On May 7th, the Hinchinbrooke Volunteer Fire Brigade raised nearly $3,000 to donate to the Red Cross in support of the people of Fort McMurray.
The funds, which were doubled through an initiative put forth by the Government of Alberta, were the result of a generous community coming together to support an important cause. The idea was brought to the table by local firefighter Brad Hayter, who thought that the brigade could raise funds during Hinchinbrooke’s annual rabies clinic, which took place at the firehouse in Rockburn. Additional funds were raised by both establishing a roadblock at the four corners in Herdman and through the Athelstan Presbyterian Church, who raised $500 in donations.
“As a firefighter, I can tell you that the fire is bad enough to start with—but dealing with the aftermath is daunting. So much has to be fixed before Fort McMurray can be made liveable again,” explained fire chief Michael Krause, when asked about how he felt about the fires that ravaged Fort McMurray in May, caused nearly 80,000 residents to flee their homes.
