About www.rebuildslavelake.com
This website first started as a blog, but quickly outgrew "blog status." I needed more pages, because of all the amazing generosity of Albertans, and so welcome to the new website.
The mission originally, presently and even in the future will be the same thing. This page is to help the families and those displaced by the Slave Lake & Area fires. If you can help, donate items, time, money or a place to stay, please let me know. Iwill be posting updates on fundraisers, places to get help, and with your permission, send those in need your contact information. Also, if you consent, your email address, name and what you are offering so victims can get into contact with you. Mine is angie.mcconnell@hotmail.com
I would like to say a special thanks to my best friend Jennifer Mercier who first partnered with me as this started, through a facebook page: Donations & Aide for Slave Lake & Area, which she still helps maintain.
Another thank you to everyone who has been opening their homes, hearts, wallets and more - and helping the people of my home area.
Thanks Chelsie Fodchuk for coordinating so many drop off locations for the grad dresses. To Nikita Bakewell who took charge of Calgary and area donations; Peggy and crew who took over Spruce Grove, the ladies and men of Athabasca, Westlock, Smith, High Prairie, Peace River, Edmonton, and other communities who volunteered countless hours at the evacuation centers; to Adam and Ruth for the Slave Lake and Community Message Board and keeping everyon updated, to Rhonda K, Bobbi C, Lindsey, and all the others who helped coordinate donations and also who created facebook pages, you guys are awesome!
And a special special thank you to the real heros of all this: the folks who got fought the fire. They got people out safely, they fought to save the hospital, and not just the fire department, but emergency crews, RCMP, Special Constables, SRD and more - even civilians, stayed through Sunday night until help arrived and continued to stay to make every effort the could to save things. And although there was no sleep for 33+ hours, no showers, no rest, clean socks or even underwear, and there was no relief until Sunday - those men and women worked so, so, so hard, and luckily everyone got out ok. Luckily no one was taken by that awful. A resident of Slave Lake had a heart attack and passed; a helicopter pilot lost his life trying to fight the fires, and for you men I would like to invite everyone to have a moment of silence for you, and best wishes and condolences to your families.
So thanks again to everyone, and to Slave Lake, Widewater, Canyon Creek and all the other areas and communities impacted by these fires - you are survivors, and will rise above this.
