Community members are rallying around a family after a tragic accident northeast of Calgary on Thursday, Aug. 19.
The collision claimed the life of a nine-year-old boy and left his 14-year-old brother with serious injuries.
RCMP said a side-by-side vehicle and an SUV collided on Highway 575.
Communities like Acme, Beiseker and Irricana are coming together to raise money and host fundraisers for the Eddyvean family.
Shannon Fox is spearheading the fundraising efforts.
“They are phenomenal, phenomenal people that in their time of grief and struggle, we as a community are going to rally around them and support them,” said Fox on Saturday.
“The community is grieving. Our teenagers are heartbroken. We’re all dumbfounded. You don’t expect this.”
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Fox said the family is integral to the community, running a business in Irricana and supporting the agriculture sector. She said their business was already hit hard during the pandemic, so they need financial support now more than ever.
“They are going to be taken away from their business. After 18 months of COVID and the shutdown, everybody business-wise is struggling across the whole province. This is just added to the burden,” said Fox.
A GoFundMe page has been set up, and the Carbon Bottle Depot is accepting bottle and can donations.
The Acme & District Golf Club and the Flying Monkey Café at the Beiseker Airport are also accepting donations.
“I don’t think they realize how integral they are to the community,” said Sandra Beatty, owner of the Flying Monkey Café.
“We just want to show them the support because family comes first, and that’s what these small communities are.”
A trust fund will also be set up to support the family, and events will be held in the coming weeks.
Fox said the fundraising goal is $150,000.
“We cannot bring back the little fella who’s gone, but we can certainly support the family.”
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