Bonnyville Lakeland Lions Club Help Fire Relief

A $2,000 donation the Bonnyville Lakeland 2000 Lions Club made in June has snowballed into $15,000 towards fire relief efforts. The Lions club raised $2,000 early in the summer, with a benefit concert following the Fort McMurray Wildfires. Corita Vachon, with the Lions Club, says the group donated the money to the Saprae Creek Fire Deptartment, who then used the funds to host more fundraising efforts and eventually raise $15,000 to help their own volunteer fire fighters who had lost their homes to the wildfires.

The Lakeland Lions 2000 Club hosted a benefit concert on June 11th, at the Lyle Victor Albert Centre. Bonnyville’s own, Carman Lucia was the main entertainment and wowed the crowd with her intense vocals. The Lions hosted raffles and fundraisers before the concert, whoch along with the ticket sales, was enough to raise $2,000. The money was donated to the Saprae Creek Fire Department, Corita explains “they used this money to raise $15,000, and then donated these funds to help 3 of their own volunteer fire fighters, who lost their homes while defending the homes of others.”

Saprae Creek is located in the Municipality of Wood Buffalo,  11 kilometres east of Fort McMurray. The hamlet of 900 people was evacuated on May 4th. Despite the threat of losing their homes weighing heavy on their heads, volunteers with the Saprae Creek Fire Department courageously fought the wildfires. “How heroic is that?! Hats off to these guys & gals!” states Corita.