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Many hands

Man and woman present several hundred dollar bills, a cheque and juice boxes to Salvation Army officer.

Text credit:
Paraphrased from the Shuswap Market News, August 8, 1998.

Feature photo:
Pitching in. Royal Bank employee Karen Hahn and Manager Ian James make a donation to the Food Bank.

Photo credit:
James Murray, Salmon Arm Observer, c. 1998

They saw, they came, they got to work.

During the fire crisis, hundreds of volunteers mobilized to do what they could to assist the fire effort.

Many hands, some local and some from surrounding communities, got busy doing everything from answering information lines, to making sandwiches, to going door-to-door to inform residents about the evacuation, to caring for displaced animals.

Older woman puts box of food on a shelf at food bank. Two other people also stock shelves in the background.

Putting food in the bank!

Group of women standing and sitting around a table, making sandwiches. Two women stand in background.

Brenda Toews and her volunteers making sandwiches. Overnight they made over 2000 sandwiches.

“We’re very pleased with the number of volunteers,” said Alf Ames who was assisting with the efforts at the Evacuation Reception at the Community Centre. “it’s a credit to the people of this area. People want to pull together and help each other…”

In addition to the Emergency Operations Centre, the Evacuation Centre based out of the community centre was another hub of activity.

Volunteers from both the Emergency Social Services and the Canadian Red Cross joined together to assist the evacuees. The work continued long after the fire was under control.

Man with a can of pop in hand, buying a hot dog at a table from four volunteers.

Raising money for a good cause. Red Cross, Askew’s Foods Ltd., and Saan Stores Ltd. partnered to raise funds for the Red Cross Fire Relief Fund. Ron Bennett purchases a hotdog. Left to right behind the counter are: unknown, Bobbie Rutter, Buffy Churchill and Rob Rutter.

Man and woman sit at a desk consulting papers in an office.

Fimmy Ganshorn and Dave Woolliams organizing a relief for victims.