Fundraisers have been launched for victims of the White Rock Lake wildfire after it raged through Monte Lake Thursday and Friday.
More than a dozen GoFundMe accounts have been set up for Monte Lake families who lost everything, collecting more than $100,000 in a matter of days.
Nearly , organized by Matt Hunter, a professional mountain biker based in Kamloops and friend of owners and operators of the iconic property, Ron Penney and Krys Green
鈥淩on and Krys are OK, but they lost absolutely everything,鈥� Hunter wrote in the campaign kickstarted Aug. 6. 鈥淭hey had created an amazing paradise and a lot of unforgettable memories for so many people.鈥�
The devastating loss to the bike community has already been featured in articles on and .
鈥淲e just want to thank everybody who has reached out to us,鈥� wrote Penney and Green in a post to the account. 鈥淭his is the second-worst outcome possible and although devastating, we are alive. This bike community of ours is all that we have left and we love you all to no end.鈥�
Two fundraisers have been started for area resident Jackie Cooke who lost her home and several animals to the wildfire, collecting more than $10,000 combined.
Cooke was the star of a Cannes Film Festival selection in 2016.
鈥淛ackie Cooke is one of the most caring and rock-solid people I have ever met,鈥� . 鈥淓arlier this week, she kicked down a burning gate to save some of her animals from perishing as her property, Jackieland, succumbed to the wildfire.鈥�
A new director鈥檚 cut of the film was released on Vimeo by director Darcy Henessey Turrenne for $5. All the proceeds will go to Cookie and Turrenne said she and her husband would 鈥渄ouble-match鈥� the funds raised.
A , his wife and two young children, has already raised more than $38,000 of its $75,000 goal.
Bouchard, a small business owner who lost his home and work equipment in the fire, has returned to Monte Lake to help in firefighting efforts alongside other residents who either returned or never left when the evacuation order was issued, according to the organizer Kyle Gryte.
While the Thompson-Nicola Regional District is aware of some structure loss, the exact extent of that has still yet to become clear said communications manager Michelle Nordstrom on Aug. 9.
She said the district expects to have a better sense of the total loss soon.
To learn more about the GoFundMe campaigns launched on behalf of those affected by the White Rock Lake wildfire, visit and search Monte Lake or White Rock Lake fire.
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