INNISFAIL – The late Terry Fox once said, “The answer is to try and help others.”
The people of Innisfail have done just that and are rallying behind Nickole Pimlott in her courageous fight against Stage 4 cancer.
Community groups, local businesses and individuals have stepped up to help Nickole and her family.
Innisfail resident Michael Barclay organized a bottle drive on Aug. 11.
“I read the story (about Nickole) and it touched my heart,” said Barclay. “With this (bottle drive) here, I thought everybody can do a little bit to help one person out.”
Barclay put the call out on social media to gather help for his cause.
“It was short notice, but whether you’re an army of one or a hundred, every little bit makes a difference,” he said. “It can all come together and turn out to be a great thing.”
The total amount he raised that day was just over $500.
“If you can give any hope, financial or moral support, it can mean a lot to that person,” Barclay added.
Kristen Spatz, a member of the Innisfail 590 Slo-pitch League, helped organize a fundraising tournament in Bowden on Aug. 11 and 12.
The event raised just over $3,000.
“It was an awesome tournament, a great turnout and a great show of support for Nickole,” said Spatz.
Local business owner John Harris of John’s No Frills said his grocery store heard about Nickole’s battle from a customer and a store employee and agreed to help fundraise for her from Aug. 9 to 18.
He said they chose to use the company’s annual "Give a little, help a lot" campaign for the cause.
“I (asked) if we could look to (help) an individual instead of an organization,” said Harris. “I hate to take away from an organization, but I think there’s a lot more support for them than one individual who’s trying to deal with something like this. It can be very costly and she’s a single parent,” he added. “It’s a lot to take on.”
In the past, the annual campaign has helped Big Brothers Big Sisters and the Innisfail Kinsmen Club, he noted.
John’s No Frills' campaign raised more than $3,000 for Nickole.
“It’s great to see the community get involved. Whether it be for a person or for an organization,” said Harris. “We always get great support by Innisfail people supporting our community.”
Pimlott finished treatment (chemo and radiation) on Aug. 17 and said she is doing as well as expected. She has heard about what people are doing to help her, and is deeply touched by the support from the people of Innisfail.
"I'm super grateful for all their support," said Pimlott.
