An Alberta family says it will stop at nothing to bring their missing loved ones home and is holding a fundraiser on Friday to help with their efforts.
Dominic Neron and Ashley Bourgeault have been considered missing since their plane, headed from Penticton, B.C. to Edmonton, never arrived on Nov. 25. The official search for the couple and the plane was called off on Dec. 4.
Ever since the official Joint Rescue Coordination Centre search near Revelstoke was called off, the case has become a missing persons file with the RCMP.
Neron and Bourgeault’s loved ones have continued the search, though they’ve had to recently suspend their efforts due to winter weather conditions and insufficient funds.
READ MORE: Family of missing Alberta couple suspends search due to winter weather
“It’s proven to be a lot more difficult than we anticipated,” Dominic’s sister, Tammy Neron, said on Thursday. “The mountains, the terrain is very dense. It’s weather-dependent. We’ve run into a lot of obstacles that unfortunately cost quite a bit.”
Despite over $36,000 being donated to a GoFundMe page, air crews and ground searches ate up the family’s funds.
READ MORE: Family of missing Alberta couple continues search 10 days after plane vanishes in B.C.
But community members in the Edmonton area have been eager and willing to step up to help. Tammy used to work at The Canadian Brewhouse in Spruce Grove and says they have always been generous, so she wasn’t surprised when they and other local businesses stepped up to put on a silent auction to help the family.
“All of the funds go to the donations and we’ve had local businesses and individuals donating to the silent auction,” Tammy explained. “Everything from sports memorabilia, to gym memberships, to massages, to hairdressers – you name it.”
Watch below: On Dec. 2, 2017, Julia Wong filed this report one week after an Alberta pilot and his girlfriend went missing in a single-engine plane.
The event begins at 6 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 29 at The Canadian Brewhouse in Spruce Grove. Tickets cost $10 and can be bought online or at the door. A ticket gives buyers access to the auction and a free drink. Tammy said there is still time to for others who want to help to get involved.
“If there are any businesses who want to donate, we will be taking donations until the night of,” she said.
Tammy added the family is still accepting donations through its GoFundMe page as well.
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