Family and Community Support Services (FCSS) has been waiting a year to officially thank all the volunteers who spent countless hours and enormous amounts of energy to help out others in need during the Slave Lake evacuation last spring.
At long last, a dinner and concert were held at the Athabasca Regional Multiplex on June 1 to do just that.
FCSS has always hosted an annual appreciation dinner for all the volunteers in the community who help out in any one of the many programs that are run through FCSS. This year the appreciation dinner went over the top to show support for all the additional community members who went above and beyond the call of duty to help out the evacuees from the Slave Lake fire, according to FCSS manager Debbie Wood.
“This year we didn’t want to do just a regular event because it wasn’t just a regular year,” Wood said. “FCSS in Athabasca was the leading organizer of the evacuee reception centre at the multiplex and there were so many people who helped out, so it required a large event to show our appreciation because we didn’t want to miss out on anyone.”
With three weeks to plan the night, FCSS got right into it and in conjunction with Athabasca County, they organized a barbeque and concert by Alberta-born country singer Brett Kissel for a night of appreciation and thanks.
Wood noted there were about 400 tickets given out for the event and almost all invitees came out to mingle and enjoy the show.
“This was a chance for everyone to come back one year later under a much less stressful circumstance,” Wood said.
“What happened last year with Slave Lake was not just something we accomplished in our community and it was bigger than just Athabasca. This was an opportunity to bring everyone who helped out back together again and show our thanks and celebrate what we were able to do to help others by coming together as a community.”
Athabasca County councillor and FCSS board member Christine Bilsky said the evening was a time for the volunteers to come together again and enjoy each other’s company in a fun and stress-free environment.
“This evening was amazing and the camaraderie that these people have is awesome,” Bilsky said. “I heard stories of people working long hours and still coming in and volunteering their time for others, even though they were exhausted themselves.
“I’m really happy that FCSS was able to put on this appreciation night and recognize everyone for all the work they did then and still do today. I just hope this was a good way for everyone to feel appreciated and recognized.”
The county’s director of corporate services, Brian Pysyk, said he thinks the whole evening went very well and that it was a much-deserved affair for all those who helped with the evacuation last year.
“I don’t think people realize how much of an impact hosting an evacuation had on regular members and volunteers of FCSS, let alone those extra people who helped out,” Pysyk said. “It was a stressful time and it took a good couple of months for people to put it behind them.
“The county has been behind this appreciation from the beginning and very supportive, and it went really well for all those who volunteered their time and energy last year.
“It was something FCSS has wanted to do for a while now and it’s very much deserved.”
