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Justine Hunter drops off supplies for the frontline workers battling the Cloverdale Fire. (Facebook/Justine Hunter)
Local heroes

Community members rise up to help those in need

May 19, 2021 | 5:00 PM

As fire crews continue efforts to try and contain the Cloverdale Fire northeast of Prince Albert, and SaskPower works to restore power to roughly 8,000 customers, examples of community support are shining through the haze.

Justine Hunter, the wife of a Prince Albert firefighter, raised over $2,200 for the frontline workers.

“He was telling me they don’t have a lot of food and supplies out there, because everybody was working the fire. They didn’t have time to have somebody set up to handle all that other stuff,” she said.

Hunter’s coworkers at Body Mechanics initially chipped in about $300, and then Hunter extended an invitation through social media for people to e-transfer her money.

“I was shocked people would trust someone enough to do that but it’s going to a good place,” she said, adding she kept track of all of the names, and passed the information along to the fire department.

The supplies, enough to last the crews two to three days, was dropped off at the Prince Albert Fire Hall Tuesday night. In the meantime, Vanessa McCallum drove from Prince Albert to La Ronge and dropped off 30 pizzas to hungry families who have been without power since Monday.

“My heart just smiled in a million places when people said thank you. Some of them said this was the biggest meal they had today,” she said, adding she also dropped off cases of water and Pepsi.

McCallum is considering making a second trip this week.

“My dad taught us a lot before he passed away. He taught us to care for others, no matter the situation you are in,” she said.

On Tuesday, Abigail Miller, a Grade 12 student at Carlton Comprehensive High School created a gofundme campaign to assist the city with repairs, as well as help the families displaced from their homes.

nigel.maxwell@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @nigelmaxwell

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