Quality Foods welcomes Rick Gaiga to its Comox store.The former manager at Thrifty Foods in Courtenay is the new manager at Quality Foods on Guthrie Road in Comox. Gaiga has spent 25 years in the grocery industry, beginning as a bag boy in Victoria from which he worked his way up to management. He is looking forward to being on the floor with customers and staff."Plus maintaining and continuing the community involvement," he said, noting his beliefs are in sync with those of his new employer. "It's such a perfect fit for me. Giving back to the community, that's the values of what Quality Foods is." A Courtenay resident since 2003, Gaiga is an involved member of the community, to put it mildly.The Port Alberni-born Comox Valley RCMP auxiliary constable captained the 2010 Cops For Cancer Tour de Rock team. In June, he was among a handful of local auxiliary members who received the Ultimate Volunteer award for contributing more than 500 hours in 2010.He was also nominated in the Citizen-of-the-Year category at the 2010 Comox Valley Community Awards. A member of the Courtenay Rotary Club, Gaiga is a former director with the Comox Valley Chamber of Commerce and the Downtown Courtenay Business Improvement Association.He and wife Lisa have two daughters, Kayla, 16, and Alyssa, 15. reporter@comoxvalleyrecord.com