How you can donate to Fort McMurray fire relief

By MoneySense Staff on May 5, 2016
Estimated reading time: 2 minutes

Text this number to give to the Canadian Red Cross

This article is 9 years old. Some details may be outdated.

[brightcove video_id=”6056484310001″ account_id=”6015698167001″ player_id=”lYro6suIR”] Fort McMurray, Alta. is being devastated by raging wildfires that are wiping out entire neighbourhoods and leaving up to 88,000 people displaced while the Alberta government has declared a state of emergency. The fire has grown eight times larger overnight and Canadians are rallying to give back in any way they can. If you’d like to do your part to help the residents of Fort McMurray, here’s where to donate. Are Fort McMurray homes insured for fire? » Top charities to donate to »

How you can help

The Canadian Red Cross has set up a place to make contributions at Alberta Fires Emergency Appeal. You can also donate $10 dollars when you text the word FIRES to 45678. Other ways to donate:

Text the word REDCROSS to 30333 and a $5 donation will be added to your wireless bill
Text the word REDCROSS to 45678 and a $10 donation will be added to your wireless bill

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced this week that the federal government will be joining Alberta in matching individual donations made for Fort McMurray disaster relief, so your $10 will go twice as far. So far, the Canadian Red Cross has already received $11 million in donations, according to CBC News. Here’s more information about what the Red Cross is doing to help. If you’re in the surrounding area and want to offer up your home for displaced Fort McMurray residents, Airbnb is coordinating free accommodation and waiving all service fees associated with short-term rentals. Finally, Edmonton Emergency Relief Services (ERS) are collecting diapers, baby wipes, toiletries, and other necessities. Donations are to be made at the ERS offices, downtown Edmonton. They will allocate the donations where they’re needed most. And remember, Rogers is waiving the cost of calls and texts to Fort McMurray to better connect customers with loved ones affected. Want to help those fleeing Fort McMurray? » Rogers is the parent company of MoneySense.