Residents organize charity dance jam, dinner to benefit flood victims
Volunteers from all over Quebec stepping in to help their neighbours
Over the past week, volunteers spent countless hours filling, delivering and stacking sandbags in an attempt to protect houses and businesses from rising flood waters.
Now the relief effort has turned its attention to fundraising in order to help people living in the affected areas return to their homes and rebuild.
The Red Cross is accepting donations to the official flood relief fund, to which the Quebec government has already pledged $500,000.
Luca "Lazylegs" Patuelli is hosting a "Break the Flood Fundraiser Jam" Saturday afternoon from 3 to 6 p.m. at the Monkland Community Centre at 4410 West Hill Avenue.
Patuelli told CBC Montreal's Homerun that he created the event hoping to help out two of his friends whose home was affected by the flooding. They in turn asked that the proceeds be distributed to anyone who'd been impacted and that any funds raised be sent to the Red Cross.
"We want to be able to help as much as we can, with what we know we can do — and that's dance," he said.
The event is open to all ages, and will include family activities, dance battles and prizes. Entrance is $10 or $5 for attendees who bring a non-perishable good.
Cooking for the community
Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue resident Angie Helie-Gery had the idea to offer a home-cooked meal for flood victims that's taken on a life of its own.
"My biggest goal was to give a nice meal for those who have lost everything and for the volunteers who have worked so hard," she told CBC Montreal's Daybreak.
The idea to host a large-scale community dinner quickly took off, with dozens of volunteers, caterers, food suppliers and companies reaching out to help.
Helie-Gery said she hopes any donations collected at the dinner can be donated to the Sainte-Anne-De-Bellevue food bank, which was entirely wiped out by the flood and lost all its stock.
She is still finalizing the date and location, and asks that anyone looking to get involved contact her through Facebook.
How to help today
To get involved with ongoing sandbagging or delivering of care packages, there is a Facebook group that is co-ordinating the efforts.
The borough of Pierrefonds-Roxboro has also started a volunteer registry. You can send your name and contact information by email to pierrefonds-roxboro@ville.montreal.qc.ca to be part of the volunteer list.
In the hard-hit area of Vaudreuil, MP Peter Schiefke is asking people who would like to help to fill out and submit the following Google form.