Stephen Kirkham (left) and Les Jackman are members of the Rock Creek Lions Club.. They opened a bank account at the Osoyoos branch of the CIBC on Monday to help raise funds to help assist the numerous wilidfire victims from Rock Creek. The Osoyoos Credit Union has also opened an account to allow local residents to assist wlidfire victims from across the region. On Wednesday, Sept. 2, a community fundraising barbecue will be held in the parking lot of the Best Western Hotel in Osoyoos between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., with all proceeds again going to wildfire victims. (Keith Lacey photo)
A community fundraising barbecue has been organized and two Osoyoos financial institutions have set up bank accounts to assist those who lost so much during the recent wildfires that spread across the South Okanagan over the past two weeks.
A fire relief barbecue for citizens from Rock Creek, Oliver and around Osoyoos who lost so much during the recent wildfires will take place on Wednesday, Sept. 2 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the parking lot of the Best Western Hotel.
The event is being organized by Annette Star, a longtime member of the Osoyoos Elks Club, and Millie Jarrett, the manager of the Best Western Hotel in Osoyoos.
The Osoyoos Elks Club will match all of the cash donations at the fundraiser, up to a maximum of $5,000, said Star.
After the fires broke out two weeks ago, Star said she was talking to Jarrett and they wanted to do something special that would allow Osoyoos residents an opportunity to raise funds for those who lost their homes and possessions during the destructive wildfires.
While only a couple of houses were destroyed around Oliver, a total of 30 homes and 15 other structures were destroyed in and around the Rock Creek fire, which was still only 50 per cent contained as of Tuesday’s press deadline.
Star, who is well known in Osoyoos as one of the two women (along with her sister-in-law Etta Mae Pratt) who are in charge of fundraising for the Osoyoos Canada Day fireworks committee, said she knows what it feels like to be devastated after a fire and wanted to do something to help others who have lost so much.
“I had my house burn down about nine years ago, so I know what it’s like,” she said. “I desperately wanted to do my small part to try and help and we came up with the idea of holding this community fundraising barbecue.
“We hope we’ll get great support from the community because there are a lot of people who need help.”
Star said she is going to ask Mayor Sue McKortoff and members of town council to show up to cook and sell hot dogs and hamburgers during the fundraiser next Wednesday.
Donations of cash, food bank items and toiletries will be accepted throughout the fundraising barbecue and be forwarded to those in need as quickly as possible, said Star.
Jarrett said she’s happy to do her small part and allow the barbecue fundraiser to take place at the Best Western.
“I hope it will be a very good event and will help a lot of people,” she said.
Meanwhile, the Osoyoos Credit Union has opened a bank account to allow local residents to make financial contributions to fire victims.
The account can be accessed by visiting the credit union and making a donation under the South Okanagan Disaster Relief Fund, said Michelle Quail, business development officer with the Osoyoos Credit Union.
As of last Friday, more than $2,000 had already been donated to the fund.
Residents can also make donations by visiting the Osoyoos Credit Union website at www.osoyooscreditunion.com and making donations on the site’s Fundrazr donation page.
On Monday morning, Les Jackman and Stephen Kirkham, two members of the Kettle River Lions Club from Rock Creek, set up another disaster relief account at the Osoyoos branch of the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC).
Donations can be made to the Kettle River Lions Club Fire Relief Fund by visiting the branch.
“All donations will be going directly to fire victims and not one penny will go towards administration or any other costs,” said Jackman. “We had a lot of people in Rock Creek who lost everything and we really need to help these people.
“Donations will be given directly to those who need it the most.”
There are numerous community groups in and around Rock Creek that are providing assistance to fire victims, but the reality is money is needed to purchase the basic necessities of life for those who lost everything, said Kirkham.
Lions Clubs from across the South Okanagan and northern Washington State are all trying to do their part to raise money and necessities for wildfire victims, said Jackman.
The amount of support from citizens across the region has been inspiring, but Jackman and Kirkham remain hopeful the provincial government will announce significant funding to assist victims in the coming days.
“There’s no doubt this was a disaster zone … people really need help,” he said.
Donations of household items and cash to help wildfire victims continue to be accepted at MacDonald Realty, Troy’s Grill restaurant and Landsea Okanagan in downtown Osoyoos.
KEITH LACEY
Osoyoos Times
