A group of Fraser Valley automotive clubs are rallying behind the fire victims of Lytton and will beholding a collection in Pitt Meadows on Thursday.
Fraser Valley Mopars, Guts Glory RAM Club, Total Khaos Obsessions, Mainland Mopars, and Mopar Tigers, will be accepting donations for those that are fighting the fires, as well as evacuees.
Matt Fines, one of the organizers, is hoping to fill a three metre long trailer with goods to help the volunteer firefighters including water, Gatorade, cots, sleeping bags, and medicines.
“There’s a lot of volunteers that are out in the Kamloops area that are kind of being forgotten about,” Fines explained.
“They are volunteering their time, they are fighting these fires, they don’t really have a place to sleep other than on the grass, on towels and blankets,” he added.
They will also be collecting pet supplies.
RELATED: Katzie First Nation collecting for Lytton wildfire victims
For evacuees they are looking for gift cards for gas stations and grocery stores.
“The donation centres up in Kamloops, we’ve been told that they have enough clothes and stuff like that and they have some food, but the gift cards are more appreciated because they can divvy them up and they can give them to the evacuees and then the evacuees can purchase exactly what they want,” he noted.
RELATED: 90% of Lytton destroyed in wildfire, injuries reported
The group will be holding two collections: one in Abbotsford at 1255 Sumas Way; and the other at Meadowtown Centre in Pitt Meadows. At both locations they can be found close to the Tim Hortons where there will be at least five volunteers taking the donations.
Clothing company Get Truck’d Supply Co. is donating gas money for the trip to Kamloops.
“There’s at least 25 people or so that are organizing this and we all agree that now is the time to start helping everybody in need and everybody definitely needs the help, especially with the fires getting as bad as they are,” said Fines.
The drive in Pitt Meadows will take place from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Thursday, July 8. Look for a yellow car and orange pickup.
A Sunday collection will be taking place from 7:30 p.m. until about 9 p.m. at 1450 United Blvd. in Coquitlam.
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