Thanks for all your help in our time of great need

Page 8

Dear Editor:

Over the past two months, the Canadian Red Cross was asked to help the residents of Conklin, Fox Lake, Peerless Lake and Trout Lake, who were evacuated to Fort McMurray, High Level and Red Earth Creek, due to the extreme forest fire conditions in northern Alberta. Red Cross assisted over 1,500 people: conducting registration of evacuees, maintaining the reception centres, and providing items such as blankets, Zeddy Bears and comfort kits to those in need.

Thanks to the aid of two outstanding corporate supporters, Zellers and Rainbow Transport, we were able to complete these disaster responses with great ease.

Seven local Zellers stores donated air mattresses, towels, toothbrushes and other essential hygiene items on very short notice, while Rainbow Transport, an Edmonton-based trucking company, volunteered to promptly deliver the donated supplies.

Red Cross would not have been able to respond so quickly to these northern communities without this exceptional level of assistance.

Tony Hudson

Regional Director

Canadian Red Cross, Central and Northern Alberta Region