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With the Keremeos Creek wildfire burning not far away, the South Okanagan community came together for a great cause last weekend.
On Sunday, Aug. 7, Slackwater Brewing was packed with people from open until close for a fundraiser to support the Apex Fire Brigade.
When all was said and done, an impressive $15,000 had been raised to aid the Apex Fire Brigade in their battle against the nearly-7,000-hectare wildfire.
Slackwater co-founder Kelsey Peyton said that donation offerings started pouring in from local businesses as soon as the event was made live on Facebook.
“I grew up skiing at Apex, I got married at Apex, and our children will grow up enjoying Apex mountain each year,” Peyton explained. “Seeing our community come together in such a short time frame was overwhelming.”
Molle Raine from Apex Volunteer Fire & Rescue said that the support and appreciation of locals makes the job that much more fulfilling.
“These have been very long days for our crew, but knowing we have this incredible community to protect is what keeps us going,” she said.
The money will support the Apex Fire Brigade crew with any immediate supply needs and leftover cash will be put towards purchasing a wildland slip-on skid unit.
Simply put, the single-day fundraiser gives the fire department more ability to support the community in the event of another forest fire in the area.
“A full-sized truck with this skid unit can be staged and used for pumping, supporting sprinkler operations or direct initial attack,” noted Raine.
The brewery thanked the many local musicians and businesses for their support in making the fundraiser a smashing success.
For more information on the Keremeos Creek wildfire, click this link.