After the May floods damaged many homes in Montreal, firefighters are lending a helping hand again.
Approximately 2,400 firefighters are expected to take part in the fundraising initiative.
“It’s part of our job to help people so, for us, it’s nothing,” Vincent Lepage, firefighter, said.
The idea to collect came from Yann Lefebvre, captain of Station 51 in Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue.
READ MORE: Montreal firefighters stage fundraising blitz for flood victims
He says once he pitched the idea both the city and union jumped on board.
“Now that the rollback has happened basically everybody, the army has gone back, police has gone back, fire has gone back, we realize that there’s a great need for many, many people,” Lefebvre said.
The money will be given to the Red Cross who will then distribute the funds accordingly.
Money is expected to help with temporary housing and replace any items not covered under Quebec’s financial aid program.
“Even if the water is not still there, the people still need help and need money to rebuild their homes,” Lepage said.
READ MORE: Quebec floods: Majority of flood victims experiencing anxiety, mental health issues, survey says
Lefebvre says collecting funds doesn’t stop after Monday.
Firefighters are expected to be out on Friday as well.
“All the grief that we saw also motivated me to propose this idea,” Lefebvre said. “We just want to raise as much money as possible.”