Like so many Canadians across the country, actor Jonathan Torrens was moved by the stories of loss and devastation that emerged from the Fort McMurray wildfire.
“I’m a father, I’m a husband, I’m a human being, I’m a Canadian. I don’t think you can watch those images and not be horrified,” he said.
When the fire forced the evacuation of tens of thousands of people, the actor – best known for his role as “J-Roc” on Trailer Park Boys – said he felt compelled to help the best way he knew how.
“I asked myself, ‘what tools do I have? I’m not a firefighter, I don’t have any direct ties to Fort McMurray beyond the ties that we all have- which is it’s a town that’s kept the country’s economy on its back.’ But I have access to a fairly good size group of folks on social media,” Torrens said.
READ MORE: Fort McMurray wildfire evacuees line up for emergency funds in droves
The actor reached out to friends and his social media community to ask for donations that would help get stranded Atlantic Canadians back to their families on the East Coast.
“Joel Plaskett said he had 200,000 Aeroplan points he’d be willing to donate, which he did. Ron James and Gerry Dee, both comedians, said ‘what can I do,'” Torrens said.
It wasn’t long before the hashtag #GetMeBackFromFortMac began having an impact on the lives of those devastated by the wildfires.
“So far, we’ve booked over 35 flights with donated points and donated cash. We’ve donated tanks of gas to people who are stranded and started to drive east but ran out,” Torrens said.
Flights back home that will help people find the strength they need to rebuild and move forward.
“If our little group can email someone back and say, ‘Take a breath, don’t worry, we care, you’re on your way home,’ that’s got to feel pretty good,” Torrens said.
For more information on the GetMeBackFromFortMac team, visit their webpage.
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