Mike and Tricia Flanagan live in Calgary, but their latest gift in support of CKUA has a “Rocky Mountain” touch. The Flanagans have made a $50,000 gift towards CKUA’s centenary campaign. We’re happy to recognize their gift with an updated station ID for the Canmore-Bow Valley transmitter, 104.3 FM.
“I met my husband in 1985,” says Tricia, “and at that time there was a group of us who were always going down to The King Eddy. And every Friday and Saturday, we had CKUA on for our tunes. That was our exposure to great music.”
Tricia says that money was tight in those early days. “We were working, eking by, just like every other young couple. Then life goes on, and we raised three children. When we found some success, we wanted to give back to something local.”
A singer and pianist herself, Tricia says, “Music has always been a big part of my life.”
Her hope for CKUA is that it continues to reach people at all ages and stages of life. “What I’ve always wanted for CKUA is for them to nurture young listeners. Don’t just play music for us,” she laughs. “Play music for everyone!”
The idea to support the Canmore-Bow Valley transmitter developed in consultation with CKUA’s Fund Development team, led by Chief Development Officer Kevin Fitzgerald. “CKUA has had great leadership all along,” says Tricia, “but this particular group, and the timing of this in our lives, it feels proactive. It leads us to ask how we can protect this gem of a station that we have. And keep it going forever.”
Tricia also mentions Bruce McFarlane, a CKUA board member from Calgary, as a community-minded leader who encourages other people to give. “He got a hold of me years ago, and he’s such an ambassador for CKUA. Mike and I both love CKUA, and we just want to thank Bruce for his efforts.”
Kevin Fitzgerald says, “Mike and Tricia Flanagan have been generous supporters of CKUA for more than thirty years. I have thoroughly enjoyed my conversations with them as they hang out at the lake and share stories of their favourite programs and new musical discoveries. I’m so grateful for their support and their desire to make a significant new donation, in celebration of CKUA’s 100th anniversary in 2027!”
Although the Flanagans are usually discreet and quiet about the causes and organizations they support, they understand that donating to support a CKUA transmitter is more public. Tricia’s fine with that. She says, “We thought, if we could support something this way, something that people can see—particularly younger people—it might be a cool way for that legacy of giving to continue, for the next generation.”
We are so grateful to receive this support for CKUA and the Canmore-Bow Valley transmitter site from Mike and Tricia Flanagan. We’ll acknowledge their support on the air with some fresh station ID messages that you’ll start to hear soon.
CKUA has sixteen FM transmitters that keep the signal strong, all around the province. We’re looking ahead to our centenary year in 2027. If you have a special connection to your local FM frequency and would consider making a centenary gift to support it, please contact our Fund Development team at donors@ckua.com. We’d love to hear from you!
We’re also preparing for Fall Fundraiser 2026. Everything we do at CKUA is made possible by donors. You can give anytime at CKUA.com/donate.
When we asked Mike and Tricia to choose a song for the CKUA audience, they chose “Cold Heart” by Elton John and Dua Lipa.
