CA (AB): Growers donate plants to wildfire victims
“It was beautiful to see,” said Russell Thomas, Director of Communications and Community Impact for United Way, one of the volunteers who was on hand to help get the plants off the trucks.
“Several residents who had lost everything during the fire were at a loss for words at the generosity of these companies.”
While the giveaway was promoted to start at 1 pm, the anticipation of the public was apparent as people started arriving early, some even before the trucks had arrived. By shortly after 1 pm, the plants were all on their way to new homes.
“Amazing,” said one resident.
“This is so unbelievably generous,” said another.
Some volunteers were filling up trucks and vans to deliver to seniors and shut-ins. Others shared that they were making special deliveries to families who had lost homes or who are waiting to be allowed into their homes in devastated neighbourhoods. Many were picking up plants for family and friends who were unable to leave work.
“There was some disappointment that the flowers were gone so quickly,” said Thomas. “It was apparent that this generosity meant a lot to the citizens of our community. We were happy to volunteer our time to help this initiative of the Alberta Greenhouse Growers Association.”
Wajax graciously donated the use of their parking lot and volunteers from a number of different social profit organizations located in The Redpoll Centre helped with the off-loading from two trucks that had travelled to Fort McMurray from Sylan Lake and Abbotsford, respectively.
source: United Way