After Typhoon Haiyan devastated large parts of the Philippines, residents in Bonnyville have decided to step up and donate to the country as it starts to rebuild.
Volunteers have joined together to host "Dinner for a Cause: Helping our Filipino Friends", which will be held at St. Louis Parish Hall on Dec. 4.
"Filipino's have been in our community for a long time. They do a lot of hard work around town and help with the economic growth of Bonnyville. Anything that we can give back (to them) we will," said Karley Clarke, one of the volunteers helping with the event.
Clarke says people throughout the region have been dropping off a steady flow of door prizes at Yum's the Word in Bonnyville, which will be raffled off at the event. Residents have also been "exceeding expectations" with cash donations.
"Bonnyville has been amazing. Time and time again they just outdo themselves. We always come together as a community and it is really awesome," said Clarke. "It is going amazingly well. It is far better than we ever imagined. They have exceeded our expectations tenfold."
Donations collected up until Dec. 4 will be matched by the Canadian government and sent to the Canadian Disaster Relief Fund.
Dinner will start at 6p.m. and be followed by a raffle to award door prizes. Anyone interested in donating to the relief fund and looking to help out can drop by Yum's the Word or St. Louis Parish Hall in Bonnyville.
"We have worked with a lot of the Filipino's in the community for a long time. They have become like family and we have the means to help them," said Clarke. "It has been really nice to see everyone come together."
