Here's something that means very much to the staff in the Spareparts office, about half of which were born in Canora, Saskatchewan. Canora is a small rural farm community of 2,500 people located in Eastern Saskatchewan..."our financial resources are limited but our will and determination is incalculable."  Our buyer, Colleen Kraynick brought this initiative to our attention the other day and we all got behind it 100 %. Not only is it a way to memorialize Colleen's cousin Chase, who seems like he was just the best little dude ever, it will also be a great way to build community and embrace activity in Canora. Please give this charming and heartwarming video a watch and read on to see how you can help!

Chase Kraynick "Pay It Forward" Splash Park

Chase's parents entered the Splash Park idea in the Aviva Community Fund competition to win $100,000 which would be put toward building the Chase Kraynick Memorial Splash Park a reality.  Currently they are up against over 300 other project ideas that have been entered from all across Canada.  Therefore, making it through Round 1 is critical.  The only way to advance through this first qualifying round is to collect the highest number of online votes for the project proposal.

This is where we need your support.  They are asking you to vote for their project idea every single day of the voting period, if you'll be so kind.  The online voting timeline is from October 1st to October 15th and votes are tabulated on a daily basis during this time period.

Vote here.

Here is a bit of additional information on the project from Chase's parents:

In 2011, the Canora Junior Elementary School took on the task of spreading the idea within the community that it only takes one person to make a difference. They taught their students the concept of “Paying it Forward” and handed out Pay it Forward cards to each students asking them to think about ways to use them. Chase was only 6 years old when he came home with his card and he was constantly thinking of ways he could make a difference. Whether it was shoveling the neighbor’s driveway in the winter or opening doors for others, Chase’s heart was so full of love and goodness to share. The lesson our family learned was that no matter how young or old, rich or poor, everyone has something to give.

Chase was suddenly taken from us in a tragic farming accident on May 24, 2011. He was only 6 years old. When he passed away we handed out his Pay It Forward cards to all the people who attended his funeral, and still do to this day, as a reminder of who Chase really was: a loving little boy with so much to offer.

Our family’s way of paying it forward in memory of Chase is to build a splash park in Canora. This splash park will be a place where friends and family of any age will be able to engage in healthy, barrier free fun while creating memories to last a lifetime. This splash park will be comprised of a 3,400 sq ft concrete pad with 18 splash components themed to reflect all the things Chase loved (farming, sports and the great outdoors).

We’ve received pledges of commitment from many individuals, tradespeople and organizations within our community. The Town of Canora is donating the land where the park will be built, the ongoing maintenance and upkeep of the park for an indefinite period of time, as well as a substantial financial contribution towards the project.

When you Pay It Forward, the line between giving and receiving gets blurred. Soon it feels just as good to give as it does to receive.

We hope that people continue to pay it forward in memory of our son regardless of the outcome of this contest.