The Prince Edward Island potato industry is showing its support for Fort McMurray with, well, potatoes.
The PEI Potato Board is sending a tractor trailer fully loaded with PEI potatoes to the fire-devastated city. The spuds were donated by packers and growers across the island province.
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The load, which left PEI on Wednesday, contains 50,000 pounds of fresh potatoes. The dollar value of the spuds is approximately $30,000.
The potatoes will be distributed through the Alberta Food Bank and the Salvation Army in Fort McMurray.
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“We reached out to help when the fires were burning, and were told that the food need would be greatest when people were moving back to their homes. We were very pleased to pull this together when the folks from Alberta contacted us last week,” Chairman Alex Docherty said in a statement.
Major Bond Jennings, a pastor with the Fort McMurray Salvation Army, said demand for help has been high and the donation will be beneficial for families.
“This will help us provide another item that people are probably looking for at this time,” he said.
“It might seem like a simple thing – potatoes – but it will certainly help some of the families with their needs right now.”
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Jennings said the Salvation Army does not have a refrigerated warehouse so it will be distributing the potatoes to families as quickly as possible.
The load of spuds will take roughly eight days to get to its final destination.
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