Students, Staff and Faculty Travel to Perth-Andover to Help With Relief Effort

By: Matt Sheriko

Published: Saturday, Apr 28, 2012

A group of 22 St. Thomas University students, staff and faculty took time to volunteer with the relief efforts in the after-math of the record floods in Perth-Andover.

“I was very pleased to see the support from the STU community in an effort to help the people of Perth-Andover in their time of need,” says athletics director, Mike Eagles who helped with the clean-up.

“It was an eye-opening experience that puts in perspective our day-to-day challenges.”

The effort was organized by Owen Marshall, admissions counsellor and assistant coach of the men’s rugby club. Several student athletes also participated in the relief effort.

Along the St. John River at Perth-Andover, businesses, public buildings and homes were engulfed in water when near record-high temperatures melted the ice and raised river levels to record levels.

The group from STU was divided into four teams and spent the day removing drywall, insulation and flooring that was water-damaged and contaminated with mould. One group cleaned debris from a public recreation area, while another waded into three feet of mud in the basement of a house to clean it out.

Eagles and Marshall would like to thank Sobey’s for donating food to feed the volunteers and Trius for donating transportation to Perth-Andover.