A local group has danced, sung and acted its way into providing much needed disaster relief for the city.
The Thunder Bay chapter of the Canadian Red Cross currently has 40 disaster response volunteers throughout the district. They need to double that number by 2015.
When disaster strikes, like a house fire, the volunteers help families with everything from emergency shelter to clothing in an effort to reduce stress in their troubled time.
And thanks to two successful shows by Slightly off Broadway last February, the local Red Cross can now train a dozen new volunteers. The Red Cross disaster relief program even volunteers during major events like last summer’s forest fire evacuations.
“We train these people to conduct these activities and we build their skills and confidence as a team,” Red Cross disaster management coordinator Ken Widdifield said Monday morning after receiving a $1,000 donation from the theatre group.
“This $1,000 is a big step in helping to reach that goal for us.”
For Slightly off Broadway co-owner Jacquieline McMahon the donation is a way to give back to the community.
Every year the company puts on a show with ticket sales going to a local charity. While the performance is hard, requiring six weeks of rehearsals, the kids involved always have fun and want to start another show as soon as the curtain falls.
The students know how lucky they are to have what they have but being able to use their talent and give back at the same time is a good life lesson she said.
“They’re aware that a lot of people don’t have that luxury but I think it makes it more real for them when they can do something and realize that they’ve made a difference in the lives of somebody else,” McMahon said.
Widdifield encourages anyone looking to volunteer with Red Cross to drop by their office on Barton Street.
