Suncor and the Suncor Energy Foundation(SEF) donated $250,000 to local agencies to help with flood recovery.
A $100,000 portion of the donation was given to agencies based on votes from regional employees.
The Centre of Hope will use its $52,000 for repairs and renovations as well as supplies like socks, winter clothing, food and prescriptions.
Norfort Gymnastics Association received $25,000 to help rebuild its facility and replace equipment.
Brad McCoy, the president of the Norfort Gymnastics Association said it was trying to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic on reduced hours when the flood hit.
“We’ve been surviving purely on volunteer hours and companies stepping up to help these kids,” said McCoy.
The Fort McMurray Heritage Society received $23,000 and will use it for repairs and cleanup at both the Heritage Village and Shipyard.
The remaining $150,000 from SEF was split between four other agencies based on input from the community and Suncor employees who live in Fort McMurray.
The Canadian Mental Health Association of Wood Buffalo, Salvation Army of Fort McMurray, and FuseSocial each received $40,000 to help with operations.
The Salvation Army used the funds to open a temporary donation drop-off facility and Thrift Store location.
The final $30,000 was donated to NorthLife Fellowship Baptist Church Soup Kitchen to support a rental space and operations while their building is repaired.
“This has been an incredibly difficult year for many of the organizations that support Fort McMurray and the region. Suncor is proud to continue to help them recover from the flood and maintain critical community services,” says Shelley Powell, senior vice president, Suncor Base Plant.
The donation comes from funds that were originally supposed to go towards employee and community events, which were cancelled due to the pandemic.
During initial flood response, Suncor and SEF also supplied 50 pieces of equipment, including pumps and boats, had employees chip in for cleanup, and matched employee donations.
It also housed around 1,400 of the 13,000 evacuees at its workcamps.
In 2019 Suncor and SEF contributed more than $5.6 million in community donations and sponsorships.
