Like many Canadians, over the last number of days our thoughts and support have gone out to those affected by the devastating impact of the forest fires in Fort McMurray.
Our Best Buy store employees and Geek Squad Agents in Edmonton are seeing first-hand the magnitude of issues and growing needs facing our customers as well as our family and friends.
We know that the most urgent needs were around shelter, food, and personal items, but our expertise is in helping Canadians get connected to technology. We reached out to various evacuation centres and disaster relief organizations to see how we could help.
With the help of our local stores, we set up twenty laptops, televisions, and other devices at the Edmonton EXPO Centre at Northlands so evacuees can stay in touch with their families through email, deal with online necessities such as registering with the Red Cross or contacting insurance companies, and keep up to date on the ever-changing situation. As well, some of our Agents were on-site over the weekend offering on-the-spot assistance for those without the technical knowledge to make full use of the computers we had set up, and we would like to offer a heartfelt thank you to those Agents for their kindness and generosity.
We have also partnered with our insurance provider to ensure that all Geek Squad Membership claims are handled swiftly to replace and repair phones and computers for displaced Fort McMurray residents. Additional assistance is also being provided on tech support for new purchases.
We are offering our customers at any of our Edmonton stores the ability to charge their devices as well as receive deliveries and tech support.
Our Blue Shirts are also busy volunteering at the Edmonton International Airport with Edmonton Emergency Relief Services, addressing the overwhelming need for help at the donation sorting centre.
And finally, Best Buy locations across Canada are accepting donations for the Canadian Red Cross. All donations go towards supporting the disaster relief.
We will continue to find ways to support evacuees and our team in the field as the situation progresses. Like most, we have been overwhelmed by the generosity of all Canadians. Together, we will stand with the people of Fort McMurray as they look to rebuild their homes and their lives.
Be sure to visit the websites of the Edmonton Emergency Relief Services and the Canadian Red Cross to learn more about the ongoing efforts to help the victims of the Alberta Wildfires and ways that you can best contribute to relief efforts.
