Friends revive freezie fundraiser in honour of B.C. teen shot by police

CTV News

7 hours ago

A touching tribute in Surrey with family and friends coming together to honour Chase De Balinhard with a fundraiser near and dear to his heart.
Friends and family gathered in Surrey's Clayton Heights neighbourhood Friday to sell freezies, honouring the legacy of a beloved community member.
Chase De Balinhard was shot and killed by an RCMP officer in February. Saturday would have been his 16th birthday.
June 28 is not only De Balinhard's birthday, but it's the anniversary of the passing of his hero, Terry Fox. As a child, the autistic boy organized freezie fundraisers to raise money for the Terry Fox Foundation.
Freezie fundraiser
A freezie fundraiser was held in Chase De Balinhard's memory on Friday, June 27.
When brainstorming how to keep De Balinhard's memory alive, his friend from school suggested reviving the fundraiser to make a donation to cancer research in Chase's name.
'It's heartwarming to see the community come together. The De Balinhards are beloved members of our community and everybody mourned Chase's death with them, and so anything we can do to bring awareness and to bring a little peace to them is what we're going to aim to do today,' said organizer Joy Schroeder, mom of the late teen's friend.
Local teenagers sold the freezies for a minimum $1 donation and shared memories of their friend, while supporting a cause near and dear to him.
Chase De Balinhard
Chase's parents, Crystal and Rick De Balinhard, were in attendance. They described their son as a 'real jokester' and an 'old soul' who loved vintage music and toys.
'Chase was a funny, smart, perfectly imperfect kid. He loved to prank people; he had the most generous soul,' his mother told CTV News. 'He was funny and loving and sassy, and we miss him greatly. The spark in our house has definitely dimmed.'
Chase de Balinhard
Chase de Balinhard, 15, was shot and killed by police in Surrey, B.C., on Feb 9, 2025.
She said she was touched to see the community come together to honour Chase.
'Nobody wants their child who is gone forgotten, and this just warmed our hearts so much,' Crystal said.
The investigation into whether the police's actions were justified in De Balinhard's case continues.