One Lac du Bonnet woman is on a mission to express her sincere gratitude to those fighting wildfires in Manitoba—and those supporting them—by handing out Tim Hortons gift cards.
More than $8,000 has already been raised, which is enough to buy 800 pilots, firefighters, cooks, mechanics, paramedics and crew a $10 card as a sincere thank you for their efforts. Additional funds are being raised in a GoFundMe.
For Linda Szyszkowski, this is more than just a kind gesture—it’s a deeply personal endeavor.
"My husband and I were out in B.C., and then had a bunch of friends call us and tell us about all the fires that started happening in Lac du Bonnet. When we found out about it, we simply packed up everything and drove 22 hours straight home," she says.
"We were incredibly grateful when we arrived home to see our home was still standing," she says. "We decided to say 'OK. Now what can we do to help everyone else?'"
When a helicopter pilot from B.C., enlisted to help as a water bomber, stayed with Szyszkowski and her husband, she asked what she could do to help and express her appreciation.
"He was like, 'Oh, no, nothing,'" she says. So she offered to buy gift cards for him and his crew.
When she called to find out how many people were stationed in Lac du Bonnet, she learned between 180 and 200 people were being dispatched from the base each day.
"I could not believe the numbers of people that were helping," Szyszkowski says.
She turned to the community to see if others could help ensure every crew member received a $10 gift card—whether through fundraising, donating cards or contributing to the GoFundMe she set up.
The community stepped up in a big way, she says, including two girls who raised about $3,400 at a local farmers’ market over the weekend.
"Heroes come in all sizes," she says.
On Sunday night, Szyszkowski says she went to Tim Horton's to buy 700 gift cards using donated funds.
Though the store was about to close, she says staff still processed the $7,000 transaction.
She is hopeful that gift cards can be supplied to every person involved in the province’s firefighting efforts with the small—but powerful—token of thanks, having witnessed firsthand the impact a $10 gesture can make.
"Myself and a friend...headed down to the base (in Lac du Bonnet) and were able to give (cards) to everyone," she says, describing the crews as young and covered in soot.
"We were there saying, 'Thank you so much for everything that you've done,' and they almost had these tears of joy...they were so grateful and appreciative to receive a gift card."
Szyszkowski says cards have gone out to those in working in the Whiteshell as well, and would like to see all those protecting Manitoba communities receive one.
She notes she's also writing handwritten thank-you notes, and encourages others in the community to do the same.
Written with files from Corny Rempel