KALISPELL - Fire crews have been making progress on the Elmo Fire, but the fight is not over, and crews will continue to battle the blaze.
Businesses across the Flathead Valley and in Missoula continue collecting water, electrolyte drinks and food such as granola bars to help keep the firefighters healthy and strong as the fight continues.
“Tuesday night, I was just sitting in my, in my house, and I was thinking about if there was a way that we could help out with the fires a little bit more, and obviously praying about it, and I felt like, you know, maybe we could get the community involved a little bit and so we offered it up to our clients, some brought in goods, others just handed us cash," said Engage Fitness owner Ryan Goshong said. "Little by little more people from the community came and started donating as well. And so we're excited to just be able to drive it down today and hopefully help out the firefighters."
Some of the inspiration for collecting donations comes from living near the fire or having family and friends in the area affected by the fire.
“We're a very, very tight knit family and there for each other at all times. All of our friends, family, even people that we just met, you know, we're willing to do anything for anybody. It really nice being able to collaborate and, you know, have the ability to give back," said Worx co-owner April MacCary.
People who wish to donate funds can do so through 406 Worx Facebook page.
Business owners in Kalispell are trying to make it more convenient for locals to donate by taking the donations down to Elmo. The Flathead Lake Biological Station is working to get the word out about what the firefighters really need and who is accepting donations. This information can be found on their Facebook page.
“Yeah, I think so many times in life, we think there's nothing I can do about this situation. Sometimes we think that we're too small to make a difference. And the truth of the matter is, is that if we all pitch in a little bit, we can do something huge, and I think it was awesome in three days, that the community all came together to donate for this good cause... So we can make a difference and there is hope," said Goshong.
