In response to the over 80,000 people affected by the wildfires in northern Alberta and Fort McMurray, JBT Transport sought the help of local businesses and the public to raise urgently needed items for donation to the relief effort. As part of their contribution, JBT donated the transportation to haul the goods to the Alberta Wildfire Donation Centre, which is managed by ADRA Canada in partnership with the government of Alberta and Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo.
A truckload of donations were raised over the course of the campaign including items that are urgently required like hygiene items, baby care products, new clothing and linens.
Additionally, a large quantity of non-perishable food and water was made available to the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo Food Bank, which is located directly in the city of Fort McMurray. The truckload of goods donated through the Stuff-A-JBT-Truck program will primarily go to assist residents in the Fort Mac area, but the relief will also help people who are still displaced and living in other communities like Edmonton as anyone with a Canadian Red Cross registration number can access assistance.
The “stuffed” truck left JBT’s yard in Ayr Ontario on July 2 and was delivered to the Alberta Wildfire Donation Centre in Edmonton on July 5 by veteran JBT driver Marilyn Robinson. JBT would like to thank Marilyn for all her support. We couldn’t have asked for a better person to represent the campaign out on the road and in Edmonton!
On the left is JBT Transport driver Marilyn Robinson and on the right is Kryzia Abacan, Communications and Office Manager for ADRA Canada standing amongst items donated through Stuff-A-JBT-Truck. (July 5, 2016 – Alberta Wildfire Donation Centre, Edmonton Alberta) Photo Credit: ADRA Canada
While most of the donations came from businesses and the public in Waterloo Region, we were pleasantly surprised to see how far reaching the campaign was as we went along. We would receive calls regularly from people outside of our region to see how they could get involved. For example, we received 2000 units of brand new clothing from an apparel company in Montreal who read about the campaign online, and we were contacted by the folks in Ignace Ontario to say they had items for us to pick up on our way out to Edmonton. In addition to the truckload of donated items, over $2000 in monetary contributions was raised through the campaign and made available to the Canadian Red Cross.
JBT would like to thank the following partners for their assistance throughout the campaign: Edmonton Emergency Relief Services Society, Edmonton’s Food Bank, ADRA Canada, Municipality of Wood Buffalo Food Bank, Canadian Red Cross and the Government of Alberta.
JBT would also like to thank the public in Waterloo Region for their generosity. We had people stopping by our warehouse in Ayr regularly with donations, as well as other drop sites in the area. Also, through the public donation events on June 25 & 26, we filled skid after skid with donated items which was incredible. Our thanks go out to the Hiway Centre Zehrs and Ayr Foodland for hosting our public donation events.
Items donated through Stuff-A-JBT-Truck are being taken out of the trailer and piled on the loading dock at the Alberta Wildfire Donation Centre for sorting. (July 5, 2016 – Alberta Wildfire Donation Centre, Edmonton Alberta) Photo Credit: ADRA Canada
We could not have accomplished our goal without the support and contributions made available by the business community. In particular, JBT Transport would like to thank the following contributors: Apollo Health and Beauty Care, Ayr Fire Hall and Township of North Dumfries, Bolton Smith, Breadner Trailers, Community Physiotherapy & Rehabilitation, CPI Automation, Dr. Andrew Tsandelis Family & Cosmetic Dentistry, Expressway Volvo, Foodland, Goliger’s Travel Plus, Grand Porter Logistics, Ingenia Polymers, Jones Deslauriers Insurance Management Inc., Marsh Canada, Moore, McDermott and Partners LLP, Nick’s No Frills, NTD Apparel, RBC Royal Bank, Trillium Metal Stampings, Twin City Graphics and Zehrs.
As the community of Fort McMurray rebuilds, residents are still in need. People looking to coordinate a donation or charitable campaign can contact ADRA Canada or the Canadian Red Cross.