JoeAnna’s House Winter Wonderland Wish List Raises over $76,000!

KELOWNA, BC, January 8, 2026 – JoeAnna’s House is celebrating the incredible success of its first-ever Winter Wonderland Wish List, a month-long holiday initiative that raised over $76,000 between November 20 – December 20, 2025, in support of families staying at JoeAnna’s House while their loved ones receive care at Kelowna General Hospital. 

This year marked a meaningful shift for JoeAnna’s House. Instead of hosting a one-day community event, the team reimagined the holidays as a month-long celebration of giving, connection, and community, one that honoured not only the families who rely on JoeAnna’s House, but also the local businesses and residents who so generously support it year-round. 

The Winter Wonderland Wish List was created with intention. The goal was not to ask people to spend more, attend another event, or change their holiday routines, but rather to weave giving into everyday life. By encouraging people to shop local during the 2025 holiday season, the initiative made it easy for the community to give back while supporting businesses they already love. 

Nineteen local businesses participated, each designing their own unique “give back” in support of JoeAnna’s House. These ranged from donation-per-purchase models to percentage givebacks and creative in-store initiatives, all tailored to work within the realities of a challenging economic year. Businesses were not asked to take on additional financial strain, and customers were able to support JoeAnna’s House simply by continuing their normal holiday shopping habits. This switch in mindset ended up fundraising more for JoeAnna’s House than Winter Wonderland’s previous fundraising concept, a one-day community event. The businesses that participated in the Winter Wonderland Wish List and made this possible included Analog Coffee, Basis Medical Aesthetics , BLKBOX, Cristalina Parc, Current Taxi, Deville Coffee (Downtown), Fat Marmot (at Big White), Lagree Kelowna, Midtown Station, Montana’s BBQ, Morso, Red Bird Roasting, Prestige Hotel and Resorts, Pretty Not Bad, Reuter Kotler Real Estate Team, Save On Foods, Sunny Space Studio, Tim Horton’s (Smile Cookie Campaign), Vice & Virtue.

“This initiative was about sustainability, empathy, and gratitude,” said Carly Reuter, Director of Community Engagement for JoeAnna’s House. “We wanted to create something that felt good for everyone, for families staying at the House, for the businesses navigating a tough year, and for the community members who give so generously to us time and time again.”

Awareness for the Winter Wonderland Wish List was driven primarily through viral social media storytelling, using short-form videos to spotlight each participating business and their give-back. The campaign was further amplified through the generous support of local media partners and sponsors, including Castanet, Pattison Media, 103.1 Beach Radio, OV103.9, 104.7 The Lizard, Crowe MacKay, and longtime JoeAnna’s House partner Prestige Hotels and Resorts, founded by Joe and Anna Huber, the namesakes of the House.

The initiative was also supported through a festive 50/50 draw, with one lucky winner taking home over $700 just before the holidays. In addition, Sam Nasr of Kelowna won the WestJet Gift of Flight draw for a round trip for two, anywhere WestJet flies, after entering the draw while grabbing a give-back beverage at Deville Coffee, a perfect example of how everyday moments were transformed into meaningful impact, and fun!

Funds raised through the Winter Wonderland Wish list will directly support the families who call JoeAnna’s House home during some of the most challenging moments of their lives, helping provide affordable accommodation, comfort, connection, and a sense of normalcy when they need it most. 

JoeAnna’s House extends its deepest gratitude to every business, donor, partner, and community member who made this first year such a success. 

“This was about more than fundraising,” Carly added. “It was about community, care, and finding new ways to show up for one another. And for that, we are incredibly thankful.”

The Winter Wonderland Wish List is set to return holiday, 2026. If you’re a local business who would like to get on the list and participate next year or to learn more about the Winter Wonderland Wish List and the 2025 businesses involved, visit: joeannashouse.com/winter-wonderland-wish-list-2025