EDMONTON, Alta. – Willy’s Trucking has partnered with local organizations to set up donation stations in Peace River and Grande Prairie, Alta. to help victims of the Fort McMurray, Alta. wildfire.

“We have team members from Willy’s Trucking spending their days there collecting donations, loading the trucks and then driving them to the appropriate locations,” said Melody Mills, communications for Willy’s Trucking. “We have a couple different members on our Willy’s Trucking team who grew up in the town of Fort McMurray and are understandably upset about the welfare of their home town. Plus, being residents of Alberta, we can’t help but feel deep sympathy for everyone affected by this.”

Willy’s is working with the Canadian Red Cross to drop off donations in the appropriate areas, as no one other than emergency personnel are permitted to enter the Fort McMurray region at this time.

“Everybody is helping out however they can,” Mills said, “from regional managers setting aside their day to organize, to our drivers donating their time to drive and load the trucks.”

Mills said Shelly Sorensen, who manages the Willy’s Peace River location, has been very hands on spreading the word about the company initiative.

“We are doing what we can right now to assist,” Mills said, “and we will continue to provide support to the town of Fort McMurray and their residents however we are able to in the coming days, weeks and months of rebuild and recovery.”

In addition to Peace River and Grande Prairie, Willy’s Trucking has locations in Fort St. John and Dawson Creek, B.C., and is headquartered in Edmonton, Alta.