Just more than two weeks after a devastating fire destroyed close to one third of the Town of Slave Lake, residents who have a home to return to have started making their way back to the northern Alberta town.
While emergency services workers and Town of Slave Lake employees work to get residents safely back into their homes, many Albertans continue to show their support by raising donations for those who need help to rebuild their lives.
Several Innisfail residents and organizations are raising funds and donations for the people of Slave Lake.
Jenna Stong, Cindy Bacque, and Rhonda Ebbert saw the importance in helping a community so similar to our own to rebuild and wanted to do something to help, said Strong. The group of Innisfail residents is now working to organize a community garage sale as a fundraiser for the Town of Slave Lake.
Donations for the garage sale can be dropped off at Innisfail Middle School on June 5 beginning at 10 a.m. The garage sale will be held on Friday June 10, starting at 10 a.m. at the Innisfail Legion auditorium. More information about the fundraiser can be found by contacting [email protected].
St. Marguerite Bourgeoys Catholic School staff, students, friends and family raised $1,500 through a variety of events and will be presenting a cheque for $1,500 to the Red Cross. Red Deer’s Peterbilt Trucks donated three pickup trucks, drivers and gas to pick up three loads of clothing and other donations at the school and return them to the company’s warehouse. Our Lady of Peace Catholic Church is accepting donations from the public.
Last week, students from Innisfail Middle School (IMS) collected several truckloads of clothes and donations that were sent off to Slave Lake shortly after the fire. The drive for donations and a desire to help others drove a group of Grade 6 girls from IMS to continue the fundraising through the organization of a bake sale.
Shayna Vollmin and Kimberly Doyle came up with the idea to hold a bake sale after seeing how much of the town had burnt down.
Both of the girls agreed that after watching the coverage on the news they thought it was important to help the people who had lost everything.
“The girls came up with the idea themselves and put on the event will little help from any of the adults,” said a proud Jay Steeves, the IMS principal.
After being joined in the effort by their friends Justine Balesdent, Kiersten Hepburn, and Michelle Gerber, the girls went around to all of the classrooms asking for students to bring in baking for the sale. Close to 25 people donated enough baking to fill four tables with food. The sale raised more than $525 for the people of Slave Lake.
Boston Pizza locations across Alberta raised funds for Slave Lake by donating $5 from the sale of every medium and large pizza sold on Wednesday May 25th to help with the rebuilding of the town.
The Boston Pizza locations from both Innisfail and Olds participated in the fundraiser and raised around an estimated $500 at each location, said Craig Sutherland, the owner and operation for both Boston Pizza’s, adding that the response from residents was incredible.
