Day of remembrance spurs act of kindness

Mike Lawrence - Staff Writer

This year marked the 20th anniversary of the September 11th attacks in which nearly 3,000 lives were lost. Of that number, over 412 were emergency workers.

On a day that many choose to remember first responders who have fallen in the line of duty, one local resident was spurred into action. April Gray had an idea to commemorate the day by doing something special for our areas first responders, in appreciation for all they do for our community. 

As Gray relates, “What made us think (of) providing meals to First Responders was to thank the front-line workers for all the hard work they offer our community of Sioux Lookout. We provided meals to the OPP (but) didn’t know who to contact, so I called the toll-free number and asked them to ask an officer to come and pick up (the) food.” Other beneficiaries included local paramedics and health care workers at the Meno Ya Win Health Centre.

The last-minute decision to provide the meals led to a busy day for the group of volunteers, which included Gray, along with Caroline Mamakwa, Cheylan Crane, and Jacob Koostachin. 

Gray continued, “For Saturday morning we prepped 50 lean hamburger patties, (and) more than 50 fried Bannock buns.” Along with the burgers the group also made Bannock Pops and Bannock Pizza to distribute.

The group also wanted to express their appreciation to Candi Edwards, Charlotte Murray, and Trevor Martel for the monetary donations which went towards the purchase of ingredients and propane.

Gray stated they would definitely be interested in doing it again next year if they had more time to plan, had more volunteers, and a larger prep/cooking area. They are also considering running the event as part of next summer’s Blueberry Festival.