Vancouver Guandan Association extends support for wildfire relief
The $3,950 donation was presented to United Way BC in mid-August
The Vancouver Guandan Association (VGA) presented nearly $4,000 to United Way BC to continue ongoing wildfire relief efforts in Okanagan on Aug. 19.
Founded in 2018, the VGA is a non-profit social organization in Vancouver formed by Guandan enthusiasts.
Victor Chen, director of the VGA, wrote in an e-mail statement to The Runner that the association was founded to form a sense of community and togetherness in Vancouver and use the game to spread awareness about Chinese culture.
The association is also actively involved in charity fundraisers. From the Chinese Canadian community, their donation to the provincial organization, United Way BC, is a response to the 2026 B.C. wildfire season.
“We made this donation because we believe that a community should stand together in times of difficulty. The B.C. wildfires have affected many families and communities,” Chen wrote. “We hope to extend that spirit beyond the card table and give back to the community we all call home.”
The Canadian Alliance of Chinese Associations and the Feng Hong Family Foundation also donated a combined $20,000 and supplies to support emergency relief efforts.
United Way BC has operated in B.C. for over 100 years. They support non-profit organizations including the Central Okanagan Food Bank, Hope Community Services, and Desert Sun.
Manager of Emergency Response, Community Impact and Investment for United Way BC, Tobias Jones, says the organization serves as a non-profit addressing issues such as homelessness and youth care.
“When a community is impacted by a wildfire, and people are evacuated from that community to what we call a host community, we can provide funding to agencies, non-profits, and charities that are supporting those evacuees,” he says.
Jones adds it is great to see the community step up and donate to support their efforts, adding that United Way BC is thankful for donations like the one from the VGA. They would not be able to operate otherwise.
“To see that care and support is incredible, especially as we see increased wildfire seasons year after year,” Jones says. “It’s really significant, and we couldn’t do the work that we do without those dollars being raised.”
For the VGA, Chen wrote that the organization does not expect anything in return for their contributions to the community.
“We hope that our donation can provide meaningful support to affected families and communities, and help raise public awareness about the importance of standing together and supporting one another during difficult times.”
