’re having hard days that we must be doing something right.”

While very happy with the recognition, Michelle shares the credit with her friends and neighbours. “We decided to move to Sooke six years ago,” she recalled. “We wanted to be in a
small community because our children have the challenges they have. We were just so well-received and embraced by the community. I really feel it’s only because of the support from the people of Sooke that we were able to open this kind of business.”

As the BCYCNA Family of the Year, the Ruttkiewicz’s were presented with a plaque, honouring their achievement by Sooke News Mirror’s publisher, Rod Sluggett (see photo), as well as a VIP Family package for Disney on Ice presents Princess Wishes on November 24 at the Pacific Coliseum. The prize included rink-side premium seating, special gifts, all travel expenses and accomodation, and a $500 donation made in their name to the charity of the family’s choice.

The Ruttkiewicz’s chose to donate the $500 to Joel & Michelle Dorval of Sooke, whose six-year-old son Joel is undergoing chemotheraphy at the BC Children’s Hospital for Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. The BCYCNA aims to continue the Family of the Year program in 2008, and we hope that another deserving family will be recognized for their acts of kindness.

Congratulations to the Ruttkiewicz’s!