To many in the North Thompson Valley and the Kamloops region, Drake and Avril Smith are not only business owners but also family friends and neighbours. The Smiths were long-time residents in the North Thompson Valley, community volunteers, and former owners of Drake Cremation and Funeral Services, which they sold last year before moving to retire in Sydney, B.C.
On a trip back to the valley on Nov. 5, Drake spoke with Black Press while on a special mission which saw stops in Kamloops and the North Thompson to present cheques in the amount of $7,500 each to the Clearwater and District Hospice Society, Barriere Hospice Society, and the Dr. Helmcken Memorial Hospital Auxiliary and Kamloops Hospice Association.
When asked what prompted these incredibly generous donations, Smith replied, “My wife Avril and I still own Drake Crematorium Ltd. Because we still own the crematorium, we collect the minerals that remain after cremation takes place and send them to a company in Illinois. It’s a recycling company and they send us a cheque for the value of the minerals and metals. This represents over $30,000 that they have sent to us this year, and it seems only fitting to give that money back to the communities that have allowed us to serve them.
“It was very important for me to come to Barriere and Clearwater earlier last week to donate this money to such worthwhile charities in the communities we love and that we have served for so many years," Smith added.
The recycling of metallic remains that are not consumed during the cremation process is an environmentally sound practice that is now common in the U.S., Canada, and many European countries.
The Smiths credit their crematorium manager, Hans Korvenmaker, for setting up the arrangement with the recycling company in Illinois. “He deserves a lot of credit for making sure that this program runs smoothly and well,” said Smith.
Dr. Helmcken Memorial Hospital Auxiliary member Gail Capostinsky commented on the donation to the organizations following the cheque presentations.
“These funds will be used to purchase new and replacement equipment for our local health care as well as supporting the hospice organizations in Clearwater, Barriere and Kamloops. We all owe a huge thank you to Drake and Avril Smith from the entire community, as our well-equipped hospital benefits all.”
