Thousands of bottles have already been collected to raise funds for Grace Calhoun

By Tommy Osborne

UNBC Bottle Drive

Bottles for a cause: UNBC Timberwolves raising funds for community member with life changing diagnosis

Mar 23, 2024 | 2:43 PM

PRINCE GEORGE – As part of its annual MVP of the Month campaign, the UNBC Timberwolves are hard at work this afternoon and will be out on the streets again tomorrow to raise funds for Grace Calhoun.

Calhoun is a mother of five and a very active member of the community and 4H, but a recent life-changing diagnosis has limited her mobility, meaning she now has to use a wheelchair full time. When she first heard that the Timberwolves wanted to raise funds for her, she says she was really touched and that the help means everything to her.

“I miss my freedom so much to be independent and getting out in the community, going to work, volunteering all of that. And whether I’m volunteering or going to work, unfortunately it all costs money to get the right equipment. Whether it’s the vehicle, new wheelchair, all of that costs so much and it’s so out of reach for me, so all of this really gets me a step closer to my freedom again,” Calhoun said.

The Timberwolves MVP of the Month campaign has two separate fundraisers. The first is the fill the bus campaign, taking place at Art Knapp Plantland Home & Garden on 4411 Kimball Road, where UNBC athletes are collecting bottles. This campaign runs on March 23 and 24 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., and all bottles collected will go towards helping Calhoun. Later this week, a charity dodgeball tournament will also help raise funds.

“It does mean the world to me because my kids are in every kind of sport and activity, so getting to be a mom and getting to see them at their events, that’s huge for me. Getting to volunteer with 4H again, that brings so much joy to my heart,” she said.

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“It’s been a huge change for me to have to be home. I really just want to be out and have that freedom. Everyone takes that for granted, but when your life changes, suddenly it’s such a different life that you just don’t understand what that can be like. So this just gets me a step closer to living my best life.” she continued.

For the UNBC athletes involved, they say the chance to help someone out in such a meaningful way makes all the effort worth it. For soccer player Noah Ballinger, it’s his fourth time taking part in the MVP of the Month campaign, and having seen how impactful it can be in years past has really motivated him to give it his all.

“For me, I think that it just initially started as something that we do and it’s a commitment that we put in. But now I’ve seen how much of a difference that we can make for these people, for our MVP, every year. So it’s just been really inspiring to see that, and now I want to come out here and do what I can to contribute to that and hopefully just end up making a difference in Grace’s life,” Ballinger said.

You can support Calhoun and UNBC by dropping bottles off at Art Knapp, or you can also visit a gofundme started by one of Calhoun’s friends.

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