A Kelowna neighbourhood rallied to put together a gift basket for a local business tagged with racist graffiti.
Danielle Kozek, a Realtor at Royal Lepage Kelowna, posted on Facebook asking for community donations to put together a gift basket for the owner and staff members at Bon Ga, a local Korean restaurant on Glenmore Road. Bon Ga was vandalized on Oct. 30 with swastikas, expletives and racist messaging, which prompted an RCMP investigation into the incident.
The gift basket was delivered on Friday, Nov. 6, with the help of local kids, families and business owners.
“Chocolates, wine, coffee, candles, T-shirts, gift cards galore and the list goes on. Nearly 50 cards and the best ones, I must say, were from the children. We had Girl Guides, classrooms from Watson Road and Glenmore Elementary and many local kids take part,” wrote Kozek in a Facebook post.
Dozens of community members commented supportive messages on Kozek’s post, commending the community for rallying together against the racist act.
Kelowna Mayor Colin Basran also spoke up against the incident.
“This kind of hateful vandalism is taken very seriously by police and by the City of Kelowna,” he said. “On behalf of the entire community, I express our dismay for this disgusting display of ignorance. This vile act, however, offers us an opportunity for us to all stand together and show that one small-minded person with a container of spray paint does not represent our community.”
READ MORE: Kelowna residents rally behind Korean restaurant targeted with racist graffiti
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