Food bank gets nearly $6,300 from Thrasher estate
By Ian MacKay
ROSETOWN – Members of the Rosetown and District Food Bank received a large donation at the start of their annual general meeting last week.
Rick Ironside handed over a cheque for close to $6,300 from the estate of the late Bob Thrasher. The money represented receipts from the sale of Thrasher's furniture and household effects, Ironside said later. Knowing where the money was destined, some people paid more than they otherwise might have, he indicated.
Giving that outlives the giver. Kathie Delowsky (left) accepts a cheque of almost $6,300 for the Rosetown and District Food Bank from Rick Ironside, co-executor of the Bob Thrasher estate along with Kate Thrasher. The donation represents proceeds from the sale of the late Mr. Thrasher's personal belongings. PHOTO BY IAN MACKAY
"Bob always thought the world of the group here and what you've done with the food bank over the years," Ironside told board members. He had an outstanding bill when he'd go into Rosetown AG Foods in mid-December for "about three Christmases in a row," covering the cost of food that Thrasher had obtained for the food bank, Ironside said.
Ironside and Kate Thrasher were appointed co-executors of his estate. Kate "did a marvellous job, raising almost $6,300" through the sale of his possessions, Ironside said.
"Bob Thrasher was a great businessman, a great community man and I'm pretty sure he ran a million miles around Rosetown," said Kathie Delowsky, a board co-chair.
Bob Thrasher became a Regal Motors owner after the death of his father Glen in August 1965 and was joined in the firm by his mother Kay, who soon became a proficient accountant for the firm, the history book Rosetown Reflections says. Co-owners Thrasher and Ken Ironside were joined by Rick Ironside in 2004, the book says.
The food bank provided 432 hampers to people from Rosetown and area during 2025, Michelle Zacharias said, reading a report from Stacey Crossman, the other co-chair.
The food bank had revenue of over $68,000 during the past year, with almost $32,000 in donations from the community and nearly $33,000 from organizations. It also received over $3,500 in investment income, the financial report showed.
Much of the money, nearly $41,000, went toward buying food and milk, along with baby formula worth just over $2,000 and vitamins for children worth over $900.
"Revenue rose by $13,000 and expenses by $11,500," treasurer Lesley Carlson's report said. "The largest increase in expenses was for food, as we went up $14,000 in this category." Donations exceeded expenses by almost $15,500, the report showed.
"We do get an immense amount of support from our communities," Carlson said.
The Rosetown Colony donates "35 to 45 dozen eggs each month as well as providing carrots and potatoes at a very reasonable cost and donating other vegetables throughout the season," Crossman's report said.
"We are privileged to have many individuals and organizations in the community who support the food bank through donations of money, meat and other food items and who put much time and effort into the food drives that help to keep our shelves full," Crossman reported. "We are fortunate to have groups who have stepped up to volunteer for the food bank, providing much-needed support for our organization and its board members."
The number of recipients increased enough in recent years that the food bank had to stop providing food for pets last year "because there was no place to store it," treasurer Carlson said.