Campbell River firefighter Stewart Dumont and Marine Harvest’s Ian Roberts have received personal invitations to attend a groundbreaking celebration for the new Burn Fund Centre in Vancouver.
For more than ten years, Campbell River Professional Firefighters Local 1668, Marine Harvest Canada, and the community of Campbell River have teamed up to fundraise for the BC Burn Fund. Dumont and Roberts are excited to see years of local effort helping to fund a project that will support burn and trauma patients from across British Columbia.
A portion of the money was raised by selling barbecued salmon every year at Campbell River’s Canada Day festivities at Ostler Park.
In the ten years since salmon sales began, Marine Harvest and Local 1668 members have raised more than $20,000 for the BC Burn Fund.
Other events such as the annual Fashion Inferno and Christmas Tree Chipping help make Local 1668 a valued contributor to the BC Professional Fire Fighters Burn Fund fundraising efforts.
The Burn Fund Centre – to be built on the corner of 23rd Avenue and Main Street – will provide eight short-term, free of charge, furnished suites to help meet the current critical shortfall in accommodation for burn and trauma patients and their family caregivers.
The Centre will also offer supportive survivor programs and resources, as well as a retail space to help fund the ongoing operation of the building.
While Dumont and Roberts are attending next week’s ground breaking celebration, they know it is a team effort that helped fundraise over the years.
“There have been many individuals who have helped at our salmon barbecue, and groups including The Fraternal Order of Eagles Ladies Auxiliary and Associated Tire have been integral to our fundraising efforts,” said Dumont. “We wish everyone could attend the ground breaking celebration, including every customer who bought a salmon burger in the last ten years.”
Lisa Lacamell, executive director of the Burn Fund, is excited to host Marine Harvest and Campbell River firefighters at the event, and said the BC Burn Fund recognizes that Local 1668 and Marine Harvest have been incredibly generous supporters of the Burn Fund.
“Your commitment to community is admirable and we thank you for your support of our organization,” Lacamell said.
More than 85 per cent of the funds needed to complete the Burn Centre are already secured.
This includes an extraordinary $1.3 million in pledges from professional Fire Fighters’ Locals around the province, a donation of land from the city of Vancouver, $750,000 in donated services from Concert Properties, and a $4 million investment from the Province of British Columbia.
Anyone interested in donating to the BC Burn Centre, can donate online at www.BurnFund.org