Over 800 people gathered in front of Athabasca’s Riverfront Stage last Saturday to enjoy some hot weather, cool tunes and a bite to eat.
For many, the Fort Mac Fundraiser Concert & Volunteer Appreciation BBQ was a nice change of pace, following an intense couple of weeks.
The show was thrown together over the course of last week, the brainchild of musician Fred Minville – originally from Fort McMurray, now an Athabasca resident – and some of his fellow local musicians.
“I had this idea – I wanted my band to come down, and we were going to play a free show for people,” said Athabasca talent Richard Nolan, another concert co-ordinator.
When he walked down to The River radio station on May 6, he found Minville had beaten him to the punch.
“Me, personally, I don’t have any extra money or stuff to donate, so this was the least I could do, donate my time and effort,” Nolan said. “That’s what a lot of people are doing, too.”
A mix of local and Fort McMurray artists jammed on stage, only too happy to take their minds off “The Beast,” the nickname given to the wildfire that caused the evacuation of Fort McMurray.
“It’s been kind of holiday-ish, even though we’re sitting there worrying about our homes and stuff like that,” said Eric Bureau, one of the evacuated musicians who joined the roaming Fort Mac Refugee All Star Touring Band. “Being on stage – it always puts you in a good mood. It releases all the tension, and it lets you forget for a few minutes. That’s just the way music is for me.”
Bureau said he was “one of the lucky ones.” On his way out of town he was able to grab five guitars out of his 30-piece collection, and as far as he knows, his house remains intact.
“Another guy, his house burnt down and he lost everything,” Burueau said. “He was at work, and his wife took nine guitars and then the rest stayed in the house and all burnt down. So all the equipment – drums, PA systems, everything.”
Keep on givin’ on
Even though people were taking a day to relax in the sun, it didn’t mean that the Athabasca volunteer gears stopped turning.
Councillors and members of administration from the Town of Athabasca were on scene to collect donations, while Athabasca–Sturgeon–Redwater MLA Colin Piquette, Lakeland MP Shannon Stubbs and Fort McMurray–Cold Lake MP David Yurdiga stopped by to flip some burgers, provided by the local Lions Club.
The group also donated 100 t-shirts – emblazoned with the phrase “Ft. McMurray Survivor 2016” – which were handed out to evacuees.
“This is for the immediate help,” said Lions Club president David Maguire. “This is for the towels and the underclothing and various other things that people need. Later will come a much larger effort and that will be for the rebuilding of Fort McMurray.
In addition to collecting donations, vendors sold t-shirts, bumper stickers and other knick-knacks emblazoned with the phrase “Alberta Strong,” the province’s unoffical mantra in times of crisis, to raise funds.
Money raised through the food table, merchandise sold and general donations will be given to the Canadian Red Cross, to further aid Fort McMurray’s evacuees.
