The community of Campbell River is rallying around the family of missing 17-year-old Jordan Holling.
Shortly after the RCMP issued a release Thursday about the missing teen and asking for the public’s help, a Facebook page called MISSING: JORDAN ALEXANDER HOLLING was launched, where well over 1,000 members of the community have now joined to talk about how they can help get Holling back to his family.
Organized searches have also begun. Search organizer Kyla May says that on Saturday morning, more than 5o members of the public met up at the old Quinsam Hotel and set off in various directions looking for signs of Holling.
“We handed out probably over 1,000 posters on yesterday (Friday),” May says. “We went door to door, we put them up on mailboxes and posts, and then I facilitated a search party today. We’ve gotta get this out there. It’s like Jordan’s literally just vanished. I mean, he was only a block and a half away from home.”
This morning’s search party, May says, broke into three main groups: one to search along the ERT road, one down to the Campbell River behind Home Depot and along Myrt Thompson Trail and one that went further up the river towards The Brick.
There has also been a Meal Train page set up where people can sign up to cook dinner and have it delivered to the family – giving them one less thing to worry about while they are going through this trying ordeal.
Most importantly, May says, is that people help to get the word out about Jordan’s disappearance.
The Facebook page has a section with downloadable posters (.pdf) the public is welcome to print out and post around town and circulate to their neighbours as well as a printable .pdf with tips on how to conduct a ground search. Updates on how the community is responding to this situation will be posted on the Facebook page, as well.
There is another search tentatively scheduled for tomorrow morning, but those interested in taking part should check updates on the Facebook page to be sure before heading down to help.
May says it’s been amazing to see the community come together like it has, even if the reason for them doing so is a missing 17-year-old kid.
“His mom is a really close friend, but even if she wasn’t, I’d probably still be doing this,” May says. “Yes, it’s overwhelming, but you do what you have to do. There were so many people out today who didn’t know them personally, but they wanted to help somehow. We were so grateful that people would so selflessly come out and help us try to get him home.”