Camas-Washougal Rotary Club helps victims of Santiam Canyon wildfire

Camas-Washougal Rotary Club members recently traveled to Oregon to deliver $9,430 worth of household goods to benefit approximately 800 families in the vicinity of Sublimity, Oregon, who were devastated by the 2020 Santiam Canyon wildfire.

In coordination with the Santiam Canyon Wildfire Relief organizations, a team of Rotary members rallied behind the project raising funds, soliciting donations and assembling supplies for the families.

On Nov. 14, a group of 11 Rotarians delivered essential items including space heaters, brooms, rain suits, tarps, batteries, flashlights, lanterns, household cleaning goods, linens, air mattresses, prepaid gas cards and mini refrigerators. In addition, they collected and delivered over 20 bags of donated clothing and children’s toys.

“Our local Rotarians in Camas and Washougal were deeply moved by the plight of our neighbors to the south. In Southwest Washington we have also been impacted by wildfires, so answering the call for help from our neighbors in Sublimity was not a difficult decision. When the opportunity arose, we rallied together club members and local businesses to help,” said club president Richard Renton.

Support for the project was made possible by grants from the Camas-Washougal Rotary Club, a Rotary District 5100 and the Camas-Washougal Rotary Foundation in addition to private donations and in-kind donations from Lutz Hardware in Camas.

“Helping our neighbors in Oregon was a project completely aligned with the charitable objectives of our organization,” said Camas-Washougal Rotary Foundation President Kathy Bussman. “What really hit home was when we arrived with our loads of supplies, one of the relief volunteers pulled me aside and said, ‘That you came so far to help means so much. Just you being here tells us we are not forgotten.'”

Camas-Washougal Rotary Club is a registered member Club of Rotary International, an international service organization whose purpose is to bring together business and professional leaders to provide humanitarian service and to advance goodwill and peace around the world. It is an apolitical, non-religious organization that is open to all.