“Together we are stronger!” That was the theme of the fundraiser for fire-stricken Dubois, Wyo. put on by the Encampment School during last Saturday’s basketball games.
Job well done Encampment. You raised $1,273 for the Dubois Fire Fund that the Rams basketball teams could take home to their chamber of commerce. That’s more than $2 for every man, woman and child in town.
As the fundraiser theme suggests, we in rural America are stronger together. Dubois has a population just under 1,000 people, about double the size of Encampment.
The two towns have also experienced major downtown fires. Five buildings and businesses in downtown Encampment burned in November 1950. Much like the Dubois fire, fire departments from surrounding towns responded to halt the destruction.
By all accounts the firefighters from Dubois, Riverton, Lander, Fort Washakie, Crowheart and the Fremont County Fire Protection District were heroic in their efforts fighting the fire in temperatures that dipped to minus 20. Without the excellent training of our rural firefighters the damage in Dubois could have been much worse.
Donations made at the Encampment basketball games were to the Dubois Fire Fund, with checks made payable to the Dubois Chamber of Commerce.
If you did not get a chance to donate at the basketball games or want to donate more to help those affected by the fire in Dubois, the non-profit Needs of Dubois (NOD) is accepting donations. The website gofundme.com has already collected nearly $11,000 from 131 people in six days, which will be turned over to NOD.
NOD was founded in 2007 and says they have provided over $150,000 in emergency and medical funding to more than 40 families. Another example of the citizens of our rural towns banding together in support.
Donations can be made directly to NOD and are tax-deductible. Make checks payable to Needs of Dubois and note ‘Dubois Fire’ in the memo of the check. Send checks to: PO Box 865, Dubois, WY 82513. You can find out more information about NOD at www.needsofdubois.org, [email protected] or 307-455-3173.
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