Last week, an era ended at the Abbotsford News. Longtime editor and journalist Rick Rake retired from print media after 30 incredible years.
Rake, who has been editor for more than 10 years lead this community newspaper to several prestigious awards in British Columbia, Canada and North America. I have been fortunate to be part of this award winning team as a columnist for the past 14 years.
One of his primary goals during Rake’s editorship besides covering daily news was to have this paper reflective of the area’s demographics. Always willing to learn about different cultures and issues, he made it a personal commitment to have diversity reflected on these pages.
He understood that the main component of building bridges is to include the various views points that makeup our local community.
For example, the past two years Rick and I promoted the Abbotsford News Diversity Challenge asking our youth to respond to a question. He was never one to keep his office door shut and stare at his computer screen all day.
Whenever, I was given the opportunity to be part of a community event, whether it be on radio or making a presentation at the Rotary Club, Rick supported me in an unprecedented fashion. Maintaining a close professional relationship we had many memorable moments. Two that come to mind are being the recipient of the “Champion of Diversity” at the Abbotsford Cultural Diversity Awards in 2007 or presenting the awards at the Multicultural Festival last October. He always reminded me to focus on three important points as a media professional: never focus on yourself, make the best of your opportunity and you’re only good as your last column.
As our working relationship takes a different turn, I will always be grateful of his heartfelt support. I thank him for being a friend of many local diversity initiatives and the Abbotsford News is a better newspaper because of it. The legacy he established as a remarkable comunity builder, trusted award-winning journalist and great listener and humourist will be hard to replace.
As his goodbye column headline read last week, ‘Partying Words: All the Making of a Good Book’.
If that’s the case my friend, I want to be first in line to purchase a personalized bestseller copy.
As Rick is free to pursue a dynamic future, I wish him well . . . I know he will do more great things in his life after newspapers. Just watch him!
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If you are a South Asian family and have a child with special needs under the age of 18, who needs some form of assistance, you’re a phone call away. Family and Support Worker Amarjit Pabbi at the Fraser Valley Child Development Centre has been working in the Abbotsford/Mission area since 2007. Her job is to reach out to families and provide them with information services in obtaining funding. Language barriers seems to be a common problem, parents don’t know who to speak with or where to get services. Pabbi, a Punjabi speaking support worker assists families with these life-altering needs. There is a growing demand and her current workload is between 75-100 families in the area. She is getting many calls from Great Vancouver for assistance, but reminds callers she only works in the Central Fraser Valley. The biggest obstacle she comes across is a family’s denial to cope with their children’s disability. “ People feel a certain stigma attached with a disability and families don’t get services that are available. Families should accept their children have special needs and advocate for them”, said Pabbi.
I had the opportunity to visit one of the families that Pabbi assisted in successfully obtaining grants. Rajpreet Mann, a beautiful Grade 12 Mouat Secondary School student whose favorite subject is Social Studies suffers from cerebral palsy. After the Mann family was able to meet with Pabbi and discuss the available options for Rajpreet, she was able to her grants to improve her lifestyle. The grants enabled her to get a van with a ramp and a bedroom equipped with a shower facility. Rajpreet shared with me how she loves her bedroom and her huge shower. Younger sister Karin along with her mother look after Rajpreet daily needs. Rajpreet said, “she loves to hangout with her family”. An amazing story of family love and dedication. The Mann family would like to thank Pabbi for her guidance and Presidents Choice, Giving in Action and Variety Club.
For more information contact Amarjit Pabbi at 604 852 2686 ext. 239.
Kenherar@gmail.com
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