Sun FM 89.7, Cowichan’s only radio station, has been named as the recipient of the Duncan Cowichan Chamber of Commerce’s inaugural Community Builder Award.
The new addition to the Chamber's Black Tie Awards, which is sponsored by Duncan’s Dairy Queen, celebrates a business, non-profit or community leader that has made a lasting and measurable impact through outstanding contributions, volunteerism and unwavering support for local causes.
Sun FM’s general manager Julie Winter said she and her 14-member staff at the radio station feel honoured to have won the award, and noted that all staff members work well beyond 40 hours a week at the station as well as fundraising and helping causes in the community.
“Everyone here believes in engaging in the community and we have a great platform to do that,” said Winter. “We try to get involved with as many community functions as we can. We found out [in late February] that we were nominated for this award, along with a bunch of other nominees, and it really feels good to win it.”
The chamber, whose board of directors chose Sun FM as the recipient of the Community Builder Award, said in a release that the radio station is a pillar of the community.
“Sun FM has long been a cornerstone of community engagement in the Cowichan Valley, consistently using its platform to amplify local voices, uplift businesses and support charitable initiatives, and their dedication to philanthropy, collaboration and advocacy has made a profound impact on the region,” the chamber said.
“From promoting grand openings and special events to providing free advertising for charitable causes, Sun FM plays a vital role in strengthening the community. Their team is present at nearly every major fundraiser, not just as broadcasters, but as active participants in making a difference.”
Sun FM is one of 52 radio stations in Canada owned by Vista Radio and Winter, who is also Vista’s national traffic director and national sales coordinator, said all Vista’s stations are deeply involved in helping out the communities where they operate.
She said one of Sun FM’s biggest fundraisers is the annual Stuff the Truck campaign, which has assembled 3,021 pallets of food, each worth $500, since 2016 that have gone to causes helping the less fortunate in the community at Christmas time, as well as grab bags and cash donations from the fundraiser.
“Stuff the Truck and all the other causes and events that we support in the community takes a lot of our time, but it’s an exciting part of our jobs and it feels good to give back,” she said.
Sun FM’s program director Justis Doucet added that working in the community doesn’t feel like work to him and the station’s staff.
“It’s nice to work at the station, but it’s also great to get out and meet the people in the community and help out where we can,” he said. “We see it as important work that’s also fun.”
Sun FM also plays key roles in the annual Tour de Rock, special Olympics fundraisers and the Radio Hug program that recognizes local heroes and unsung community champions, among others.
Winter and David van Deventer, chair of the Duncan Cowichan Chamber of Commerce and publisher of the Cowichan Valley Citizen, are also involved with the new 100 People Who Care Cowichan who will get together four times a year.
She said each participant contributes $100 each time they meet and the group decides on a worthy cause in Cowichan where the money will be donated.
Sun FM will receive its award at the chamber of commerce's 25th Black Tie Awards Gala on April 11 at the Chemainus Theatre Festival.
