Memorial fund created for music student bursaries z | Page 2
your neighbourhood. your newspaper.
We had you at Bannock
downtown
Downtown Spring Festival on now! z | Page 5
Painted Pony Café
Volume 15 Number 20 | 50¢
Open Mon-Sat 9-9, Sun 10-2 705 victoria st. • 250-828-1131
May 19, 2016
Big hearts helping Albertan neighbours Watching the fire sweep through the neighbourhoods in Fort McMurray was like watching a bad horror reality TV show. The Fort McMurray fire left us feeling vulnerable and afraid. Not because we have never seen disaster and devastation before, but many of us had never had it happen so close to home and to people we know and love. The instant reaction of many Canadians and community members was to all pitch in and help evacuees. This knee jerk reaction is what Canada is all about and why we are all proud to call it home. People immediately started filling trucks and cars with supplies and headed out the north to distribute and help out in any way they could. Once the immediate danger was over, what was left was over 95,000 evacuees who were beginning to spread themselves out across the provinces. Here in Kamloops we are host to a few different families who will settle in until they can figure out what is going on with their homes, their jobs and their lives back home. Here is where the kind, giving hearts of Kamloopsians have come in. Tiffany Nowell, who works at Get Polished, started a ‘Donations for Fort McMurray families from Kamloops B.C.’ page on Facebook with its main purpose to help those families that had relocated to our area or are passing through with things they needed immediately. “It just made me really sad to see all those families without a place to go,” explained Tiffany. “I have a family and I just couldn’t imagine being
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Sleep Gallery Sleep Gallery has added Tempur-pedic to the family!
in that situation. We had families come through and we gave them toiletries, clothes, gift cards and other things that they had requested.” What Tiffany and Get Polished did makes an incredible amount of sense. Instead of flooding Alberta with items that may or may not have use or get used, they concentrated their efforts on helping those in our immediate area that were requesting help. Therefore, the need was apparent and the need met. We have so many caring people here that it was a no brainer for them. “Right now we are focusing on gift cards,” continues Tiffany. “We have a family who has come to town from Fort McMurray with young girls who need clothes. Gift cards will allow them to be able to purchase the items that they need.” For others who may be passing through or looking to call Kamloops home until stuff gets sorted out back home, Tiffany still has a few toiletry kits and some barely used clothing that is available. She asks anyone interested to contact them through the Facebook page to let them know - continued on page 2
Some of the gift baskets made for Fort McMurray families. Tiffany Nowell’s son Levi holds donations of toys.
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Open Mon-Sat 9-6, Sun & Holidays 12-5 Some items may not be exactly as shown. Financing available OAC 60 months. See store for details.