The other night my 10-year-old daughter said that she wants to find a girl from Fort McMurray so she could raise money to replace a favourite toy that was lost in the fire. It made me proud to see the empathy she has for our fellow Albertans.
The same pride I feel when I see Cochrane supporting affected parts of northern Alberta by donating items or raising funds with lemonade stands and concerts. I applaud you all.
When I first started drafting this column I was thinking about writing about Cochrane’s continued growth. We’re now 25,132 people strong and even in this economic downturn we continue to grow, with all the benefits and challenges that it entails.
But what I really want to do is put out a challenge to Cochrane. A “Hand-Up” challenge. It’s been a tough year for Cochrane and the province as a whole. The fire devastation in the northern half of the province, the impact of oil prices on our economy that has resulted in job losses and hit our local business community hard.
And then there are the day-to-day challenges. I have a number of friends fighting life-altering illnesses, struggling financially or personally. We all face it. And we can all help.
So here’s my trifecta “Hand-Up” challenge. By this Sunday:
·Donate $5 in support of Fort McMurray.
· Buy one item from one of our local businesses and support our local economy
· Do one act of random kindness
Thanks to all of you that have already stepped up to help our neighbors, either here in Cochrane or further afield.
In the end, it’s people that change the world.
