A Port Moody woman will be purchasing gifts and gift cards for the six children left without their mother after she was killed and their house damaged in a fire in July.
Liz Abreu, who owns two Vancouver hair salons, held a cut-a-thon on Sunday to raise money for the family and provide them with some Christmas cheer.
"I was thinking of the six kids and it was a really hard thing to wrap my head around, losing their mother," Abreu said. She went for a walk and happened to go past the Dewdney Trunk Road home, which remains heavily damaged from the fire, and knew she needed to find a way to help them.
Every year, she said, the salons purchase gift cards and presents for a few families in need but Abreu said she decided to focus on the six children instead.
"My husband and I brainstormed and said, 'If hair is what we do, why don't we do a cut-a-thon?'" Abreu said.
About 25 of their staff came in to do shifts on Sunday and, by the afternoon, they had given about 60 trims and raised $2,500.
Abreu has been in contact with the oldest of the six children and will get further details on what the kids would like to receive under the tree, and is continuing to accept donations; contact her at [email protected].
Previously, a Gofundme page was set up to help the children. As of yesterday morning, it had raised $45,851 of the $250,000 goal.
Meanwhile, the Public Guardian and Trustee of B.C. has filed a lawsuit in B.C. Supreme Court to protect the mother's assets on behalf of the children, who are named as plaintiffs.
The civil suit names the woman's husband as the defendant and states that on July 10 he unlawfully caused the death of the children's mother and intentionally caused the children harm by setting the fire in their home. It seeks damages for assault and battery, infliction of nervous shock and other costs.
The father remains in custody awaiting trial. None of the family members involved can be named to protect the identities of the children.
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