Image Credit: SUBMITTED/Wikimedia Commons and B.C. RCMP
February 25, 2020 - 11:31 AM
A Kamloops woman is continuing her efforts to raise money to help the Shtuka family whose son Ryan has been missing at Sun Peaks over two years ago.
The family has been searching for Ryan since he went missing while walking home from a house party at Sun Peaks Resort near Kamloops on Feb. 17, 2018. He hasn't been seen since, despite countless efforts by his family and volunteers who have searched the area.
Theresa Edstrom is organizing the second annual 48-hour online silent auction to raise money for his family’s search efforts.
Edstrom met the Shtuka family when they came from Alberta to search the area for their son. She does what she can to help the family. She has put on fundraisers like a birthday dinner for Ryan.
“I got so many (auction item) donations I was overwhelmed and there was way too much to put up for the dinner… so I saved half of them,” Edstrom says. “So for his birthday one month later, I did the silent auction.”
Spa packages, restaurant gift certificates, family activity passes and various baskets were some of the items she auctioned off. Last year’s auction brought in around $2,500, which she says the Shtuka family uses to help with travel costs or pay private investigators.
“My heart breaks for them and if it was my family member or friend I’d want people to help me, so I do what I can. I’m not physically able to do as much, so I fundraise and put on events, that’s what I do.”
This year's online auction is scheduled to start on at 7 p.m. on March 15 and end at 7 p.m. on March 17.
The auction items will be posted to a Facebook page created to commemorate Ryan’s birthday, and the winners will be contacted by Edstrom.
Check out the Facebook page here for all the auction details and to contact Edstrom if you would like to donate auction items.
For past stories on the search for Ryan Shtuka go here.
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News from © iNFOnews, 2020