Retired Burnaby fire captain Eoin White was blown away by donations pouring in for quake victims in Nepal. White, who was originally hoping to raise $35,000 through online donations and a private party at his New Westminster home, was floored by the generosity of his friends and strangers from across B.C.
By Tuesday at press time, he had raised $53,000 in person and online.
“I’m a little overwhelmed by the whole thing. It was a bit surreal,” White told the NOW. “I feel kind of stunned.”
White will funnel most of the money through the Burnaby Firefighters Charitable Society, as he’s hoping to secure matching funds from the federal government. The money will go directly to a network of Nepalese families White works with through his Mount Everest trekking company, Sherpa Encounters. White has taken more than 200 people to base camp at Everest, and many who have taken the trip with White donated to the cause.
The funds will help the families buy tents, food and basic supplies.
The 7.8 magnitude quake that struck Nepal in April left more than 8,000 dead, and a second quake, closer to Mount Everest, hit his contacts particularly hard, leaving some families homeless.
White’s party in New Westminster on Sunday drew an estimated 250 people, including Burnaby firefighters who recently returned from an aid trip to Nepal following the first quake.
White served traditional Nepalese food in his backyard, while attendees brought clothing donations, cheques and cash. White plans to vacuum pack the clothes, which he estimated totalled 1,100 pounds, and take them over to Nepal on his next trip in fall, when he takes 22 people on a trekking adventure up Everest.
Donations are still coming in. Click here to contribute.
