Residents from the Sussex, N.B., area came together on Sunday for a final push to raise money for the victims of Fort McMurray wildfires before the federal government matches donation totals.
"They just need our help,” said organizer Janet Golding. “It's a terrible, devastating thing when you lose your home and everything you've worked so hard for, and your treasured possessions, when you lose them, it's very sad."
Golding says when she was younger, her family home was impacted by fire.
“I was very young, so of course my concern was I lost my toys but my mom and dad lost everything in their home,” said Golding “That was only one house, so I image what it's like in Fort McMurray to lose all of those houses."
Danny Saurette wrote and performed a song about Fort McMurray at Sunday’s fundraiser.
"You could see the convoys of people as they were leaving and embers flying towards the vehicles, and that sort of promoted us to get into writing this song about it," said Saurette.
Bob Burgess helped organize and play during the fundraiser, as well.
"We just thought we'd help out, do something for them,” he said. “Always love doing benefits for people, so anything we raise today is going to the Red Cross to help them."
Organizers didn't set a financial goal, with hopes of simply raising whatever they can.
"Whether it's five cents or $500 or $5,000, it's something that we want to do together because whatever happens out there affects us,” said Burgess. “We know people who live there, work there, relatives, neighbours, sons and daughters, so it's really kind of our way to help them.”
With files from CTV Atlantic’s Ashley Blackford.
