Spokane Home Builders Association to donate Medical Lake relief
At a news event Wednesday, the Spokane Home Builders Association will grant $77,400 to the Spokane Region Long Term Recovery Group.
The funds were raised last fall in partnership with Hayden Homes and the National Association of Home Builders, according to a release from the organization.
The Spokane Region Long Term Recovery Group, acts as a liaison between government agencies, other nonprofits and volunteers to help those on the West Plains and in north Spokane County impacted by last year’s wildfires.
The group has 12 board members, with Medical Lake Mayor Terri Cooper serving as president and Dick Ziehnert, longtime Elk resident and farmer, as vice president. Board members cannot have lost their home in the fire, according to previous Spokesman-Review reports.
At the event, Cooper is expected to discuss ongoing recovery work, recent relief efforts and accept the donation, according to the release.
The event will be held at 10:30 a.m. at the Ruby River Hotel at 700 N. Division St.
In a statement from the release, Cooper said the donation, “comes at an absolutely critical time for the recovery effort. These resources will go directly toward serving families who lost everything.”
On Aug. 18, winds stoked the Gray Fire near Medical Lake, which burned more than 10,000 acres on the West Plains. It destroyed 240 homes and 86 outbuildings, according to previous Spokesman-Review reports.
A few hours later, another wildfire ignited near Elk. The Oregon Road Fire burned some 11,000 acres in Spokane and Pend Oreille counties and destroyed 258 outbuildings, including 126 homes, according to previous Spokesman-Review reports.
The Gray and Oregon Road fires were among the most devastating in Washington history, causing a combined loss of $166 million in assessed property value, according to Spokane County Assessor Tom Konis.
Joel White, executive director of Spokane Homebuilders Association, said the organization’s members “came together and said, ‘Homes are so important. How can we help these families who lost their homes to rebuild and recover after this disaster?’ ”
The organization created the Spokane Wildfire Disaster Relief Fund last fall.
Hayden Homes and the National Association of Home Builders each contributed $25,000. SHBA members and the general public donated $12,900.
Jason Ramey, owner of Ramey Construction, saw many of his neighbors impacted by the fire and donated more than $12,000. Green Bluff grower Siemers Farms contributed $2,500, according to the release.