The figure is closing in on the $1,500 mark and is still rising.
The east Cambie community rallied around a stricken family on Wednesday morning after their rented, single-storey home was burned down last week, killing two family kittens in the process.
A pancake breakfast organized Wednesday by McNeely elementary — where one of the Gibson family members is a Grade 1 student — raised more than a few toonies.
By 4 p.m., around $1,320 had been raised to help the family, who didn’t attend the event, wanting to remain private.
The school decided to help after learning the family had no fire cover in their insurance and lost practically everything in the blaze at their home at 16540 River Rd, near the intersection with No. 7 Road.
“It was an awesome response from the community,” said McNeely PAC chair May Siew.
“People were handing in $50 donations, not just toonies for a pancake, it was almost overwhelming to see the community react like this.
“We are a school family and, on this occasion, we have supported one of our family.”
Siew couldn’t put a figure on the number of people who turned out, but such was the demand, they ran out of paper plates and had to dig into the school’s crockery supply to keep up.
There are other fundraising efforts going on at the school, added Siew, who wouldn’t be surprised to see the figure continue to rise as the week wears on.
Friends of the family have set up a website — www.gofundme.com/85mvh8 to raise funds. It's raised more than $2,500 so far, with a $30,000 target.
Accounts have also been set up at the “Return-it” bottle depots, at Steveston Highway — account No. 83 — and at Queensborough Landing — account No. 121.
The fundraising site states how the family have been left with absolutely nothing after the fire.
The City of Richmond said the cause of the fire was still under investigation.
