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CNA's Qatar campus steps up for Fort McMurray wildfire relief

Halfway across the world, people are raising money to help those displaced by the devastating wildfires.
CNA-Qatar president Ken MacLeod mans the Tim Hortons on campus to help raise funds. (Submitted by Julian Branch)

Students, staff, faculty and contractors at the College of the North Atlantic's campus in Qatar have opened up their wallets to help out people halfway around the world: the tens of thousands displaced by the wildfire in Fort McMurray.

"A large percentage of our employees are Canadian and, therefore, have a special place in their hearts for the 80,000 residents of Fort Mac affected by this disaster," Ken MacLeod, the president of the CNA campus, wrote in an all-staff memo.

"Directly affected or not, Canadian or not, the CNA-Q Community is always ready when called upon to help out."

Over the course of five days, the campus raised $6,500, which included having senior staff become "guest baristas" at the Tim Hortons outlet on campus. 

The wildfire, which forced the evacuation of the Fort McMurray area earlier in May, remains out of control in northern Alberta and Saskatchewan. As of Tuesday it covered more than 520,000 hectares.