VICTORIA — Although Lucia and Chris Chater had their first date on Friday the 13th, they say they’ve been lucky in love. “We’ve never had a fight. Ever,” Chris says, as Lucia nods in agreement. They credit their 48 years together to having fun—like the time Lucia accidentally called Chris by the wrong name. “She called me George,” Chris says with a smile. “We laughed about it and I called her Fredrina.” Instead of “honey” or “dear,” George and Fredrina have been their nicknames for almost half a century, which causes confusion when they meet new people. “We’re talking and I’ll say, ‘Hey, George,’ and they go, ‘Oh my God, we’ve been calling him Chris,’” Lucia says with a laugh. Along with sharing laughter, the couple say they try to share a common purpose. That purpose emerged while walking their dog, when they spotted a couple of cans littered near the sidewalk. “‘There’s 10 cents,’” Lucia recalls with a laugh. “And I picked them up.” After cashing them in, the couple began collecting every recyclable they could find for a refund. “A can here and a can there,” Lucia says. “After four months, we had $500.” Instead of keeping the money, they donated it to the Rainbow Kitchen. “As I’m walking in, a young family walks out with two small children,” Lucia says. “It brought tears to my eyes. They don’t deserve to be going hungry.” So, Lucia and Chris committed to increase their collecting. Despite enduring arthritis in their hands and knees, which can take days to recover from, they started spending countless hours every week accumulating as many cans and bottles as they could. “It’s almost addictive,” Chris says with a laugh. “It’s a drive to get more so you can give more.” After five years, they had donated more than they ever imagined. “$40,095,” Chris says with a laugh. “We can’t believe it either.” Whether they’re calling each other Fredrina or George, the couple say they have no plans to stop going on dates to the recycling depot together. Because when you find yourself this lucky in love, why wouldn’t you help those unlucky in life? “Just be kind,” Lucia says. “Kindness goes a long way,” Chris adds, before the couple walk hand in hand down the street carrying bags of recyclables.
