Group from Fort McMurray sending help to those affected by BC wildfires
Posted July 10, 2017 8:27 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
FORT MCMURRAY (NEWS 1130) – A group of people forced to leave Fort McMurray during a devastating wildfire just over a year ago is giving back to those affected by fires in BC.
A drive was organized in the northern Alberta city, in a neighbourhood that was severely affected by last year’s blaze.
Crystal Purcell helped organize the donation drive, and drew from her own experience when she fled Fort McMurray.
“I didn’t have anything when I left here. I had no money,” says Purcell.
The group is stocking flatbed trucks and other vehicles with essential supplies that are being shipped to Prince George and Kamloops to be distributed to those affected by wildfires as well as those fighting them.
Purcell says deciding what goods to send was driven by the group’s own experience; by what they needed and wanted during their evacuation period.
“There’s 4,000 pounds on the Snow Drifter’s association trailer full of diapers, clothes, toilet paper, water.” The first truck that went up had 6 tonnes, with a trailer of water, food, anything that we would need imminently in an evacuation situation.”
The group hopes to get more trucks out to affected areas within the next day or so.
