Richmond teen brings $10,000 in wildfire relief to Okanagan evacuees

A 14-year-old Richmond student has raised about $10,000 in donations and essentials for families displaced by the Bald Range wildfire in the Okanagan.

Katherine Hu said she learned about the evacuation through a friend in the region and collected toiletries, tissues, toothbrushes and medication with help from family, friends and volunteers.

She travelled to Penticton over the weekend to deliver the supplies, describing poor air quality and an orange sky near Hope, as well as dry trees and burned homes along the route.

OneSky Community Resources, a local non-profit, distributed the donations to wildfire evacuees. Director Jared Hidber said many supplies were taken quickly after being placed on shelves.

As evacuation orders are downgraded and residents begin returning home, Hu says she plans to make another donation trip next month.