Marnie is a lifetime resident of the Cowichan Valley and co-owner of PURICA.

She is the creator of the Purica Foundation, of which, since the inception of the foundation in 2016, it’s board of dynamic women have raised funds and awareness for Cowichan Hospice House and the Cowichan Valley Youth Services HUB project.
Marnie is a proud volunteer. She dedicates time to Nourish Cowichan, assisting in providing nutritious meals to schoolchildren in the Cowichan Valley and sits on the Cowichan Foundation board.

Marnie and her family also play a role in being coaches and managing team applications for the Duncan Wildcats as they prepare and compete at Operation Trackshoes.

Marnie is married to PURICA Co-Owner Trevor Watkin and they are very proud of their two children, Kate and Matthew who are both active and passionate about their family business.

Marnie’s super power is entertaining. No group is too small or too big!

Best words to describe Marnie are, loves to be surrounded by her family and friends, travel enthusiast, music lover, always up for a dance party and is passionate about giving back to her community.

The Cowichan Valley has been Sandra’s home since 2012 when she and her family moved from the mainland. She is a wife and proud mother to 3 children. Sandra has always been passionate about working with people with varying abilities and has devoted her life’s career to this. For many years Sandra’s work focussed on directly supporting individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders as well as managing various residential and day programs. Following that,  she worked as an Infant Development Consultant in the lower mainland and loved working with babies and families. Since moving to the Island Sandra has been employed by the Cowichan Valley School District as an Education Assistant and is passionate about her job. She is grateful to be living in such a diverse area and being part of an amazing group giving back to the community.

Sandra’s super power is her positivity and willingness to reflect, learn and grow as an individual. She has faced some unique challenges in her life and believes that it has been these traits that have allowed her to persevere, adapt and even grow during difficult times.

Sandra is best described as family loving, compassionate, grounded, loyal and insightful.  She loves a good adventure and enjoys camping, boating, fishing and travelling.

Heather has worked in Retail and customer service as many different roles but mainly as a manager for 25 years.

For 22 of those years she has raised two children on her own that played plenty of sports. That being said that never stop Heather from helping her community in any way she can.

Over the years Heather has been very involved with her children’s sports teams, leading fundraisers, serving as a board member, and managing teams.

One of her fondest memories of volunteering is serving our Indigenous Elders at their different events. Heather’s best asset is fundraising and helping manage an event in anyway she can to make it a smooth running operation.

Best words to describe Heather would be, Warm Hearted, Super Mom, Sports enthusiast, Hard worker, and a love for her community. She looks forward to our Gala this year and many more years to come.

Carrie was born and raised on Vancouver Island, spending the past 15 years in the Cowichan Vallley.  She is a mother, wife, artist, and volunteer. Her super power would be creating beautiful spaces, memorable moments and meaningful connections. 

Carrie finds joy in creativity, travel, culinary experiences, interior design, family, volunteering with Nourish Cowichan, yoga, and nature.

The best words to describe Carrie are, compassionate, fun loving, wise and artistically gifted.

Jennifer and her husband Erik are lifelong residents of the Cowichan Valley where they have raised their two children.  When both kids were young and active in hockey, it was at that time when the importance of volunteering and community involvement became apparent. 

Since then, Jennifer has volunteered for numerous events and causes over the years.  She joined the Purica Foundation at its inception in 2016 where she co-shares the Secretary position with Megan Dragicevich. 

If you asked Jennifer what her super power is, she would tell you it is empathy.  She truly believes giving back to her community is impactful and rewarding and finds that being able to do so with this group of like-minded individuals is endlessly inspiring.

Nicky began her love of numbers while working for a credit union on Saltspring Island at 15. By 26 she had moved up the ladder and was a Bank Branch Manager in Victoria. With four children at home playing almost every sport…..  Nicky spent many years sitting on boards, fundraising and doing the books for many non-profits. 

Nicky’s superpower is little ones, over the years Nicky and her husband Michael, have fostered 70 plus children from the Cowichan valley. 🙂 

Best words to describe her would be, Proud mom, Foodie, Traveler, G&T lover, Bookkeeper, Book lover, Aunty Candy and Aunty too many little ones

Michelle is a certified Colon Hydrotherapist, and owner/operator of the Cleansing Room at the Sol Center in Duncan. She has been providing colonics to help clients improve their health for the past 23 years. She is a wife and mother of two boys and enjoys spending time outdoors in this beautiful valley, being active with her family and friends. 

Michelle’s superpowers are caregiving, positivity, and kindness. As a mother and volunteer coach she uses her superpowers to encourage others and promote a positive atmosphere.

Best words to describe Michelle would be homemaker, health nut, competitor, a people person, and obsessed with Frenchies. She is inspired to be part of the Purica Foundation Board, focusing on giving back to both the community and its wonderful people.