Natasha Wilson and Shawn Peters – photo 250News

Prince George, B.C. – A relief effort is underway to help Fort McMurray residents displaced by a raging wildfire.

Shawn Peters, creator of the Facebook page ‘PG Supports FTMac,’ says he and a group of local volunteers have come together to help send donations to roughly 2,000 evacuees at a community recreation centre in Buffalo Lake.

“We are collecting water, canned goods, pet supplies, bedding, clothes, hygiene products. They have nothing in the community right now. The Red Cross is great, if you donate money that’s great but Red Cross can’t get to all these smaller communities right away and these people need food.”

He says they are accepting donations at the Kinsmen Community Complex (777 Kinsmen Place) until 8 tonight and from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. tomorrow.

“We have two semis and trailers coming and we have people in Mackenzie, Fort St. James, Smithers and Quesnel doing the same thing today in their areas. They are coming here tomorrow and we’ll combine it all to send. The trucks leave Friday afternoon and should arrive in Buffalo Lake Saturday morning.”

Peters says helping out was a no-brainer. “Sitting there watching the images, my friends and I were horrified. They all have family there and they don’t have food and so we felt the need to do this.”