Fire Fund for Derek & Family
Donation protected
A terrible explosion and fire occurred in the early morning of Sunday May 17 during the recent Victoria long weekend. While it was an extremely tragic and heart breaking story for the family whose house had the greatest impact, right next door to that house, is our colleague, Derek Lin’s home (one that they only moved into less than six months ago). Derek and his wife Coya, thankfully escaped to safety before the fire spread further. When we talked to Derek on the day after, he said if it wasn’t for a concrete wall between the townhouses, this might have been a very different story for him.
The few houses involved (among which was Derek’s) were destroyed by the fire, declared structurally unsafe and eventually demolished due to the extensive damage. Derek had no opportunity to return inside during this ordeal to gather any of his personal artifacts, so all their important papers, ids, and all the things that make a home a home are forever lost.
Derek and his wife spent the first couple of weeks in a hotel while working through the daunting logistics of insurance, and trying to get their lives back one baby step at a time.
It’s easy for any of us to take for granted the simple act of going home, to a place filled with things that are mundanely familiar and that bring all the comforts that we all too often forget to appreciate, such as falling into your own couch, or reaching for your favourite coffee mug always kept in the same place. And during these covid pandemic days, home is even more of a refuge than it’s ever been.
We hope this campaign not only lets Derek know that we are thinking of him and his family, but that it goes towards helping Derek to slowly rebuild his life, to start their journey on finding a new home and to truly get back on their feet.
(Pictured is Derek and Coya, this photo was taken on the day of the fire. After many hours of anxious waiting, they were finally able to reunite with their cat Drac who had been trapped in the house throughout the ordeal. A truly happy moment on an extraordinarily difficult day.)
The few houses involved (among which was Derek’s) were destroyed by the fire, declared structurally unsafe and eventually demolished due to the extensive damage. Derek had no opportunity to return inside during this ordeal to gather any of his personal artifacts, so all their important papers, ids, and all the things that make a home a home are forever lost.
Derek and his wife spent the first couple of weeks in a hotel while working through the daunting logistics of insurance, and trying to get their lives back one baby step at a time.
It’s easy for any of us to take for granted the simple act of going home, to a place filled with things that are mundanely familiar and that bring all the comforts that we all too often forget to appreciate, such as falling into your own couch, or reaching for your favourite coffee mug always kept in the same place. And during these covid pandemic days, home is even more of a refuge than it’s ever been.
We hope this campaign not only lets Derek know that we are thinking of him and his family, but that it goes towards helping Derek to slowly rebuild his life, to start their journey on finding a new home and to truly get back on their feet.
(Pictured is Derek and Coya, this photo was taken on the day of the fire. After many hours of anxious waiting, they were finally able to reunite with their cat Drac who had been trapped in the house throughout the ordeal. A truly happy moment on an extraordinarily difficult day.)
Fundraising team: digital (3)
Kristin Thai
Organizer
Toronto, ON
Derek Lin
Beneficiary
Eric Okawara
Team member
Patricia Lim
Team member