A BBQ event is hoping to raise funds for those impacted by the June Maple Ridge fire on Brown Avenue.
The Maple Ridge Legion will be hosting a Canada Day BBQ and will dedicate a portion of the funds raised to those affected by the incident.
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It is a ticketed event and will cost $15 for a burger. Residents will also have the opportunity to participate in a 50/50 draw or drop some cash in a passing bucket which will be managed by the firefighters.
The initial plan was to hand over the proceeds from the event to Red Cross, however, as the organization will not earmark the funds for just residents of Brown Avenue, the Legion has decided to pass the funds to Maple Ridge Community Foundation, said Lesley Nantel, secretary-manager of the Maple Ridge Legion.
On Friday, June 9 more than 200 residents were displaced after a fire broke out on Brown Avenue, Maple Ridge.
The Legion provided emergency shelter to nearly 80 residents before they were transported to the Greg Moore Youth Centre.
A BBQ event is not new at the organization but this one is unique.
After seeing those displaced by the fire, Nantel suggested that a fundraising component can be added to the annual Canada Day bbq event.
Two years ago, a similar event helped raised funds for those impacted by the wildfires in Lytton.
Although they raised $5000 it was partly due to a provincial state of emergency and donations were matched from the Poppy Fund.
“The Maple Ridge Legion makes tens of thousands of donations a year to veteran services, hospitals and community organizations and we are happy to be doing this for our neighbours,” said Nantel.
There has been a shift in fundraising efforts because people are spending more on travel since the COVID-19 pandemic was declared over, coupled with an inflationary rise in interest rates, added Nantel.
However, she hopes to be proven wrong.
The event will be open to the public from 1 to 3 p.m. and will include live entertainment, draws, and a limited menu from the Legion Kitchen.
