For Mike and Wendy Reece of Keremeos, last Friday began as many days do.
But within the hour, their lives would change forever.
And now a local restaurant owner who thinks the world of them is doing everything she can to repair a situation that very quickly went off the rails.
And her plan all comes down to this Friday evening, Jan. 5th.
But let's back up a bit. The story began last Friday, just three days after Christmas and two before New Year's Eve, at the couple's home -- a trailer on the edge of the rural property owned by Wendy's mom Pat.
Mike woke up first, as he often does. As is typical, he made a coffee for his wife, placed it on her bedside table, then headed outside to feed the small flock of chickens.
A few minutes later he was across the driveway at Pat's place cleaning out her fireplace. Now 90 years old, Pat needed the help. It was the chief reason the Reeces, both in their 60s, relocated to Keremeos from Surrey a couple years ago.
Suddenly, his wife appeared at the front door. She'd frantically run across the driveway, still in her PJs.
And now she shouted the words no homeowner wants to hear.
Fire! Call 911!
Mike ran to the door and looked toward their trailer, 30 meters away. He saw the flames.
"So I told them to call 911," he said Wednesday morning, recounting the events like they'd happened just minutes ago. "I said I had work to do."
Mike sprinted toward the trailer, keeping his eyes on the big window in front. Looking inside, he could see flames pushing out from the back of their refrigerator.
So he grabbed his hose from the shed and connected it. He trained the spray at the back wall of the trailer and the roof, where the fire had burst through. Satisfied with his work there, he then ran back to the front.
But his hose wasn’t long enough.
"So I grabbed another hose," he said, "but by the time I started spraying again, it was just too smoky to even think about getting in there. So I just went on the porch and sprayed as much as I could.
"I thought I could save half the trailer, but the fire just got too hot. The flames were coming out the window. And that’s when the fire department came. They put it out, but it was too late.
"We just stood there in disbelief after they left."
Mike believes problematic refrigerator wiring caused a spark that triggered the fire. And he's beyond happy that Wendy was able to detect the smoke early enough to safely vacate.
But everything else is a nightmare.
Most of the trailer and its contents were reduced to ash. The couple lost virtually everything except the clothes on their backs and three of Wendy's rings and a set of car keys Mike has since sifted from the wreckage.
In the cruelest blow of all, the toll includes their cat of 13 years, Sissy.
"That’s the worst," said Mike. "I was calling and calling her to get her out. I was sure she was out. But we hadn't seen her since.
"Then we found her yesterday. She was in one of the corners, so close to the door."
Mike and Wendy buried Sissy the same day.
"After we found her, I took a walk all the way up to the mountain there," he said, gesturing to the hillside. "I sat on a big rock, remembering her, then came down and we wrapped her up in a blanket my wife made, said goodbye and buried her.
"She was incredible. She was our kid."
But the bad news didn't stop there. Making the recovery process even tougher, the Reeces, now making do temporarily in a small bedroom in Pat's house, had no insurance.
"My wife had surgery six or seven weeks ago," said Mike, "and insurance just slipped past us. And I hurt my back at work (as a carpenter/supervisor), so I'm on disability with WorkSafe right now.
"I was going to retire at 70, but I think my back hurts too much to go back to work again. At least disability will cover me 'til I'm 70."
The couple doesn’t even have anyone to help remove their gutted trailer. "I'm strong and I know what I have to do," said Mike stoically.
But here's the thing. The Reeces are no strangers to paying it forward. And now they hope the good deeds of their past might come back around to them in the near future.
"You never think it'll happen to you," said Mike. "But we've done so many benefits ourselves over the years.
"At big events like Super Bowls when we lived in Surrey, Wendy would always make up 30 or 40 baskets to raffle off. And we'd donate the money to Childrens' Hospital.
"We'd do Christmas hampers. We'd do events. We'd do everything to help others."
They've kept the giving going since relocating. And it hasn’t gone unnoticed.
Indeed, that's the big reason Kirsten Steele, co-owner of popular new Keremeos eatery "Steele's Bistro," has made this Friday night, Jan. 5th, the "Fire Fundraiser for Mike and Wendy."
"I used to lease out a different restaurant and I got to know them there," said Steele Wednesday morning. "We did a sponsor family of six, and they helped out with that. They helped to get donations and they put together hampers.
"They’ve helped with the Food Bank, they've helped with hampers, they're always the first to jump in and ask if you need a hand. When we were feeding firefighters last summer, they called to ask if we wanted fresh produce, eggs, that sort of thing. They said to let them know if we needed making sandwiches."
The event, essentially a raffle paired with impressive discounts on food and drinks and a silent auction, runs this Friday, Jan. 5th, from 5 pm to post-midnight. And Steele says it's nothing without participation.
"The raffle will be fantastic," she said. "We have gift cards, Indigenous beading, jewelry, paintings from local artisans, stays at the local hotel, bottles of wine and a bunch more.
"We'll be selling tickets for a dollar apiece. And we'll have a silent auction for our high-value items that'll go all week. We do have some paintings and other items valued at $500 or better."
According to Steele, who says all drink profits will also go straight to the Reeces, the goal of the event is to "get as much cash as possible into their hands as soon as possible to support them finding a new home."
"We just want people to show up, have a great time and buy tons of tickets," she added with a smile.
The restaurant is also looking for more raffle and silent auction items prior to the event, particularly a flat-screen TV. And they’ll gladly take cash donations too. All of the above can be dropped off between 11 am and 9 pm this Thursday and 11 to 5 Friday at Steele's Bistro.
And that's not all. Steele hopes a band or DJ might want to donate their time to the cause. She promises any entertainers will receive both food and libations while they work.
"I can only imagine losing everything I owned four days after Christmas, at the hardest time of the year, in the middle of a recession, with an absurd cost of living, as a senior on a pension," she summed up.
Additionally, Wendy Reece has now set up a gofundme campaign for herself and her hubby. You can find it right here.
Those who'd rather get in on the raffle evening this Friday – or donate to it in advance – will find Steele's Bistro at 603 7th Ave. in downtown Keremeos or online here or at Facebook here.
