Father and son deliver donated items from Quebec for people of Fort McMurray
'Before we even unloaded the trailer, there was a sense of accomplishment,' teen says
When the snow flies this winter, some kids in Fort McMurray will take to the hills on new toboggans from a factory in Quebec.
Six wooden toboggans were donated to the Project of Love, a fundraising drive for Fort McMurray people displaced by the May wildfire.
The campaign was spearheaded by Jerome and Suzie Rompré, aged 15 and 14, of Sainte-Anne-de-la-Pérade, Que.
On Wednesday, Jerome and his father, Jean, 55, rolled into Edmonton hauling a 53-foot trailer proudly flying the Alberta and Quebec flags.
"It's a positive thing that Quebec is helping Alberta for a good cause," Jean Rompré said in an interview.
Inside the trailer were 27 pallets of clothing, household goods and other items that will ultimately be given to Fort McMurray residents who are rebuilding their lives after the wildfires that prompted the largest evacuation in Alberta's history.
The Romprés drove nearly 4,000 kilometres across the country in four days, using nearly $1,500 worth of donated diesel fuel.
They arrived at their northwest Edmonton destination — the Alberta Wildfire Donation Centre, operated by ADRA Canada — knowing they had done something special.
'A sense of accomplishment'
"Before we even unloaded the trailer, there was a sense of accomplishment," Jerome said. "People were stopping by and honking horns."
Jerome and Suzie were moved to help the people of Fort McMurray in early May, while the wildfire was still burning out of control.
They thought about what they could do to help, and soon landed on an idea that would require the co-operation of their father, who earns his living as a truck driver.
They solicited household goods in and around Sainte-Anne-de-la-Perade, a town of 2,000 people about 90 km southwest of Quebec City.
A similar collection effort started up in Kincardine, Ont., the hometown of the teens' mother, Patricia Schermer. In July, a trailer loaded with goods from Kincardine arrived in Edmonton.
The trailer that arrived Wednesday contained some other special items, including a bicycle and a dining set with table, chairs and a corner hutch for dishes.
Dining set comes with request
The older couple who donated the dining set had asked Schermer to attach a note to it, Jean Rompré said.
"They would like the family that's going to get the kitchen set to send a picture, just to see that it's there, that somebody is using it," he said.
Kryzia Abacan, communications and office manager with the wildfire donation centre, said the donated items will be sent to one of 10 agencies the centre is working with in Fort McMurray.
"We thought it was so awesome to see two young kids from outside the province take the initiative and start the project to help those in need in Fort McMurray," Abacan said.
"The things they were able to collect were furniture, clothing, household things. Obviously the first phase of donations was to meet basic needs of residents. Now we are moving into the phase of things that will help them rebuild and repair."
The wildfire donation centre, at 17306 129th Ave., is still accepting donations, she said.
Needed items include bed linens, household products and kitchen products — "just the kind of help to get these people back on their feet as they rebuild their homes."
