Canadians' tremendous generosity recognized by the Red Cross


In May 2016, wildfires devastated entire homes and lives in Fort McMurray and its surrounding area. While the effects of this disaster have been tragic, Canadians quickly came together to support those in need. More than one million donors have shown their care and compassion through a donation to the Canadian Red Cross Alberta Fires Appeal. To date, donations to the Canadian Red Cross have topped $319 million, including matching funds from the governments of Canada and Alberta. This generosity is remarkable, and unprecedented.

The Red Cross wants to say thank you to the entire country for rallying together to deliver a sense of help and hope to individuals and families affected by the fires. They are offering free downloads of “Proud,” a song written and donated by Newfoundland’s Sean McCann of Great Big Sea fame.

Sean was in Banff the day the fires started and was deeply moved by the ordeal.

“I kept seeing this disaster unfold and get bigger,” he says. “For the first three days it just looked hopeless and I felt hopeless. Then I started to see Canadians responding en masse and I started to feel hope come back.”

Sean’s song shares this message of hope, and coming together. The Red Cross is able to respond thanks to volunteers, staff, and generous donors.
 
“Canadians from coast-to-coast have come together to support the people affected by the Alberta wildfires, and Sean’s song is a wonderful tribute to that generosity,” says Conrad Sauvé, president and CEO, Canadian Red Cross.

The response to this fire has shown the strength and resiliency of the people from Fort McMurray and surrounding communities, first responders, and all of Canada. This outpouring of support has provided hope to Albertans, and is something all Canadians can be proud of.


 

Click here to download the song!

Proud
Séan McCann with Jeremy Fisher
http://www.seanmccannsings.com/

 


Join us!

It’s simple. Starting this week, you can join us by sharing our Thank you Canada message online. Visit our social channels to take part in the effort and use your voice to reach as many people as we can.
  We also invite you to share your comments and photos with us! Use #RedCrossThanks to join the conversation.